Faculty Syllabus

Course Prerequisites
None

*All courses offered in the Visual Communication department are workforce courses, and may have some transfer restrictions to other colleges. Students interested in transferring courses to another college should speak with our departmental advisor: Jen Jones, or their Area of Study advisor.

Course Learning Outcomes
What you’ll learn to do by the end of this course:

• Apply fundamentals of page layout
• Use typographic terminology and specifications
• Practice importing text and graphics into page layout programs
• Discuss file formats and file management.
• Integrate tools and techniques analyzing elements to produce final product
• Interpret art director’s instructions
• Communicate with industry specialists
• Apply real world production skills used by graphic designers and production personnel
• Appraise basic design problems related to advertising art
• Differentiate CMYK and spot color in single and multicolored reproduction
• Develop discipline in neatness, presentation, and accuracy of work
• Define the terms and language of page layout and design.

Digital Publishing 1
16-week Course Calendar

Required Texts/Materials
Textbook

Adobe InDesign CC 2026 release
Classroom in a Book
The official training workbook from Adobe

Kelly Kordes Anton and Tina DeJarld

• ISBN-10: 0-13-549536-9
• ISBN-13: 978-0-13-549536-0

Required Online Resources

An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
(https://www.austincc.edu/adobe-creative-cloud-acc) — to access the software in the labs and for your own use.

Blackboard (http://www.austincc.edu/blackboard)

Catalog Description
The fundamentals of using digital layout as a primary publishing tool and the basic concepts and terminology associated with typography and page layout. Topics include an overview of industry standard software for page layout and design, and various methods of reproduction for print and electronic delivery. An introduction to InDesign and other tools and skills used to prepare electronic pre-press art for print reproduction with a goal of economy, neatness and faithfulness to the designer’s layout or written instructions. Material covered will include graphic terminology, type specification, and evolution of the printed piece from concept to final printed project. 

Course Rationale / Objectives
Digital Publishing 1 is a foundation course that teaches production skills used by graphic designers. It is a prerequisite for ARTC 1427 Typography and  ARTC 2413 Digital Publishing 2. It is a required course in the Graphic Design and Graphic Media Production
degree plans.

Course Learning Outcomes
What you’ll learn to do by the end of this course:

• Apply fundamentals of page layout
• Use typographic terminology and specifications
• Practice importing text and graphics into page layout programs
• Discuss file formats and file management.
• Integrate tools and techniques analyzing elements to produce final product
• Interpret art director’s instructions
• Communicate with industry specialists
• Apply real world production skills used by graphic designers and production personnel
• Appraise basic design problems related to advertising art
• Differentiate CMYK and spot color in single and multicolored reproduction
• Develop discipline in neatness, presentation, and accuracy of work
• Define the terms and language of page layout and design.

What you’ll learn to do by the end of the Graphic Media Production discipline:

• Use industry standard vector, raster and layout software tools to produce graphic design for print and digital media.
• Apply the production process (define project parameters, prepare assets, produce design, prepare output) for print and digital media
• Independently produce graphic design work to project specifications

What you’ll learn that will help in the Workforce:
Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS): In 1989, the U.S. Department of Labor education jointly surveyed U.S. employers to find out the most important skills and competencies needed by workers. The results of that survey identified SCANS (Secretaries Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills). These are skills that employers need the most from their workers. SCANS skills are the predictors of success in workplace. The following is a list of SCAN competencies identified in this course. For expanded definitions of the listed SCANS, please go to: www.academicinnovations.com/report.html