In the real world, page layout projects don't come with directions, and the "recipe book" approach of most books does little to prepare designers for the demands of a highly competitive industry. Exploring InDesign CS takes a different approach. With an emphasis on typography and critical thinking, the book transforms the novice into a professional typesetter - one who is grounded in industry-standard design principles. In addition to gaining professional proficiency with Adobe InDesign CS, users learn to begin a project while visualizing the end design, to identify the project pitfalls and challenges, and to independently strategize the best production sequence. Chapters and projects are carefully ordered to move readers from the tools palette to multiple master pages, with each chapter building upon the skills presented in the previous chapter. Supplemental projects require users to identify production steps and apply the necessary skills, reinforcing key concepts and teaching how to work independently in document construction. Similar to the industry, the emphasis throughout the book is on productivity, including preplanning and utilizing keyboard shortcuts.