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How to write a brief for a Graphic Designer: explained by a designer

How to write a brief for a graphic designer… let me explain.

Briefs, and not the kind of underpants, are an essential part of the design process.

A design brief enables a client to outline what is required and needed from a project. It is a guide and plan so that all parties involved know what needs to be done and carried out. A well-written and detailed brief will not only help with pricing and estimates but also with the project goals and describe what needs to be done to meet these goals.

You could also pretend that a brief is an open-ended recipe for designers to refer to. Some designers may even help you with writing the recipe in the first place. If you ask nicely.

How to write a brief for a Graphic Designer - A detailed post offering tips and ideas to creating a brief for a designer

This post has been written for a couple of reasons:-

1 ) To offer a straightforward example of how to write a brief for a graphic designer. What to include, what not to include, etc, etc.

2 ) This is also a rewrite of the previous post on writing a brief. This is an updated version of how to write a design brief for me … and potentially other designers.

Also, read on to find out about the 7 P’s

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How to write a brief for a graphic designer – Short Answer

When writing a brief for a graphic designer, make sure to include what you need, what you want, format, and potential budgets as a bare minimum so that a designer can respond and fulfil your project’s needs based on these criteria. The designer, such as myself, will establish how to meet those goals based on a well-planned process.

A basic design brief enables a designer to work to a professional standard and adhere to some kind of plan, or ‘scope’. A brief acts as a set of guidelines that both parties, specifically the designer, will adhere to.

A design brief does not need to be a novel, or strictly speaking, complete. But detail and some thought is key. ( I can help with completing a brief if you are struggling.)

As a tip, it is sometimes best for both the client and the designer to follow a set of clear and concise bullet points for a design project. I am a fan of bullet points as they allow me to mark off some key stages and milestones in a project.

An experienced designer who communicates verbally or in writing will most likely ask questions about you and your project. This is to pick up on those smaller details and to potentially help you answer questions you have not yet considered.

The more detail you include in the beginning, the faster the design process can begin.

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I’m a client, do I need to write a brief for a Graphic Designer?

You do, sorry. Or at least a brief needs to be written by somebody! A brief can be regarded as a boring but crucial step in the design process, whether it be my design process or somebody else’s.

I love a client who has seriously considered a brief, even if they are somewhat unsure of what may be involved. It shows some thought needs to be made, even if they are unsure of what is involved with the journey.

If you are stuck, I am more than happy to help in this stage as a consultant in a ‘pre-design’ phase of your project.

How to write a brief for a graphic designer




This is a list of key points and stages to consider when constructing a design brief for a graphic designer. Great for beginners and… seasoned brief makers!

  1. Purpose of the project
  2. The plan ( if you have one )
  3. Budgeting
  4. Timeframes
  5. Target audience
  6. Any brand or brand guidelines
  7. Format for deployment
  8. Any limitations
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What is the project’s purpose?


What is the purpose of the project? This can be incredibly beneficial to share when considering how to write a brief for a graphic designer.

The what:

  • Is it to expand the business?
  • Launch a new product range?
  • Promote the service that you are already offering?
  • Is it a create a logo to do ‘X’?
  • Design a Kickstarter page to excite potential backers?
  • Create a piece of box art for a board game?
  • Content graphics for a blog?


Establishing a basic ‘want’ or what, rather than just spouting, you need some chaotic creativity in your day. This is important for budgets, sanity, and all else.

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PLAN – Even a loose one is important for a graphic design project

You will need to have some sort of a plan and end goal in mind for the project. Otherwise, where will the project start and end, and what are the terms?

Unless it is a day rate or a fixed-term project, working on a series of smaller projects. Even still, it is likely that this too will have an end goal even if not s solid plan.

If you don’t know what it is that your business needs from a designer, that’s OK! Some designers could help. I have worked as a design manager, for bigger projects, I would never work without a plan.

Even a small one.

Without a plan or an end goal, even a loose one, you will end up going around in more circles than is necessary. Leading to frustration, costing time, money, and making a surprisingly challenging job – even more challenging.

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How to ask yourself questions when creating a brief for a graphic designer

People don’t always understand designers, designers don’t always understand people for that matter!

I remember asking a former colleague questions for a project, only for that person to start accusing me of ‘asking too many questions’ in tone that suggested I was picking on them. Or to be more specific, they are accusing me of only asking them all these questions. Yes, a lose-lose scenario sadly. Strange how this stuff stays!

Designers should ask questions – that is that. Unless they are managerial or business owners or something similar, they will need to know what you are trying to achieve. Intelligent design requires questions most of the time.

There is a way of marrying project requirements with ‘how to write a brief’ for a graphic designer. Here is a pair of graphic design shoes for you to wear.

The Designer’s Shoes (Designer’s Brain )

  • What is the aim of this project?
  • Is this part of a bigger picture?
  • Has a budget been written, and can what needs to be done be done within budget?
  • What are the client’s expectations? ( Whether realistic or not )
  • How can I do what needs to be done?
  • Will they give me resources, logos, photos, fonts etc?
  • Can I make this look awesome?
  • What is the overarching tone and vibe?
  • Has this person worked with other designers before?
  • Is the person great to work with?

To name a few.

These are some of the examples I will ask myself, on how I can help a client achieve what it is they want to achieve.

To translate to the client, you may wish to consider the following when creating a brief for a graphic designer

Types of things to consider as the client – (Client’s Shoes )

  • What is the purpose of this project?
  • Does this tie in with a bigger project?
  • What do I need?
  • What do I want? ( or better still, what does my ‘customer’ want or need )
  • Have I considered the competition?
  • Have I checked any legal pitfalls or copyright issues?
  • Will the designer ask for things like logos, photos?
  • Have I done my homework?
  • When will…
  • Will my budget and expectations align with the designer’s expectations?
  • Have I picked the right designer for me?
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Writing a brief for a graphic designer | The Dreaded Budget

Dum dum dum! The budget… the deal maker and deal breaker!

The budget is important.

The design budget will affect the amount of time, resources, and other expenses that will be allocated to your project. When considering a budget, you may hear words and phrases such as ‘fees, deposit, rates, when will payments occur’, and so on.

One of the most common questions I get asked, sometimes before I have been supplied with a brief, is…

“How much?”

Before settling and agreeing on a project with a designer, you need to talk with your designer about how much you can afford to spend and what they are willing to do. And, what is it they need to help with! The more information you can offer, the easier it may be for a designer to estimate their quotations.

Below are 2 methods of payment types and methods to further illustrate how a designer may expect to be paid.

Rolling day rates – what are they?

Charging by the day is just that. A designer bills for their time on a day-by-day basis. A client and designer may prefer this method for larger, more experimental projects. In certain circumstances, this may be more mutually beneficial for both parties.

The pay by the day is far more open-ended financially and allows more room for creative freedom and development. A drawback with this free-flowing approach is that money can keep on going into a project; regular checks on the amount of money spent on a project is wise.

It is also a good idea to see if you can get a ballpark figure in the beginning, especially with smaller businesses with tighter purse strings.

How to write a brief for a graphic designer handy tips!!




*As a tip, whatever the ball park is or was, it can be wise to allow room for plenty of financial padding, but that is a topic for another time. Especially when considering how much it costs to design a board game. Money can keep going in more and more.

Design project fixed price – what is it?

A ‘fixed price’ means pretty much what it says, the budget is ‘fixed’ – it has a spending limit! This method means there is a roof or cap on the amount of money that can be spent on a design project. A certain amount of funds may be allocated to a campaign or project which is controlled either by the company’s directors, owners, or accounts department, or by a 3rd party.

Companies that are given grants may prefer to work this way and pay in larger lump sums as opposed to smaller, more time-consuming milestones.

Fixed price budgets can be great if it suits both parties. But there are realities that come with this that may be alarming.

Questions mark graphic - why can budgets change?
Why can this happen?

It is not uncommon for contracts and prices to need to be re-evaluated mid-way through a project, however disruptive this can be.

There can be a variety of reasons for these changes, such as new ideas coming into play, not enough information being given at the start, a change of information, more decision makers getting involved, a change in project scope, and generally, more time and work needed to complete a project. Typically, it comes down to more being heaped onto the designers to play to do what needs to be done!

There are many variables.

Substantial changes to a project specification can significantly alter fees and budgets. There is most likely a term for clients who intentionally omit key information, but this evades me for this post.

I work with the term fixed ‘estimate’. And there is a valid reason why I now address it as so.

Consider the timeframe when writing a brief for a designer!

The when!

I need ‘x’ by…
How long will it take?…
Can I have it by?…
How long will this take!…

And other phrases to that effect.

Take into account when you need a project to be completed. Even seemingly smaller projects can take time to finish. This can be due to the designer working on several projects at once, and other life and work commitments coming into play. And… the process is just taking the time that it takes!

When writing the brief, consider dates and deadlines – if applicable.

  • Don’t leave everything to the last minute
  • Don’t supply key information such as text, photos, and assets at the 11th hour for the designer. ( Do it at the start! )
  • Don’t vanish without a trace ( designers need communication )
  • Don’t set unfair time goals and expect not to be disappointed

Make sure to get everything ready from the start, or at least as much as possible! If you are unsure of what you need, how long it will take!

Consult a designer.

Let the graphic designer know your target market

When writing a brief for a graphic designer, you should consider your target audience. It can also be prudent to place some of your target audience’s wants and tastes above your own.

Stipulating who your target audience is… is an important stage when considering your design brief and how to write it.

Here are some criteria based on your target audience:-

  • Children
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Professionals
  • Tourists
  • Trade
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Religion

And so on.

When submitting your brief to a designer, consider who the end product is for.

Are there any existing logos or brand guidelines?

Do you already have existing brand guidelines for your company?

If you have any existing logos, style guides, fonts, dos and don’ts for your logo and branding, remember to include this in a brief or submit this as a separate document to your designer. This is especially important if you are forming a new client and graphic designer relationship.

Any relevant brand guidelines can be incredibly beneficial to the designer.

Example logos
You may find this article interesting about logos!

How do you want your design project formatted for deployment?

How do you intend to ‘deploy’ the project?

Will this be a small web banner? A flyer? Will you be using a printer? Will this be for the screen? Or will it be for print?

Having some idea of where, when, and how you intend to use your design can be important for a designer.

You may need your artwork supplied as a PDF, a JPG, or… as an AI file, or something else entirely! When considering how to write a brief for a graphic designer, consider how the artwork could be used in the future so that the designer can offer the best solution going forward.

Include any potential limitations in the brief


When establishing your brief for a graphic designer, is there anything that a designer aught to know about you, your business, or the intent of your project?

  • Is there anything that the designer can’t do? Or should I do?
  • Will it be for a certain target demographic?
  • Politically sensitive?
  • Colours that should be avoided?
  • Themes best avoided?

Writing a brief for a Graphic Designer | Basic Free Checklist Summary

A checklist and summary of what you may wish to include with your brief, plus any other useful details. See this as a raw recipe and ingredients of what the designer needs to include!

I can smell the tasty design dish now!

In short, consider the following when writing your brief for a designer:

  • 1 Purpose of the project
  • 2 The plan ( if you have one )
  • 3 Budgeting
  • 4 Timeframes
  • 5 Target audience
  • 6 Any brand or brand guidelines
  • 7 Format for deployment
  • 8 Any limitations

Considered adding the list above to open the discussion with a designer – such as myself, to see what needs to be done from there.

All in all, if you have made it this far, don’t overthink it too much. Write something down and see if a designer can help you somewhere.

You may find this post interesting –

How to write a brief for a graphic designer - the design process

My design process in steps.

Other subjects around graphic design and processes

There is a saying that I have heard from varying jobs – it is an army saying that I think is great. I would like you to remember it…

7 P’s – ( Even applicable when writing a brief for a graphic designer )

Piss Poor Planning Promotes Piss Poor Performance.

And it is too true. If you can’t remember anything of what I have said about how to write a brief for a graphic designer, try to remember the saying at least.

Source : 7 P’s

Information and content copyright www.jimmsdesign.co.uk – 2025 and property of this blog.

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How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush in 5 EASY PEASY steps

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush! Made easy. ( Updated )

Ever wanted to make your own Photoshop brush but never knew how? Fear not my design friend! This little tutorial will have you making your custom brushes in no time! ( hopefully ).

I have used these exact methods for various illustration and design projects over the years.

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush – Answer Overview

An easy method to make a custom Photoshop brush is to either create your own shape or source a shape first. Once you have created your own shape by working with Black against White, you can use that selection to define a new custom brush. In short, you will need to make a selection around your shape and then “define brush preset” – this will then become your new brush.

You can use this method to make a wide selection of brush shapes, be it weave, denim, pencil, or any texture you can imagine.

Also, consider when making your custom Photoshop brush, how you would like it to flow and whether there are soft or hard edges. There is a wide variety of options you can experiment with when creating a custom brush in Photoshop.

Please read on how to make a simple custom Photoshop brush. Or you may find this post interesting. How to reduce banding in Photoshop.

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How to make an easy Photoshop brush in 5 simple steps

Step 1 – Create The Brush Document

A free custom Photoshop brush! Ooi! Make your own custom Brush!
Photoshop Brush


1 ) Open Photoshop and create a new document – 300 x 300 px and 72 DPI for good measure, make sure the background is set to white. It should be noted that you can make this document larger or smaller but I tend to prefer working at a smaller scale.

If you prefer, you can copy the image above for free.

Step 2 – Draw Your Brush

2 ) Working in black and white (Shortcut ‘D’ for black and white), draw your brush shape in black in your new document.

Remember your brush shape needs to be dark /black when you come to creating your brush. For the sake of this tutorial, I have made mine a solid brush. See the black ‘blob’ above on the white background. That is the new brush being painted onto the new document in preparation.

Step 3 – Select Your Shape

3 ) Either by using the marquee tool or Apple + ‘a’ to select all (CTRL + A for windows) select your shape that is to become your brush. If the selection is active, you will see the ‘marching ants’ in Photoshop. If you have made your selection in preparation for the next stage, proceed to the next step! 

Step 4 – Use Shape To Define a Brush

4 ) Go Edit > scroll down to  ‘Define Brush Preset’ and click on it!

Step 5 – Name The Photoshop Brush

5 ) Label your brush, I called this one ‘blob’. Congratulations… it’s a blob!

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush
Your new brush in the palette

Well done, you should now have designed your very own custom brush and saved it to your Brush library.

If you press F5 to look at your brush palette, you will see the brush you have just made at the bottom of your library. Why not open a new document and test out your newly created Photoshop tool, make ink splats, and draw faces.

This is just to set you on the path of making more awesome brushes.

Photoshop brushe example save in palette

Thank you for reading, if you would like some help with a project in Photoshop you can always drop me a line! Freelance Photoshopper!

How to make a simple custom Photoshop brush

Other post that may help you with photoshop:
Quick layer short cuts
Drawing in Photoshop + Stylus
Reduce Banding in Photoshop
What is a design process
How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

3rd Party Websites & Sources
– My design website

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How To Fix Broken Text Boxes In Indesign | Fixes & Solutions



How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign! Do not despair friend! This list of troubleshooting solutions offers a range of fixes, mends, and workarounds when editing text boxes in Indesign. Be it for card games, rulebooks or any other type of editorial design project that uses text boxes.

Whether you are a professional editor, a design tinkerer, or a new Indesign user! This list may have the solution you need to fix your Indesign woes.

Each answer has also been written in easy-to-follow, bite-sized chunks.

To fix your editorial woes in Indesign, you may need to investigate whether certain elements are locked or if there is structure and ordering issues in the document. Or is it a cluster of problems preventing you from editing your text.

How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign - title



How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

Short and to the point. This article focuses solely on the ‘editing’, fixing and troubleshooting of text boxes problems in Indesign.

For those who have come to this post from my ‘how to edit the text on your card artwork‘, this article may be perfect for helping you to navigate your Indesign headache!

Here are some problems and solutions I have written up from using Indesign over the years while editing cards and various editorial projects.

Jump Menu: How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

  1. ) Finding the problem with the textbox in Indesign ( general )
  2. ) Frozen, laggy, or partially unresponsive textboxes in Indesign
  3. ) Unlocking your textbox in Indesign
  4. ) The text box is on a locked layer
  5. ) Stop trying to edit the master page!
  6. ) The text box is behind or underneath something else
  7. ) Amend your layer stack
  8. ) Too much text for the text frame

Section 1 – Identifying the problem with the textbox
Section 2 – Locking issue
Section 3 – Non-locking issues

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Why can’t I edit text frames in Indesign? Identifying the issue

There can be a variety of reasons as to why you can’t edit the text in your Indesign document, whether it be for editing card artwork or text for a rulebook.

One of the best ways to tackle the problem of why you can’t edit the text in your document is to adopt a piece-by-piece approach to finding out why!

This may seem overwhelming at first, but don’t be put off! Using a systematic and step-by-step approach to fix your text box will hopefully have you editing text before long. Ultimately, it does come down to what is causing the issue.

How to fix your broken, locked, or hidden text frame in your Indesign document. Most common causes:-

  • The text box or text frame may be locked
  • The text box is on a locked layer
  • A master page may be preventing you from editing your text
  • Your text box is behind or underneath something else
  • The layer stack needs adjusting
  • There is too much text for the text frame


Diagnosing Broken Text Boxes Causes In Indesign – Checklist

When investigating how to fix broken text boxes in Indesign, the process of elimination can be a great way to help you problem-solve. Use this checklist to see what could be causing the issue and then decide what action needs to be taken to fix the text box.

This checklist graphic is free to save to your desktop for future reference.

How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign FREE Checklist



Core Issue & Frustration Number 1 – Why Can’t I Edit A Text Box In Indesign!?

I covered this question in a previous post ( editing card artwork ). For the sake of clarity, I have built upon that answer in this post in detail.

Some of the most likely reasons you cannot edit your text box in Indesign, is because the ‘text frame’ is either locked, the layer is locked, or you are trying to edit a page that is locked inside a master page template. Your textbox issue can also arise from a mixture of reasons mentioned prior, which can compound the problem further and make it trickier to diagnose and resolve.

When diagnosing the root cause of your text box problems in Indesign, avoid doing so by damaging your project if possible.

Working destructively as you investigate the cause of your textbox problems may resolve one problem but cause others in the process.



Examples of working destructively in Indesign

Damaging or ruining the master template page

If it is one text box you are trying to fix and edit on ‘one page’, don’t edit and ruin the master page to fix it! Doing so can make changes across all pages based on that master page. Take care when editing master pages.


Pulling everything out of the way to repair your text box

This is akin to metaphorical open heart surgery on your Indesign project. Sometimes, it is required, but try to avoid this approach if possible.

Working destructively, as mentioned above, should only be treated as a last resort instead of as a first action! Working in this way can cause more headaches and problems than the initial fix required for your text box.


Tip – When trying to resolve an issue such as to why you can’t edit a text box. It is always wise to work on a ‘child version’ or a copy of your document – especially if it was created by somebody else. This will keep the original intact in case you need to come back to it.

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Why has the text box frozen while editing it?

A ‘frozen’ text box or an unresponsive text frame in Indesign can be caused by reasons inside or outside the program.

If the text box has ‘frozen’ or is only semi-responsive. This could be caused by hardware, software, or by the limitations of your computer. In short, Indesign doesn’t have enough resources to function correctly. Speaking as a Mac and PC user, this can cause lagging, freezing and ‘jittery’ behaviour in Indesign.

Here is a detailed breakdown of what can cause this unresponsiveness in Indesign :-

  • Your computer isn’t powerful enough to run Indesign
  • You have an old computer
  • Software updates may be required
  • Graphic card issues
  • Program conflicts
  • Strange compatibility issues
  • Not enough RAM

There could be a whole host of other technical and processing power issues causing the text box freeze. It may be best to speak to an IT professional to see if they can help. If this is not an option, please read on.

Buying new hardware, may not be a valid option for now… but this may not be the end of the road for a temporary fix.

These are inexpensive quick-fix solutions I have used when handling unresponsive or frozen text boxes in Indesign.


1 ) Fixing & Freezing Text Box – Freeing Ram / Processing Power

If it is a performance issue that is impacting Indesign, consider closing unnecessary applications to free RAM and processing power.

Based on my experience as a designer, I have found that closing processor-hungry programs can drastically increase the performance of other graphics-intense programs on an iMac,

For optimal performance, I will occasionally ‘only’ have Indesign running to allow all resources to pool into the program. Especially for bigger projects.




2 ) Fixing Freezing Indesign Text Boxes –The Browser Conflict

I would struggle to tell you the exact reason as to why this causes issues – that is a question for an IT professional. Browsers such as Firefox can cause conflicts with Indesign and other Creative Cloud applications when running on my older iMac. ( eg also causing my Wacom to freeze and stop working in Illustrator.)

A resolve I have found works for me when working on card games in Indesign: close my web browser – Firefox.

While Firefox is open, this can cause lagging or latency in Indesign. The best solution I have found is to close the web browser in the background for the duration of working in Adobe Indesign. Drastic and annoying, maybe, but needs must!

*I would love to know why this causes conflicts with Indesign and other Adobe Creative Cloud programs; sadly, I have no idea why!

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Part 2 – Fixing Text Frames Due To Locking – How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

This section offers an in-depth breakdown of locking and unlocking particular elements of your Indesign document, specifically textboxes.

Locked ‘anything’ in Indesign can be some of the most frustrating and banal editorial headaches. Thankfully, as it is commonplace and the fixes can be relatively straightforward!

2 padlocks for unlocking text frames in indesign


Textbox could be on a ‘locked layer’ – How to unlock layers

You can’t edit anything on a ‘locked’ layer in Indesign, including text frame / textboxes if they are on that locked layer!

Text frames placed on ‘locked layers’ must be unlocked to be edited.

If your layer is locked, this can be resolved by the following:-

  • In the ‘layers tab’ on your interface window. Check that the padlock is set from ‘on’ to ‘off. ‘

The ‘open’ or ‘closed’ padlock icon in your layers window represents whether that layer is locked or unlocked. ( See illustration below. )

Press the padlock on the corresponding layer to unlock it. Be mindful not to unlock something that should remain locked.



Your Text Frame Itself Could Be Locked – Unlock The Text Frame


The text frame itself could be locked. If this is the case, you will need to unlock it!

The solution to unlocking the text frame in your Indesign document can be relatively simple:

Go to –

  • Top menu ( top bar of your Indesign interface )
  • Check the drop-down for the ‘Object’
  • Select ‘Unlock all on spread’

If this was the reason as to why you couldn’t edit your text frame or select it, unlocking all of the spread may resolve the issue.

Unlock all on spread in indesign illustrated

If this does not fix your issue, consider the options below.

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Part 3 – Fixing Your Text Box in Indesign – Other ‘Non-Locking’ Issues


If your text box headaches are not due to locked text frames or locked layers, another culprit is likely at play.

Below are more troubleshooting solutions for mending your text boxes in Indesign, whether you are working on game card artwork, a rule book, or something else. These are alternative fixes.

Jump menu to other Indesign text box fixes :

You may need to ‘override’ the master page properties to access your textbox

You have checked whether or not your layer is locked, and it appears to be unlocked.

A potential culprit could be the ‘master page. ‘ The master page acts as the template and ‘rule maker’ for all pages in your document, from the position of your text boxes to titles to various other elements. Editorial designers can create multiple master pages if they are working with 3 or 4 types of pages.

Master pages are a great time-saving measure for large projects and are superb for making your desired pages or cards adhere to a consistent set of guidelines. But, if you are unfamiliar with them, they can seem to be an object of annoyance and obstruction.

There is a simple solution to edit the page or card without damaging the ‘master page. ‘

icon master pages in indesign


Try the following:-

  • Select the card or page from your pages panel ( all items are treated as a page in Indesign )
  • Right-click the page
  • Then select “Override Master Page Properties” as illustrated below
How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign overriding master page

*Do not override and edit the ‘actual’ Master Template unless you intend for those changes to be applied to all pages of cards that are based on that master page. It can be easy to ruin your project if you do not practice care!

Make sure to keep a backup of your project.

Making changes to the ‘master page’ ( master card ) will carry that change across all your pages or cards. Make sure to override only the page you want to edit and NOT THE MASTER PAGE! Unless that is your intention.


Half of the text is missing from the text frame, and now there is a little red square in the corner in Indesign!

If there is a little red square found at the bottom of your text frame, this is saying that not all of your text can fit in that single frame size. To remedy this in Indesign, there are a couple of fixes.

Your copy ( text ) needs to overflow into another text box, or that original text box needs to increase in size. This will allow more room for the text to show.

You can also consider scaling down the size of your font to allow all the text to fit.

Alternatively, you can reduce the amount of copy to fit into the text box in Indesign. However, this may not be a popular option when working with editors!

A final solution is to select that ‘little red box’ on the edge of your text frame and link it to another text frame! Allowing room for the hidden copy to flow into the second box. Doing so will show the rest of the missing text in the second text frame you have just linked to.

Keep in mind that this is more applicable if you are working on a project such as a rulebook; this may not be applicable to certain projects, such as editing cards for a game.

My text frame in Indesign is unlocked but appears stuck behind something ( It’s behind you! )

This can be an annoying and somewhat frustrating problem to have when trying to fix your text boxes. A simple case that your text frame in question is behind another object!

There is an object in front of your text box, be it another empty text box or an image frame. This prevents you from editing your primary text box properly. ( a design mess! )

- How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign obstructed text

There are a few simple ways to diagnose and remedy this problem.

If you can select other items in your Indesign document, be it card artwork, other text frames or images, this would infer that the project is still in working order.

If you can’t select any items on that particular page or card artwork, it could be the case that ‘all the items are locked. ‘

Alternatively, the page or card in question may need to break away from the master page by overriding the master page properties.


Lastly, if you can select other items on the page but can’t select a particular text frame you wish to edit, it could be the following :-

  • That textfame is locked
  • *The text frame is behind another object
  • The layers need reordering so that your text frame sits at the top/front of your layers

To reach your text frame in Indesign, you need to adjust the layer on which it is positioned or unlock the text frame itself.

*Or move the text frame to the front of your pile.

‘Is‘ your text frame behind something else?

Moving the object that blocks your textbox to the front or back is a simple fix. But, at first if it appears that nothing appears to be moving. Consider this:-

If you think your object is potentially stuck on a layer or underneath another layer, read the following.

Chip! animated gif


How to fix a text box stuck behind something in Indesign – solution

If your text frame or text box is placed ‘under’ another layer, this can be a reason as to why it appears stuck behind something else.

Solution: Consider reordering your layers so that the layer with the text box is at the front of the stack. Re-ordering the layers may enable you to edit your textame or textbox without further conflict or issue.

Having your layers stacked incorrectly can prevent you from editing what you need to due to the object in question being beneath another layer. The layer in front of your text box may also have editable content, which further exacerbates the problem of not being able to edit your text.

You can adjust your layers manually via the layers window by moving the layer that the text box is on up and down the stack.


How to fix a text box if it is behind an object on the same layer in Indesign

If you keep selecting an object that appears to be in the way or on the top of your textbox, consider moving the offending object towards the back. ( and shout at it for good measure to vent your rage! You may, however, have to say sorry to colleagues.)

Simple fix.

You can change the arrangement of objects by right-clicking and selecting ‘arrange’ from the menu. Then select either ‘send to back’ or ‘send backward’.

Play with the object arrangement until the text frame is exposed and accessible.

Try sending the obstructing object to the back, exposing the text box you are trying to edit.


Bonus Tip – crude yet effective hack – digging for your textbox!

A last resort. If all else fails when trying to fix an arrangement textbox issue in your Indesign project, a somewhat destructive investigation of your textbox may help identify the issue.

In essence, this resembles digging your textbox or text frame out from the rest of the page content so that you may identify and fix the issue. But this method comes with consequences.

Tecniques: Move the offending object or objects that are obstructing your text box to one side for the short term. You can always move these off your card artwork or rulebook for safekeeping. It may be wise to take a screen grab so you can remember where everything has been placed.

If your textbox is stuck behind another text box or image frame in Indesign, this may help in identifying the issue.

*This method will only work if something is blocking your text frame and it’s not as a result of the text frame being locked. This is also a destructive way of problem-solving.


If you can now select the text box, this signals a few things to you:

  • You can select the text box and move it – it’s probably not locked or on a locked layer.
  • If you can move the textbox around, this would infer the issue resides either in the layers or the object is behind something.

If it is the latter, experiment with ‘layer order’ or ‘object arrangement’ by sending the object blocking your text box to the back. Or investigate the layer order.

Hopefully, the solutions above will help you fix your broken or dysfunctional text boxes in Indesign. If you have found this post helpful, feel free to share and save it to our faves for future reference.

Here is the list of contents you can cross-reference again while you are troubleshooting the issues:-

Jump Menu: How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign

  1. ) Finding the problem with the textbox in Indesign ( general )
  2. ) Frozen, laggy, or partially unresponsive textboxes in Indesign
  3. ) Unlocking your textbox in Indesign
  4. ) The text box is on a locked layer
  5. ) Stop trying to edit the master page!
  6. ) The text box is behind or underneath something else
  7. ) Amend your layer stack
  8. ) Too much text for the text frame

Section 1 – Identifying the problem with the textbox
Section 2 – Locking issue
Section 3 – Non-locking issues




** Reference – In this post, ‘text box’ and ‘text frame’ are 2 of the same thing in this document for clarity. ( Fixing broken text boxes in indesign )

Helpful related links when working on game cards, rules, or Indesign in general – How to fix broken text boxes in Indesign


3rd party websites

Need a hand with your board game design project?




Thank you for reading ‘how to fix broken text boxes in Indesign.’ By the way… did you find that missing screw? Jimmsdesign

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What Is A Graphic Design Process? An Illustrated Explanation

What is a Graphic Design process?

As in the creative process used by professional Graphic Designers.

This is a common question I hear from both new and old clients. I have illustrated this article to educate and explain the basics of the ( a ) graphic design process.

What is a graphic design process title graphic with steps



Before providing a generalised overview of ‘what a graphic design process’ is, and how it works, I wanted to dispel some common misconceptions about the graphic design process and discipline as a whole.

  • Conceptual graphic design does, or should have a process.
  • Graphic design isn’t just about making things look pretty. It needs style and substance. It should have an objective.
  • Good or relevant graphic design does not manifest from thin air.
  • Commercial graphic design is different from just ‘pure art’ and expression.
  • Graphic design existed long before the Adobe Creative Suite.

Those are some points I wanted to raise and resolve before going into the details of how a Graphic Design process works for many designers in a commercial setting.

So…

What is a Graphic Design Process? ( Short Answer )

A graphic design process is a series of steps Graphic Designers use to create visual content. This content can come in the form of logos, advertorial, online media, and print collateral. The design process will typically run in stages, often starting with the project brief and objective, the creation of ideas, through to development of the final artwork.

The design process is not only great for managing the workflow and adhering to a design brief in an efficient manner. It is also a great way for both the client and designer to explore the possibilities and potential outcomes of the design journey.

As part of the process, It is common for experienced Graphic Designers to assess a brief, plan a course of action for the design, and execute what needs to be created. While also keeping an open line of communication.

It is common for some Senior Designers ( and some Junior designers ) to openly discuss their design aims so that objectives set by a client, team lead, or managers.

As a breakdown, these steps may resemble the following – depending from designer to designer.

Core Design Steps May Involve:-


That is, of course, a simplification of how a graphic design process works as a commutative approach across the industry. Each company is different, as is each designer and sub-discipline with ‘design’. As well as Graphic Design.

My bias and perspective on the design process

Before going into the details of my design process in steps, I felt it responsible to mention to you as a reader, I work and have worked in graphic design.

Before becoming a ‘Freelance Designer’, I worked in-house at a company for over 8 ¾ years. During this time I had the opportunity to work on a broad variety of graphic design projects both online and offline. I learned a lot. I could have cried sometimes too!

My skills, my processes, and my steps had a significant influence on my previous employers. Not only just on creating the final design but in the processes that lead to that final design. This post is not about my skills and experiences, that is what CVs and about pages can be used for.

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What is a Graphic Design Process? | The Caveats

1 ) Not all graphic designers work in the same way.

2 ) Some designers are at different points in their careers.

3 ) Some Graphic designers have worked in different sectors and industries.

4 ) It is quite likely that you will meet multi-discipline designers who may have a mish-mash of the process illustrated in this post.

All and more of the factors above can influence how a designer works. Please keep this in mind.

Graphic Design Process Diagram | Illustrated Explanation

Below is a simplified diagram of the graphic design process used by many Graphic Designers, including myself. Although this is a simplified version of the core workflow and processes, it does offer a simple overview of the whole design process employed by many graphic designers.

Graphic Design Process Steps – Overview

This is a breakdown of the design process and core stages. Each paragraph explains each step in detail and allows you to read and re-read certain stages at your leisure.

Stage 1 ) The Graphic Design Brief

What is a graphic design process Stage 1 )

The ‘brief’ is a crucial part of a design project, be it in Graphic Design or any similar field. The design brief is an opportunity to establish core goals and objectives for a project – normally set out by a client or business owner.

You can also imagine the ‘brief’ as setting a mission. This mission is given to a designer so they know what the aim of the project is. Without one, the end objective of what a design needs to achieve is left to costly guessing and piecemeal assembly of what needs to happen.

A design brief is very important. You shouldn’t work without one.

How can you or a designer find a solution when neither party can establish what the problem is?

Or… what the aim of the project is?

It is also harder to plan a budget for a project without one.

It is best to establish a clear brief as early as possible. This will save time, headache, and money for both designers and those setting a project.

What happens if you work without a design brief?

Without a brief – especially a written and mutually agreed one, proper communication between the designer and the person setting the brief is more likely to fail. This lack of clarity can also lead to the disintegration of a working relationship, poor budget control, and potential and unnecessary resentment between both parties.

Make sure to create a brief.

A brief can act as a mutual ‘project map’ to establish what, when, and how a design project needs to be fulfilled.

As for myself, I will often refer back to a brief or a “specification and agreement” to see what I’m working towards with the client. It could be regarded as a loose recipe to follow also for want of a better analogy.

1.1 Quickfire Tips For Constructing a Basic Design Brief

When creating a design brief for a graphic design project, try to consider some of the following :

  • Who?
  • What?
  • Why?

These are all things I consider when working on a design project.

When creating a brief you may wish to consider formats, mediums, and any restrictions or limitations that may impact the project. It is better to give detailed thought at the beginning, rather than part way through.

The “Who, What, and Why” can act as a great starting point and framework for creating a brief. If you can establish the who, what and why. Designers such as myself can establish the how and the details – it can help us better solve problems or avoid them altogether.

However, it is not also uncommon for me to collaborate and consult a client and the, who, what and why. It can be this that helps to craft a brief and point the client in the right direction.

Graphic designers don’t know your business!

The majority of designers, most likely, won’t understand your business as much as you do, especially if working on short-term freelance project.

When constructing your brief, it is better to assume that a new designer, or a designer you haven’t worked with previously, knows absolutely nothing about your business. From here, write all that is relevant to share with the designer in translating your initial thoughts into a well-rounded, well-described brief, with a clear direction.

This can be trickier than it sounds and there is no harm in seeking tips and advice.

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Stage 2 ) Collecting Information & Research | An Important Stage In The Graphic Design Process

What is a graphic design process stage 2

When looking at the stages and steps to a graphic design process, collecting together information, data, files, images, and text are all important aspects of the creative process. Especially when exploring new ideas.

The degree to which research is carried out for a graphic design can vary from project to project, but there are common patterns that are adhered to by many designers.

The preliminary research can be carried out by the client, designer, or both parties. In this stage, it can be a case of collating together: photos, data, logos, or anything that is useful in aiding the designer to create a compelling piece of visual design.

*Designers: When working with clients, encourage them to share research or at least mention that time will need to be set aside for research projects, this is something I do. I have listed some examples of what may be collected together for graphic design research.

2.1 ) Collecting Information

Collecting information together for a design project may consist of the following:-

  • Data
  • Photography
  • Fonts
  • Logos
  • Things can inspire
  • Plans

Initial copy or ‘text’ is a common requirement for design projects. As a designer, I tend to request this as early as possible so I can plan the space around and accommodate the word volume. This can apply to books, webpages, and many other mediums that require written words for the project.

It is quite common for a designer to also be aware that a certain amount of editorial changes are likely to arise later in the project and allow for wriggle room. It is still best practice to have as much of the word count calculated sooner rather than later.

Images and photography may also be sourced or collected together in the early stages of the design process, along with logos and brand guidelines.

2.2 ) Graphic Design Research

Research, or ‘design research’ is an important stage when it comes to the design process. Research can help form, inspire and guide the overall direction of a project.

For large or medium-sized projects, research is a vital tool in not only greasing the design wheels of your project but in helping to form a better more polished product. I am a big advocate for good research across various mediums, design being a key one.

Here are some examples of what the design research stage may consist of, noting that the criteria can vary from project to project and designer to designer.

What design research may consist of :

  • Studying competition.
  • Searching areas such as Pinterest, magazines of similar platforms for certain ideas.
  • Checking what types of design will appeal to your target market.
  • Looking for any relevant or inspirational criteria that can impact your final design.
  • Avoiding accidental copyright infringement.
  • Considering what courses of action will serve the project.

These are just some examples of what the design research phase may include.

Some freelance designers may prefer that the client does the majority of the research before contact. This can leave the designer to focus solely on the creative aspects of a project. I am of split opinions.

On one hand, I like to know that the client has at least carried out some basic research for their own product and business before speaking to me.

On the other hand, I also like to add to the research and build upon what the client has already found the further steer the course of a project, I tend to tweak and steer this from brief to brief.


Research Examples | Core Design Process

With the links below, I have pointed to where you can read more on case studies and research I used for some projects.

Here are a couple of links that may be of interest :

kiosk design
Aardman
Part of design process for Aardman project




Stage 3 ) Initial Ideas | The Ideation Stage

What is a graphic design process Stage 3

“On the other hand, designers have to be realistic. People change their minds.”

It is common practice for graphic designers, especially those of a more conceptual vein, to come up with an idea or a selection of ideas early in a project. However, strictly speaking, this is not a default practice for all designers.

Some designers may only work with one idea and revise this single idea as opposed to working with a variety of ideas and short-listing the strongest.

Depending on fees, time, and requirements, design ideas (ideation), can vary drastically in quality and finish. Each designer may only create a short selection of ideas and others may create a broader selection of ideas to illustrate intent and potential avenues a project can take.


In the earliest stages of ideas creation or ‘ideation’, what is presented may be little more than a rough drawing or digital sketch to illustrate what will be created.

Speaking for myself, I will often use this stage to discuss what has been created and why I have made the choices I have made. Here is an example idea.

Early project ideas


Each designer is different, and our tools and methods may differ. But as a generalisation, design ideation may be presented in the following formats :-

  • Rough sketches and drawings on paper
  • Digital drawings
  • Or rough digital mock-ups ( as proof of concept )
  • Loose thumbnails ( small drawings )
  • Doodles
  • A selection of ideas with labels
  • Annotated concepts showing reasoning

The idea and the idea development stage can blur when it comes to developing a design.

To illustrate this flow – here is an image from another blog post – Design Journey.




For many conceptual-based graphic designers, the idea stage is a core stage in the design process. As a conceptual design. Here are to projects and case studies that may further illustrate how a project may go.

( Important ) The Ideation Stage May Need To Be Revisited


*There is no guarantee that the original ‘proof of concept’ from the selection of ideas will become the final product. Although costly, time-consuming and frustrating, it is not uncommon that a designer will need to backtrack to this pivotal stage once a project is near completion. I have on occasion had to do this on graphic design projects.


List of reasons as to why a graphic designer may need to revisit the ideas stage:

  • Executive discussion outside of design influences has come into play
  • Senior management wants to revisit or change course
  • An idea isn’t as good as originally hoped
  • New criteria and information have come into play that weren’t known before
  • Fussy clients
  • Too many people have differing opinions on a project
  • Weak project planning or thought given to the brief in the first place
  • A better idea came along

These are just some of the reasons why a designer may need to return to the proverbial drawing board.

Whoever said design was easy needs to actually work in design, or at least share their secrets to make it easier for them.

Revisiting or needing to backtrack to the ideas stage of a design project is sometimes required – there is no way to avoid it. However, it is best avoided for the sake of the client and the designer. Budget restrictions and time constraints can lead to rows between both parties if, for example, the culprit is a poorly written brief or the disregard for the sign-off stages.

On the other hand, designers have to be realistic. People change their minds.

If the design journey was a straight line, both the designer’s and the client’s lives would be a lot easier. Many internal and external forces will require a designer to revisit other ideas, even if the first choice was put into play.


Do all graphic designers create a range of ideas? ( Ideation )

No, not all graphic designers will create a range of ideas for your brief. As mentioned above, it will vary from designer to designer and from skill level to skill level. Not all graphic designers are conceptual designers. Some graphic designers will have certain leanings towards ‘creative artworking’ , marketing, etc.

It is beneficial to discuss with a graphic designer before embarking on a project. Ask about their process and methods. Make sure there is a clear brief between the designer and the client.

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Stage 4 ) Development Stages | Graphic Design Process

What is a graphic design process stage 4


How this stage translates in reality will vary from designer to designer. But as a general rule – it will work accordingly.

Once both the designer and client ( or clients ) have shortlisted the preferred design idea or ideas, this will then lead to that idea being developed. Being ‘developed’, or ‘developed further’ may consist of the following actions:-

  • Polishing the aspects of the design
  • Building upon the visuals to establish the viability of a concept
  • Moving the design to a delivery-ready stage

In layman’s terms, the development stages translate to the spit and polish applied to the shortlisted idea. The development stage can also be further proof of concept, in which an idea is built further.

Speaking for myself, this is the stage where I straighten up text, remove burs, tweak compositions, and add the final ingredients to get a design over that proverbial line.

The later development stages are when a design moves towards completion. Be it a piece of print media or as a digital project.


Common Situations That Arise In The ‘Development’ Stages

From my own experience, the development stage is the part of the process in which an idea is stress-tested against the brief.

It not uncommon for senior managers, CEOs, business owners and anybody else in between to have additional opinions on overall design direction – some relevant, some not. This is the reality of working with humans on a design brief.

Project requirements change. What was initially established as the winning idea, does not strictly translate to what was hoped when it comes to Graphic Design. Project scope can change, and external influences can derail the path of your project – there are many various factors when it comes to design.

Even in the development stages, I have had situations in which 2 of the same idea ( colour change for example ) have been created side by side.

Imagine A Development Tree ( illustration )

Design development can be one of the heftiest stages of design. I wanted to illustrate the development flow for the mid-to-late stages of a graphic design project.

This is a scenario.

A favourite idea has been selected. This idea has been polished and presented before the ultimate decision-makers. They like the design, however, somebody wants to see the same layout but on a different background. You have run with the same idea and made some minor changes. A sub-version of a main version – sound complicated?

What is a graphic design process idea selection - diagram
Range of ideas selection graphic design diagram

A single idea has been selected. This idea will make up the trunk of the flow and energy to design.

From this single idea – the trunk of a tree – a single branch or node will stem.

On some projects, as is the case with experimenting with some minor variation of core ideas. 1 or 2 twigs will stem.

These ‘Twigs’ may be little more than a colour variation, or position change. Or some minor experimentation alignment.

Development Versions

Or to further illustrate, as a tested method I have used in the past. It makes look like so:

  • Version 3.1
  • Version 3.2
  • Version 3.3

Or it could also look like this.

development - graphic design process




The number 3 could represent ‘Idea 3’ and the variant or version ‘1’ and 2, and 3. And so on. It is similar to version releases.

3.0 = The main version

3.1 = May equate to almost the exact same look, perhaps a text change

3.2 = Still much the same as 3, only that the text and, text colour were changed to a lesser degree

4.1 ) How to communicate with designers regarding project development

Communication is an integral part of graphic design.

The very nature of graphic design is visual ‘communication’ and open dialogue is a must to ensure that the project is the best that it can be.

Communication should not stop with the end visuals.

Not being able to keep an open and frequent line of communication between the designer and client ( or manager ) allows more room for errors, misunderstanding, and needless time wasting which could have been easily averted with conversation. I am a big advocate for working as close with a client as possible as emails alone can miss those ‘water cooler’ moments.

Communication is important from start to finish, not only in the development stages but throughout.

Typically, communication in the development stages of a project will take the form of feedback on what has already been created by the graphic designer. A client will offer a point of view as will a designer. ( hopefully ).

Communication and feedback may come in this form :

  • Exchanges between emails
  • Phone calls
  • Video meetings
  • In-person meetings
  • Platforms in which you can message your team
  • And SMS – And Whatsapp ( both of which are my least favourite lines of communication when it comes to design )

4.2 ) Design Feedback

“ Can I just ask…”

“ This is will be quick…”

When an idea has been chosen and developed, it is at this latter stage that a client, client or team member will offer further feedback with regard to a design. And, if you are a designer reading this, it is a stage in which you brace yourself.

Once the feedback has been communicated to a graphic designer, they will then respond and act accordingly to that feedback.

This feedback to the designer may resemble the following :

  • Make some minor tweaks and adjustments
  • Listening the what the client has to say and offer polite help and advice in return
  • Refining the design
  • Preparing for completion
  • Or potentially going back to the conceptual stages
  • ( Or crying )



Stage 5 ) Core Design Steps – Refine Design

What is a graphic design process Stage 5

Refining the design typically entails polishing ‘the developed’ artwork to completion. A project will be at a level of final draft in which the artwork is ‘near ready’ to be sent to the client, production or print. This is the latter stage of a project.

Refining a design can involve minor tweaks, minor changes, or the very last touches to the design and a once-over from the person giving a sign-off.

It is common for me to hear some of the following types of phrases at this stage ( paraphrased ) :

  • Could I add an extra word?
  • Can I add a comma?
  • Let me show it to management again!
  • It looks lovely thank you!
  • … ( silence )
  • Can I just ask…
  • Could the thumb be moved 2 pixels
  • Let me know when you are ready for an invoice
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Stage 6 ) Core Design Step 6 – Deliverables & Sign Off

What is a graphic design process Stage 6

The final stage of the process – the Sign off. This phase may seem self-explanatory, but for the sake of completeness, I will elaborate.

The ‘Sign Off’ can refer to the stage in which a head of a team ‘signs off’ a final design or interim stage of a project. This may be a verbal or written formal declaration that what is being presented, is the artwork to be passed to the next stage.

In this instance, the ‘sign off’ on the final artwork – completion.

The ‘Sign off’ in the design process may take the form of the client saying that they are happy with what they have seen and wish to sign off the whole, or part of the project.

When at this stage, It is also wise for the client to assess their artwork closely before agreeing to sign off any design work. When artwork has already been sent to print as a PDF, it can be costly or sometimes impossible to remedy any mistakes once a project has been printed. Any mistakes need to be remedied with hacks and workarounds.

This is not strictly speaking as rigid as digital design, as projects tend to be easier to remedy and amend but this is still not a guarantee.

The Graphic Design Process | What Are ‘Deliverables’?

What are deliverables in design?

Speaking in terms of graphic design, the deliverables are the complete assets and artwork made by the designer. All completed artwork, files, and supporting documents are often referred to as ‘deliverables’ or final artwork. The completed artwork and supporting items are often handed to the client or owner when a project has been marked as complete or signed off.

This is how the deliverables may come into play at the end of the graphic design process.

Once a graphic design project has been signed off or marked as complete, it is common for the graphic designers to send the final print-ready artwork to other the new owners of the artwork.

Or if working internally the designer may package the artwork into a PDF and this is passed to another department for validation and QC for being shipped or sent to print.

* It should be noted however that companies do have their own ways of validating and signing off projects, do keep this in mind.




6 .1) Scenario 1 | Design Process | What Is a Freelance Design Project Sign-Off?


‘Sign off, marked as complete, green-lighted’ or any other similar terminology can all be markers to signal the end of a project. When working with a client on a design project, I will ask the client to sign off on the final artwork before sending the final versions across.

This is a rough example of how a Freelance project process may flow towards the later stages of a project :

  • Client sees work
  • Requires small changes
  • These changes are then sent to a client
  • The client then sends across their approval, assuming that they do approve of what they see
  • Project is either sent to print or packaged up and passed to a client or both


6.2 ) Scenario 2 | Design Process | Internal Design Team Sign-off

As above, ‘Sign off’, ‘marked has complete’, ‘green-lighted’ or any other similar terminology can all be markers to signal the completion of a graphic design project.

A key difference based on my experience from working in-house design positions, ‘a sign-off sheet’ or an Excel spreadsheet may be used to mark off the stages or parts of a project that have been completed.

There are often more people with internal teams when it comes to the sign-off in-house who will want to see or understand the status of a project.


What is a Graphic Design Process – Conclusion

A graphic design process or workflow is a process or system in which a piece of graphic design or visual communication is created following a sequence of important steps. These steps will often include research, collection of data and information, ideation, development of an idea, and the delivery of that idea in print or digital form.

This process is what follows as the end result of what was assigned in a brief.

You may also find this post interesting.

What is a graphic design process journey




Other topics around the graphic design process:




Or if you have a project and brief, feel free to get in touch via my portfolio website or read a bit more about me.

Need a hand with your board game design project?

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How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign! This short tutorial shows you how to make some quick and easy edits to the text in your card artwork in Indesign. This post also covers some general text frame editing.

Editing your playing cards should not be difficult if you know how, and have the right tools.

It should be noted that this article focuses purely on the card editing stages, and not the whole card creation process.

This is a general help article to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign. You don’t need to be an Indesign guru or know your way around data merge to follow this.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

In addition to editing text frames in your cards, this post will also help if you cannot edit text in Indesign.

This tutorial is ideal for those that just want to jump and edit the text quickly and hit save. It’s short and sweet, quick and dirty – no fuss. Or however else you want to describe quick text edits for game cards. The same applies to editing text too.

Troubleshooting tips are at the end of this article if you are having difficulties selecting the text box for example.

Common Question | Ways of editing the card text in Adobe Indesign

It is quite common for me to hear “how do I edit text on the cards” after I have created the initial prototype for a client.

With the card artwork, it is often in my client’s interest to know how to edit the text themselves or assign somebody else to edit the text. This is especially true in the late stages of production or mass production for various reasons.

One being, I’m not a copywriter profession!

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How to edit text in Indesign on your card artwork – put simply

In order to edit the text easily, open the document in Indesign ( if you’ve not done so already). Select the card face you want to edit, ( use the pages panel ) and change the text. You will then need to save your work or export it if you are intending on sending the work to print.

That is the simplified and short answer to editing the game card text in Indesign.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

I cannot edit text in Indesign!

If you are finding that you cannot edit text in Indesign or you cannot edit the text on the cards. A few of the reasons could be either the text frame is locked, the layer is locked, or you need to override the master page template.

You can read more on editing your text frames in Indesign at the bottom of this post.

6 Steps to editing text in your card artwork In Adobe Indesign

1 ) Open up Indesign

Assuming that you already have Adobe Indesign installed, in order to edit the text you will need to have Adobe Indesign open.

If you don’t already have Adobe Indesign, you can download it. ( make sure to download from Adobe – DO NOT BUY OR DOWNLOAD from an unknown source )

Make sure that you have permission to install the software and that your computer has the technical requirements to run Adobe Indesign.

*Friendly Disclaimer | Adobe Indesign is not run or owned by myself. Indesign is part of the Adobe Creative Suite. I cannot take any responsibility for any loss or damage incurred should you download any 3rd party software or Adobe Indesign. Please take precautions!

Please check all the requirements from their official website before downloading. ( Adobe Creative Suite ) And make sure that you download the software from a safe source. Do not use any unauthorized 3rd party platforms when downloading InDesign. ( also based on past experience )

2 ) Open up the card artwork

You can either ‘Open’ the artwork from the ‘File’ drop-down menu in Indesign ( File, Open – Select artwork ) or you can open the artwork by ‘dragging and dropping’ the artwork onto the application icon from your desktop.

Or if you have your recent items window on view when you start up Indesign, open your document this way.

Tip – Don’t overwrite your original card artwork!

As a tip, I would strongly advise that you create 2 versions of your artwork and leave the original intact. If you edit the text, change something and save over the original artwork ( ruin it by accident ) you won’t have a way of back-stepping from this mistake.

Create another version! And avoid editing the original version. A piece of advice from past experience.

3 ) Navigating the card artwork for your game

Theoretically, you now have your card document open in Adobe Indesign. It will look something like this.

If you have used a template or a file such as the one shown in this article, then you should be able to scroll up and down through the cards. As you scroll up and down, you should see the back and front of your cards.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

Or, as an alternative way of finding the card you need, go to window > pages. If this tool panel is not already open.

How to open and close Window/pages panel ( Adobe )

4 ) Select the card you wish to edit

You can either scroll up and down to go through the cards, which is okay for smaller decks, but not as efficient if you have a larger deck. Or if you have your ‘pages’ window open, you can double-click on these to jump to the card you want to edit. This is a faster and more effective method of navigating through your cards.

( Handy tip! Did you know you can see which page you are on at in the bottom of InDesign interface when you are editing the card you want to edit? The illustration above has a close-up of ’19’ to show this. )

5 ) Find the text box ( interacting with an Indesign text frame )

Assuming that you have now selected the card you wish to edit. Go to the text box ( as shown below ) click on it, and edit your text!

Tools you should only need!

If something has gone awry, here are some simple steps to follow.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss
  1. ) Make sure that you have the ‘selection tool’ active.
  2. ) Go to the box or area you wish to edit.
  3. ) Double-click the text box.
  4. ) Find the word or sentence you wish to edit.

If you are having trouble being able to edit the text or some of the text, this bit of troubleshooting may help. Cannot edit text in indesign – help!

6 ) After you have edited the text

Now that you know how to edit one text box and all has gone smoothly, you can edit any basic text box in these card files.

Once you are happy with your work and your edits just make sure to save your work. You can save your work by going to file ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’. Or by pressing CTRL+S ( Apple + S ).

7 Bonus Step ) Exporting your file for print

It should be noted that this process is a bit more nuanced and may require more experience and skill in saving your work correctly. It can be easy for somebody inexperienced ( or with experience! ) to run into difficulties when setting files up for print.

Remember, when doing this that you are shouldering the responsibility for all the print production for your cards. If you would like somebody to share the burden feel free to get in touch or read more here. Card game design.

  • ‘Export’ your file as a PDF’
  • Remember to Select all pages if you wish to save/export all pages for print.
  • Double-check that the images are above 300 DPI when exporting ( otherwise you will get a low-res file )
  • Check that it is in CMYK
  • Hit ‘Export’ and select a location

This is a simplified version of how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign. The added end step also instructs how to save your work and export it for print.

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Troubleshooting Game Card Editing in Indesign – cannot edit text in indesign!

When looking at how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign, sometimes it is not as straightforward. There can be issues such as locked layers, master pages being selected, or even limitations with hardware.

Here are some troubleshooting steps for editing the text on your cards.

How to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign – No fuss

Why can’t I select the text box? I can’t edit my text frame!

This could be down to a couple of reasons as to why you can’t edit the text box in your file. Here are some of the potentially straightforward and obscure reasons as to why you may not be able to edit your text :-

You don’t have enough ram/processing power on your computer

If your computer is struggling to run Indesign properly, an odd quirk that can show up is an inability to edit or select text boxes.

Possible solutions:

1 ) Turn off other programs such as Outlook, Your Web Browser, and other non-essential applications to see if this loosens up some grunt for Indesign. Remember to only close nonessential programs

2 ) Change the view to low-res draft mode. This can also make InDesign less taxing on your computer.

3 ) If you have tried all of the above. With a minimal amount of applications still running to allow more resources to go to indesign, close Indesign and re-open it to see if this does the trick.

The object is accidentally locked

There could be a couple of reasons as to why you can’t edit the text in your Indesign document. And, fortunately, the fix for this can be as simple as unlocking your text frame to get it working again.

Here are a couple of ways to check if you have a locked object. Unlocking text frame solutions in Indesign:

– The Object has been manually locked! This is a simple case of unlocking the object. To make sure the object isn’t locked go to > top menu > and check the drop-down for the Object – Unlock all on spread. Here is an image showing the menu option.

( Here is some more accurate information from Adobe on where to find this exactly – unlocking objects )

– Your text frame is on a locked layer. Alternatively, your text frame could be on a ‘Locked Layer’. On your ‘layers tab’ in the interface window, check to make sure the editable text layer ‘is not locked’. ( With a padlock on )

You want it ‘unlocked’ – you may also need to open the ‘layers’ window open.

– You are editing the wrong layer. If you cannot edit your text, it can be as easy as having the wrong layer selected. And, having the layer you want edit locked. Make sure you have your correct layer selected and that you are unlocking the correct layer!

You are trying to edit a master template

Another potential reason that you may not be able to edit the text is that you are trying edit from A, or the Master Page. A way to check is to:-

  • Select the card ( page )
  • Right click
  • And “Override Master Page Properties”

*Just remember not to override and edit the Actual Master template. This may otherwise change the text or design on ‘all of the cards’ or pages. ( remember what I said about keeping a backup? Always, keep a back up file!)

You may find this post helpful in problem-solving textbox woes in indesign.

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Thank you for reading and editing the text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign

That is a share of my experience on how to both easily edit the text on any card artwork or card artwork template for your board game. And, how to edit the text in Indesign – when you cannot edit text in Indesign.

Hopefully, this post has saved some time, money, and headache. Feel free to share this post if you feel it is helpful.

If you would like help in designing a card game or creating some illustrations for your game please get in touch.

Freelance Card Design

Final bit of advice on how to edit text on your card artwork in Adobe Indesign

My final bit of advice on editing your text on your card artwork would be to hire a professional if you are doing this as a DIY thing for your business. Or at least find somebody that knows their way around Adobe Indesign, how to save it etc.

Although I appreciate that budgets can’t always make this a viable option it is still potentially the better option.

Getting somebody that is experienced can save headaches later on.

Other helpful design posts

External Websites Around Creating games

Freelance Design services for cards games – Copyright Jimmsdesign.co.uk