Key details

FrameMaker training course for beginners, teaching how to use the powerful page layout and text features available to generate print documentation of a high standard.

Adobe FrameMaker has long been the authoring tool of choice for many technical authors. Its template-based authoring environment offers unparalleled options for publishing long documents reliably and consistently throughout your organisation.

Introduction to FrameMaker training provides newcomers with a thorough grounding in standard FrameMaker (unstructured mode), teaching how to generate high-quality print documentation. Sessions include:

• Text, character and paragraph formatting
• Graphics
• Links and cross-references
• Tables
• Document revision
• Conditional formatting
• Page layout and master pages
• Books, ToC, Index.

All topics taught are relevant to FrameMaker used in standard (unstructured) mode and structured environments.

This course is ideal for newcomers to FrameMaker, and those with limited FrameMaker experience. At the end of the course, you will be able to confidently create and modify FrameMaker documents.

Armada has been involved in technical authoring for over 20 years, and our industry knowledge and application expertise is reflected in our FrameMaker training courses. Not only do we cover the use of FrameMaker, but we teach techniques relevant to technical authoring scenarios you are likely to encounter.

Introduction to FrameMaker training is arranged on-request, i.e. one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group. Your training can be tailored to take into account any existing knowledge you have, and the work you’re going to be doing.

In-class or online

This course is available in-class at eight centres or live online.

Expert trainers

Courses are hosted by expert trainers from a technical authoring background with vast experience of using FrameMaker professionally. See Expert trainers.

How will I learn?

FrameMaker training is hands-on and practical.

Our trainers teach the necessary theory then demonstrate techniques step-by-step. You then practice the techniques taught on a computer running FrameMaker.

There is plenty of time to ask questions, and you can take away all the files you create.

Training guide and certificate

Course delegates receive:

• A comprehensive training guide for FrameMaker, to refer to throughout the course, and to use as a refresher afterwards.
• An e-certificate confirming successful course completion. Click here to see an example of the certificate you receive.

After course support

Following FrameMaker training, delegates are entitled to 30 days’ email support from their FrameMaker trainer to help with any post-course issues. For further details, see Support.

Prerequisites

No prior FrameMaker knowledge is necessary.

FrameMaker version

Training can be based on any version of FrameMaker to suit you.

General information

Course times

Standard course times are 9.30am–4.30pm.

As we’d be hosting this as a ‘closed course’ for you/your group, there’s usually flexibility to change these times to suit you, e.g. start or end 30 minutes earlier or later.

Payment

Payment for FrameMaker training can be made by:

• Bank transfer. Please call 01527 834783 for our bank details.
• Card. All major credit and debit cards accepted. Payment can be made securely online or over the phone. Card payments are processed by Stripe. Armada doesn’t record or store your card details.

Purchase orders

We accept purchase orders from UK-registered companies and public sector organisations.

Accommodation

See Accommodation local to our training centres.

Cancellations and postponements

If an on-request Introduction to FrameMaker course booking is cancelled giving less than 20 working days’ notice, a cancellation fee is payable. View cancellation terms.

If an on-request Introduction to FrameMaker course booking is postponed giving less than 20 working days’ notice, a postponement fee is payable. View postponement terms.

Terms and conditions

Expert trainers

Introduction to FrameMaker training courses are hosted by:

• Lynne Telfer
• Philip Odell

Lynne Telfer

Lynne Telfer is highly experienced instructor with over 25 years’ experience working as a professional trainer.

In the late nineties, Lynne worked for Adobe as a trainer and consultant, hosting courses in FrameMaker and other applications at all levels for Adobe’s clients. She’s provided training in Adobe’s Technical Communication and Creative applications ever since.

Lynne has expert knowledge of:

• Adobe FrameMaker – both Unstructured and Structured use.
• Adobe RoboHelp.
• Adobe Creative Cloud applications: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat.
• Adobe’s e-Learning tools – Captivate and Presenter.
• Microsoft Office suite of applications, covering the mainstream applications Word, Excel and PowerPoint to advanced level.

Lynne has a BA Hons in Educational Practice from Oxford Brookes University.

Philip Odell

Philip is a highly experienced instructor specialising in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and FrameMaker.

Philip began his working life with Texas Instruments, before joining Adobe in 1995, where he worked for five years. Philip still has links with Adobe, manning their stands and carrying out presentations when they’re exhibiting in the UK.

For the last eighteen years, Philip has worked as a graphic design specialist, consultant and trainer. He continues to use Adobe applications extensively in his day-to-day professional work.

Course content

Getting Started

• Overview of FrameMaker
• Understanding Panels, Pods and Workspaces
• Opening files, closing and saving files
• Navigation and zoom techniques
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Setting general preferences
• View options
• Output to PDF

Applying Formats to Text (Styles)

• Understanding the difference between character and paragraph formats
• Applying Paragraph and Character formats to text
• Importing formats between individual files and files contained in a book

Working with Text

• Setting spelling preferences
• Running the spelling checker, using Find and Change, using the Thesaurus
• Inserting special characters
• Inserting document and table footnotes
• Inserting user variables

Index and Hyperlink Markers

• Marking text for inclusion in an index
• Editing index entries
• Inserting Hyperlinks

Working with Graphics

• Creating simple line art
• Understanding page and text anchored graphics
• Manipulating anchored frames and understanding import by reference and by copy
• Creating screenshots with Roboscreen capture
• Importing video

Tables

• Inserting and manipulating Table

Cross-Referencing

• Inserting and updating cross-references within individual files and across a book file

Revising Documentation

• Using Change Bars to indicate modifications made to a document
• Setting automatic change bars
• Comparing two versions of a document
• Working with track changes
• Importing PDF comments

Conditional Formatting

• Applying conditional format tags
• Showing and hiding conditional information

Page Layout

• Understanding the important role the Master Pages play in a FrameMaker document
• Applying Master Pages to control a document’s layout

Books

• Adding, deleting and rearranging files within a book
• Setting numbering and pagination options
• Updating book files
• Generating Table of Contents and Index files for the book

Live online training

Online training lets you participate in a live FrameMaker course from your place of work or home.

We do everything possible to make your online training experience as close as possible to actually being in the classroom. You can:

• See and hear our trainer, and the other delegates participating in the course…
  
• Watch our trainer demonstrate techniques in FrameMaker.
• Interact by speaking, using chat, or raising your ‘virtual hand’ if you need assistance.
• Share your screen with our trainer, and allow them to take control to explain something.

Like our in-class courses, online Introduction to FrameMaker courses…

• Are presented by expert instructors.
• Give you plenty of opportunity to carry out assisted, practical exercises using FrameMaker.
• Offer 30 days’ email support from your trainer.

All you need is an Internet-connected computer with…

• FrameMaker installed.
• A webcam and audio capability. If your computer running FrameMaker doesn’t have these, you can use a second device, such as another computer or tablet. See Hardware recommendations for live online training for further details.

If there’s anything you’re not sure about we’ll do our best to help you. We won’t, however, be able to assist with your FrameMaker installation.

We provide everything else…

• Links to download the files, resources, etc. you’ll use in your course.
• A training guide. For most courses, you can choose from a printed copy that we post to you, or a PDF.

In the week before your course, we’ll send you an email containing everything you need to prepare for and participate in the training. Then, a couple of days before your course, we’ll give you a courtesy call to make sure you have everything in place and answer any questions you may have.

Please note that we are not able to record scheduled online courses for privacy reasons.

When you attend live online training, you’re participating in a real course, hosted by a real trainer, in real time