Quick Links
A learning curve is inevitable when using Adobe Creative Cloud apps, but you can learn more quickly with several free online resources. Below is our pick of the best resources for Illustrator, InDesign, and several other Adobe platforms, including online communities, YouTube playlists, and online courses.
1Learn Adobe Illustrator on Udemy
Udemy has a handful of free courses for all kinds of subjects, and you’ll find a couple of excellent resources for Adobe CC apps. Learn Adobe Illustrator is a great place to start if you want to learn more about Adobe’s main illustration app; the videos are only 55 minutes combined, so you can finish the course within a day.
The course starts by teaching you about the different tools in Illustrator, such as Selection and Eyedropper. To help you learn the platform more effectively, you then get a set of modules where you have to recreate different logos. While you don’t receive certification, what you learn is great for getting to grips with the basics of Adobe Illustrator.
2Gareth David Studio’s InDesign Course on YouTube
If you’re looking to become a better graphic designer,learning how to use Adobe InDesignis crucial. If you don’t want to enroll in an online course, you’ll find plenty of free resources on YouTube. One of the best is this complete InDesign course by Gareth David Studio.
This comprehensive free YouTube course shows you around the InDesign software and has 13 episodes plus the intro. You learn about several essential aspects, such as how to place images in InDesign and how to export as a PDF. You can also download a free worksheet and various folders to get more out of this course.
3Adobe Learning
Adobe has a comprehensive suite of learning materials for all of its CC apps, and to access them, all you have to do is sign into your Adobe account. You can use the learning paths to find out how to enhance specific aspects of your creativity, such as retouching photos in Photoshop. You’ll also find short standalone tutorials that you can use to learn more about whichever software you choose.
Adobe Learning also has tutorial articles if you’d rather learn by text instead of video. The intuitive website interface makes it easy to sort teaching resources based on the app you use. If you’re thinking about upgrading your plan, first consider whether anAdobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan is worth it for non-professionals.
4Adobe Community
In addition to its comprehensive tutorials, Adobe Community is a free resource for learning how to use different apps. If you have issues with an app, such as your files and folders not syncing, these forums are a handy place to seek advice.
Adobe Community’s layout is very similar to Reddit. Each app has a different community, and you can search via keywords and topics. Adobe Community also lets you sift your results based on the language they were posted in. These communities are a great place to discover Adobe’s most recent announcements, and you can choose which ones you want to follow.
If you’ve stopped using Reddit for whichever reason, Adobe Community is a solid alternative. And if you do use Adobe-related subreddits (or any in general), keep thesethings you should never do on Redditin mind.
5Illustrator Tutorials by Adobe CC
Adobe has several Illustrator resources on YouTube, and Illustrator Tutorials by Adobe CC is a good place to begin. This playlist of 17 videos covers how to change your artwork colors, add depth to your art, build an icon set, and much more. Most of the videos are around three minutes long, so you can easily implement what you learn straight after watching.
If you’re new to Illustrator, you should also check out thesehelpful hidden tools in Adobe Illustrator.
6Make It Now With After Effects by Adobe CC
Adobe After Effects is a handy app for taking your videos and animations to the next level, but it’s quite difficult to learn as a beginner. This simple playlist on Adobe CC’s YouTube channel consists of seven videos, and all of them—minus the first one—are less than two minutes long.
Make It Now With After Effects teaches you how to make luminous outlines, create a kaleidoscope effect, and more. Once you’ve finished watching the playlist, put your new knowledge to the test by trying thesecool things you may do with After Effects.
7Adobe InDesign Made Easy on Udemy
On Udemy, you’ll find a handy free course that covers Adobe InDesign in significant depth. The course has over 100 lectures and 11 hours of videos, so you’ll probably want to complete it over a few weeks. You also get working files to implement what you’ve learned and get to grips with the basics.
In this course, you’ll learn how to set up your InDesign workspace and how to work with text in the app. Moreover, the course will teach you about character and paragraph formatting. Setting up and saving documents are also covered. After completing the course, you should have enough knowledge tocreate basic Instagram carousel posts with InDesign—along with starting several other projects.
8Mike Russell’s Adobe Audition Playlist
Mike Russell is, in my opinion, the best resource on YouTube for learning about Adobe Audition. I consumed several videos during my podcasting phase, and his insights helped me improve how my voice sounded. If you want to learn more about Adobe Audition, his YouTube playlist is a great place to begin.
In this playlist, you’ll learn about why your audio doesn’t sound good and how to be more efficient while editing in Adobe Audition. The playlist also offers insights on how to improve your workflow and edit everything in the correct order. There are 62 videos in total, so you’ve got more than enough to keep you occupied for a couple of weeks.
9After Effects Essentials for Beginners Course
If you need a more comprehensive free resource for learning After Effects, this course on Udemy provides what you’re looking for. The course runs through using After Effects in chronological order and covers several areas. For example, you’ll learn how to make your animations actually move and how to add keyframes where needed.
This course has 43 minutes of video, so it’s relatively easy to follow along with and complete in a couple of sessions.
10School of Motion on YouTube
Another helpful free resource for learning about Adobe Efter Effects is the School of Motion YouTube channel. It covers how to make animations and you’ll also find a helpful video on the most important tools in After Effects. Beyond this software, you’ll also pick up several tips related to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
School of Motion also covers several general animation-related topics, and you’ll find a number of interviews with professionals in the creative industry.
Adobe CC apps can sometimes be quite daunting to learn, especially if you’re a complete beginner in your chosen field. But thankfully, you’ll find plenty of free online resources. From videos to courses and forums, what we’ve discussed today will help you understand the basics of your preferred software.
