Learn how to put together this stylish infographic in Adobe InDesign. In this tutorial, which is perfect for relative beginners to InDesign, we’ll look at how to set up a professional infographic design that’s ready for sharing on social media.

Short on time? You can find easy-to-edit infographic templates on GraphicRiver and Envato Elements.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!

What You’ll Need to Create Your Infographic

As well as access to Adobe InDesign, you’ll also need to be able to dip into vector software like Adobe Illustrator to briefly open some of the vector graphics below. 

Attached to this tutorial, you’ll find a downloadable set of color swatches in Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) format, so make sure to download those too. 

You’ll also need to download:

• Set of flat Russia travel icons
• Calderock font
• Ovsyanka font

Install the fonts on your computer, and you’re ready to start creating your infographic.

1. How to Set Up Your Infographic Document in InDesign

Step 1

Open InDesign and go to File > New > Document. 

Click on the Web option at the top of the window, and set the Width of the document to 870 px. Set the Height to 2040 px. 

Set the Top and Bottom Margins to 55 px, and the Left and Right Margins to 100 px.

Then click Create.

Step 2

Expand the Layers panel (Window > Layers) and double-click on Layer 1, renaming it Background. 

Then create three more new layers in this order: Arrows, Dolls, and finally, Type. 

Lock all the layers except Background, which we’ll be working on first. 

Step 3

You can either use your own color swatches on the infographic or download and install the ‘Russia Infographic Swatches’ ASE file attached to this tutorial.

To install the ASE swatches, go to the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches), and choose Load Swatches from the panel’s main menu. 

Navigate to the ASE file, and Open it. The CMYK swatches will load into the Swatches panel, ready for you to use on your design. 

2. How to Create a Colorful Background for Your Infographic

Step 1

Working on the Background layer, pull a couple of guides down from the top ruler (View > Show Rulers) to about Y position 750 px and 1340 px. 

Step 2

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a shape across the top section of the page, bringing it down to the first guide. 

Set the Fill to the dark blue in the Swatches panel, or to a dark fill of your own choice. 

Step 3

Create two more shapes, filling the middle section and lower section of the infographic (I’ve left a small gap at the bottom to place a credit).

Set the Fill of the central shape to yellow, and the lower section to pink.

3. How to Create a Title for Your Infographic

Step 1

Lock the Background layer and unlock the top layer, Type. 

Use the Type Tool (T) to create a text frame at the top of the page, resting the top edge on the margin line. 

Type in ‘RUSSIA’ and, from either the top Controls panel or the Character and Paragraph panels (Window > Type & Tables > Character/Paragraph), set the Font to Ovsyanka, Size 67 pt, Tracking 230, and set the text to Align Center. 

Step 2

Copy and Paste the text frame, moving it directly below, and adjust the text to read ‘POCC’. Paste again, and type in ‘RN’, moving this to the right of the ‘POCC’ frame. 

On the ‘RN’ frame, Right-Click > Transform > Flip Horizontal. 

This creates the word ‘РОССИЯ’, which is Russian for ‘Russia’.

Step 3

Add text frames to the left and right of the main heading, typing in ‘FACTS’ and ‘ABOUT’, and setting the Font to Ovsyanka, Size 39 pt. 

4. How to Add Doll Graphics to Your Infographic

Step 1

Open up the Russia travel icon set in Illustrator. Select one of the Russian dolls and Edit > Copy it. 

Step 2

Back in InDesign, lock the Type layer and unlock the Dolls layer below. 

Create an image frame on the left side of the top section of the infographic, using the Rectangle Frame Tool (F).

Select the frame and go to Edit > Paste Into, to drop the doll inside the frame.

Step 3

Pull back the right edge of the frame to reveal just half of the doll, before going to Edit > Copy to copy the frame. 

Edit > Paste the frame, and on this copy, Right-Click > Transform > Flip Horizontal. 

Position it to the right of the first doll, to create a split effect to the illustration. 

Step 4

Select the Pen Tool (P) and trace the right half of the doll. Click and drag to create curved angles, and use the Direct Selection Tool (A) afterwards to select anchor points individually and adjust them if you need to. 

You can also add anchor points using the Add Anchor Point Tool (=). 

Set the Fill Color of the shape to green.

Step 5

With the shape selected, go to Object > Effects > Transparency, and set the Mode to Color, bringing through the details of the doll illustration below. 

Step 6

Working on the Type layer, use the Type Tool (T) to create a text frame to the right of the doll, typing in '1/2' and setting the Font to Ovsyanka. 

Adjust the Font Size and Baseline Shift of each letter, to lift the ‘1’ and create a larger central forward slash.

Add more text frames next to this, set in Calderock Edge Font. Make sure to add the credit for the fact as well. 

Step 7

Lock the Type layer and unlock the Arrows layer.

Use the Line Tool (\) to create a horizontal line leading from behind the doll to the text on the right.

From the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke), set the Weight of the line to 8 pt, the Type to Dashed, and the End point of the line to CircleSolid.

5. How to Build Up Content on Your Infographic

You can now use the elements you’ve created on the top section of your infographic to populate the rest of your design. Here’s how to do it. 

Step 1

Working on the Dolls layer, select the doll vector inside the image frame on the top section and Copy and Paste it, moving it down onto the second section and scaling it down a little, holding Shift while you do. 

Directly select different parts of the doll, and adjust the Fill Color of each section. Here, I’ve created a pink/purple doll. 

Copy and Paste the doll when you’ve finished adjusting the color, creating a row of three dolls. 

Then Paste one final time, and adjust the color of this to something contrasting, like orange/green. 

Step 2

Set text below this in Ovsyanka, Size 95 pt. Type in ‘3’ into one frame and ‘4’ into the other. 

Add more text frames around this to create the fact ‘3 out of 4 people in Russia live in urban centres’, and add a credit below. 

Step 3

For the bottom section, first select the green half shape from the top section and Copy it. 

Paste it onto the bottom section, and go to Object > Effects > Transparency, to set the Mode back to Normal. 

Copy and Paste the shape, and Right-Click > Transform > Flip Horizontal on the copy. 

Move the two halves together to create a whole doll silhouette, and Right-Click > Group. 

Step 4

Adjust the Fill of the shape to a pale blue, and then scale it down so that the shape is really tiny.

Copy and Paste this small shape repeatedly to create a row of ten shapes.

Then Copy and Paste the row, to build up seven rows of ten shapes. 

Step 5

Create a further three rows of shapes, setting the Fill Color of the final three rows to a brown swatch. 

Highlight the final three shapes and set these to a pale green Fill. 

Step 6

Add a text frame to the right of the shapes, typing in ‘71% of the Earth is water-covered’, and setting the Font to Calderock Edge.

Create a second text frame below, typing in ‘As the world’s largest country, Russia occupies’, setting the Font to Calderock Edge, as before. 

Another frame should read ‘One 10th’, and a final frame can have ‘of all the land on earth’.

Step 7

Copy and Paste the arrow down from the top section of the infographic, using this to create two small arrows leading to the two facts on this lower section. 

6. How to Export Your Infographic

With your infographic finished, you’ll want to be able to share it with friends and followers on social media. The export process is really simple. 

Step 1

First, File > Save your design. 

Then go to File > Export. 

Choose JPEG from the Format menu at the bottom and click Save.

Step 2

In the Export JPEG window that opens, set the Quality to High, Resolution to 72 ppi, and Color Space to RGB. 

Then click Export. 

Your infographic is finished—great job! 

All you need to do now is head up to File > Export to save your design as a JPEG, PNG, or PDF, ready for printing or sharing online.

Conclusion: Your Finished Infographic

To help us celebrate Russia Week here at Envato Tuts+, why not share this infographic on social media? 

You can find more infographic templates and icons to use on your designs over on GraphicRiver and Envato Elements.

If you're eager to try creating some other infographics, make sure to check out these tutorials:

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