In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to put together an infographic template timeline in Adobe InDesign. We’ll look at how to set up a professional infographic template that’s ready for sharing on social media. This tutorial is perfect for relative beginners to InDesign.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (which falls in May and June this year). The month is marked as a month of fasting (Sawm) to commemorate the revealing of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. 

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

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!

What You’ll Need to Create Your Infographic Template

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 also 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:

• 6 modern mosque illustrations
• 15 Ramadan icons
• Stars abstract backgrounds
• Sunset sky backgrounds
• Rockyeah Sans font
• Lorin Sans font family

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

1. How to Set Up Your Infographic Layout Template

Step 1

Open up InDesign and go to File > New > Document. Choose Web for the Intent at the top, and deselect Facing Pages. 

Under Page Size, set the Width to 870 px and the Height to 2300 px (you can adjust the height later if you wish by using the Page Tool).

Click OK to create your document. 

Step 2

Expand the Layers panel (Window > Layers), and double-click on Layer 1 to open the Options window. Rename the layer Background and click OK.

Click on the Create New Layer button at the bottom of the panel and rename this second layer Stars and Clouds. Then create five more layers in this order: Timeline, Mosque, Overlay Gradient, Icons, and Type. 

Lock all the layers except Background. 

Step 3

Expand the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches) and choose Load Swatches from the panel’s drop-down menu. 

Navigate to the provided Ramadan Infographic Swatches.ase file, and click Open to load the RGB swatches into the panel.

Step 4

Click on New Gradient Swatch from the Swatches panel’s drop-down menu.

Name the swatch Sunset and set the Type to Linear. Choose Swatches from the Stop Color menu and choose a pale pink swatch for the left-hand stop and a dark blue swatch for the right-hand stop. 

Then click Add and Done. 

Step 5

Create a second New Gradient Swatch. 

Name this one Dawn, and choose a range of five color swatches, from pale yellow to orange and blues, to create a sunrise-style effect. 

Click Add and Done.

Step 6

Create a third gradient swatch, this time with a Radial type.

Name it Light and choose a very pale yellow swatch for the left-hand stop and a deeper yellow for the right-hand stop. 

Click Add and Done, as before.

2. How to Create a Split Night and Day Effect on Your Infographic Template

Step 1

With your gradient swatches ready to use, start by working on the Background layer. 

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a shape across the left side of the layout (the gap at the bottom can be left for an author credit). 

Set the Color Fill of this to Dawn from the Swatches panel. 

Copy and Paste the shape, moving the copy over to the right half of the page, and adjust the Fill of this to Sunset. 

Step 2

Lock the Background layer and unlock the next layer up, Stars and Clouds. 

Use the Rectangle Frame Tool (F) to create an image frame across the top half of the ‘day’ side of the layout, and File > Place one of the Sunset sky backgrounds images into the frame. 

With the image frame selected, go to Object > Effects > Transparency. Set the Mode to Lighten and bring the Opacity down to 70%.

Click on Gradient Feather in the left-hand menu, and set the Type to Radial. 

Step 3

Select the clouds image frame and Copy and Paste it, moving this over to the right side of the layout.

File > Place, choose one of the images from the Stars abstract backgrounds pack, and Open it. Allow the central star to sit roughly centrally in the image frame. 

3. How to Create an Infographic Template Timeline

Step 1

Lock the Stars and Clouds layer and unlock the layer above, Timeline.

Use the Line Tool (\) to create a vertical line across the center of the page, towards the top.

Set the Stroke Color to a pale off-white swatch. From the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke), increase the Weight of the Stroke to 46 pt, and add an arrow head to the bottom of the arrow.

With the arrow selected, go to Object > Effects > Gradient Feather. Apply a Linear gradient, allowing the arrow to fade away towards the top. Then click OK.

Step 2

Copy and Paste the arrow twice, creating a vertical sequence of three arrows down the center of the layout. 

Paste again, and on this arrow, Right-Click > Transform > Rotate 90 Degrees CW. Reduce the Weight of the arrow from the Stroke panel and reduce the length of the line. This smaller arrow can function as a little pointer towards facts and statistics as you move down the timeline. 

Step 3

Open one of the EPS illustrations from the 6 modern mosque illustrations pack in a vector program like Adobe Illustrator. You can choose whichever mosque style you prefer, and Edit > Copy the graphic in Illustrator.

Head back to InDesign and lock the Timeline layer. Unlock the Mosque layer. 

Edit > Paste the mosque graphic directly onto the layer, and position it towards the bottom of the design. 

Step 4

To integrate the mosque into the design and make it appear as if it is cast in either darkness or sunlight, we can add an overlay effect. 

Lock the Mosque layer and unlock the layer above, Overlay Gradient. 

Use the Rectangle Tool (M) to create a shape over the left side, the ‘day’ side, of the layout, reaching up to about two-thirds of the page. Set the Fill to Dawn.

With the shape selected, go to Object > Effects > Transparency and set the Mode to Overlay and Opacity to 60%.

Click on Gradient Feather and add a Linear gradient effect too, allowing the shape to fade out towards the top. 

Step 5

Copy and Paste the shape, and move it over to the right side of the page, adjusting the Fill to Sunset. 

4. How to Add Type and Icons to Your Infographic Template

Step 1

Use the Type Tool (T) to create a header at the top of the layout. From either the top Controls panel or the Character and Paragraph panels (Window > Type & Tables > Character), set the Font to Rockyeah Sans and a contrasting Font Color.

Step 2

Add a rotated text frame to the right of the top of the timeline, adding the month and setting the Font to Rockyeah Sans. 

Step 3

You can now start building up facts and stats on your design. 

Begin by creating the first fact as a sort of template for the other facts. 

Set each section of information or key word/number in its own text frame, and set the Font to Lorin ExtraBold. These items will look punchier if you’re able to pull out a single number or word, such as the month number, in this case.

Step 4

Use this first ‘block’ of type to populate the rest of your infographic. 

Copy and Paste the block, and position either side of the small arrows, editing the content of the text for each.

Move down the infographic, adding a fact to each side of the timeline until you reach the mosque at the bottom.

Step 5

Icons are a great way to add an extra quirk to your designs. 

Open the 15 Ramadan icons EPS file in Illustrator, and select and Copy individual icons. 

Paste them directly onto the Icons layer in your InDesign document. You can scale them, add them to your text blocks, and adjust the Fill Color of the icons from the Swatches panel. 

5. How to Export Your Infographic Template

Your Ramadan infographic template is finished—great work!

If you want to share your infographic design online, you’ll need to follow the export instructions below…

Step 1

Go to File > Export and choose JPEG from the Format menu at the bottom of the window. 

Then click Save.

Step 2

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

Then click Export to create a JPEG that’s ready to share on social media. Great job!

Conclusion: Your Finished Infographic Template

To help mark the occasion of Ramadan and educate others about Islam, why not share this infographic template on social media? 

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

If you’re eager to try creating some other infographic designs, make sure to check out these tutorials:

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