How to Create a Calendar in Indesign
There are many calendar templates for a number of programs, including InDesign. InDesign provides you tools to readily adapt a calendar from a template using master pages and style sheets, or if you choose, to design your own from scratch.
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Instructions
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Download a template from Adobe Exchange or other source. This will give you the basic layout and date numbering for the months. If you want to depict dates in a non-traditional manner, you may need to enter dates manually.
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Open the Document Setup menu, and adjust dimensions and options as necessary for your design. A wall calendar may be set in landscape orientation of 11 x 8.5 inches, hung one page above another. For such a calendar, uncheck Facing Pages in the menu to see the pages in a proper arrangement to one another.
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Open the Character Styles panel, and if the template shows character styles for its common text elements, and it should, edit styles to meet your own design preferences for names of months, date numbers, and other text common to each page. Editing the style in the panel automatically applies the style to all occurrences, such as names of the months.
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Set up master pages, or edit master pages if they're used in the template. You'll need two pages if the calendar is meant to be viewed with one descriptive page or photo page above a page showing the actual dates.
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Design the basics of the master descriptive page, such as creating a graphic box for a photo or illustration that you will insert into each of the actual pages. Set dummy copy in the font and size you want for any text description you wish to appear on the pages.
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Set up the master page for depicting months. If you're using a template, you only need to place elements you will add to the month pages. If you're designing from scratch, you can place all common elements such as days of the week and a grid to display dates. Set dummy copy for names of the month and other copy that will change each month.
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Place photos or changing graphics on each calendar page, and add descriptions and other text that are unique to each page.
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Export the file as a high resolution PDF if you're going to use a commercial or quick printer, normally the easiest file for commercial printers to handle.
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Tips & Warnings
Photos should be high resolution. Generally 300 dpi at the size you need for printing works best.
