Setting Up A New Document

File > New Doc

Number of pages

Facing Pages - For brochures, books, magazines

Not Facing Pages - For one page or double sided, single sheet documents.

Page Size

Number of columns

Margins

More Options: Bleed. 5mm for most cases, but you should check with your printer.

Viewing (Specific) Pages

Control Alt 0 to centre spread in window

Control 0 to centre page

To view specific pages. Control J

Type in Page numbers.

or

In Pages Panel

Double Click on Spread Numbers

Double Click on Page

Power Zoom

Select Hand Tool

Click and Hold down until Red frame appears.

Drag to required area and release.

Guides

Turn on Rulers 

View > Show Rulers

Drag Guides from rulers

Shift Drag to line Guides up exactly with rulers

Create Coloured Page

Select Rectangle Frame Tool

Draw Frame Across Whole Page

Select Fill Colour from Swatches.

Go to Object > Lock.

Padlock Appears on Frame.

To unlock, click padlock.

Importing Copy

ID is good for setting copy.

You can do it in AI but ID is a vastly superior tool.

You can Copy and Paste copy.

The best way is to Place.

You can place a Doc or and RTF.

File > Place

Choose file.

In ID you get a little handle.

If you have columns:

Click at the top of column. Type will place.

ONLY IN THAT COLUMN

To make type run across many columns:

Hold shift when clicking at top of first column.

Place type into multiple type frames which you have drawn with the type tool

Shift select the frames.

In the bottom right hand corner of each frame, hold your curser over the white box until the type flow-on symbol appears.

Click it. 

Repeat for each frame.

To select all type on a page:

Click 5 times on part of the copy.