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How To Create Printer Spreads PDF for Saddle Stitch Booklet?

Participant ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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I need to output a PDF in printer spread format for a saddle stitch booklet from InDesign.

After installing CS5 Master Suite on my upgraded Mac OS X 10.6.2 MacBook I can't figure out how to do that though.

Has anyone figured this out?

Thanks,

DAN

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Enthusiast , May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

File>Print Booklet

Set it up

>Print Settings...

>>Printer>Adobe PDF

Not possible on 10.6.x. Use Printer Setting / PostScript® File, then distill to the settings of your choice in Acrobat Distiller.

Doyle

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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http://help.adobe.com/en_US/indesign/cs/using/WSa285fff53dea4f8617383751001ea8cb3f-704ba.html

No?

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Participant ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Eugene - where on that page does it say how to create PDF of the booklet?

Please be specific and don't just send links to seemingly related documentation.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Oh right.

File>Print Booklet

Set it up

>Print Settings...

>>Printer>Adobe PDF

I know it's not obvious. I'll post a comment there to clarify.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Some people will have the a PDF printer installed. You don't have to  just output this to your own printer, you can make a PDF.

File>Print Booklet
Set up the booklet to your liking

At the bottom of the Print Booklet Dialog Box there is a "Print  Settings"
Click this to bring up a new Dialog Box

You should see a listing for "Printers" at the top of this Print  dialog box. If you have Adobe PDF printer installed, you can print  directly to a PDF.

If you want to choose a Pre-Defined PDF setting, go to Set Up ... 
(if you get a warning continue on)

Make Sure Adobe PDF printer is selected - and click on Settings

Here you can define the settings to your likings, or choose  a  pre-defined PDF setting.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1923/printsettings.jpg

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Participant ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Eugene - it looks like you've posted some screen shots from your Windows computer. Windows is actually a different operating system than Macs use and both operating systems don't use the same options in every window for every task. Microsoft and Apple are the different companies that create the operating systems.

Please read forum posts carefully before responding. For example "Mac OS X 10.6.2 MacBook" means I'm using a different operating system.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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That's unfortunate.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Dan Poynor wrote:

Eugene - it looks like you've posted some screen shots from your Windows computer. Windows is actually a different operating system than Macs use and both operating systems don't use the same options in every window for every task. Microsoft and Apple are the different companies that create the operating systems.

Please read forum posts carefully before responding. For example "Mac OS X 10.6.2 MacBook" means I'm using a different operating system.

I'm sorry I wasn't on my Mac - I would have noticed that missing. I've only ever made files like this from my Windows computer I was unaware of the issue with the Mac.

I do read forum posts carefully - thanks for letting me know what to do and when to respond?

I'm sure what I've posted will help someone at some stage who is searching for an answer to the same problem. I've seen this question asked many times for both Windows and Macs and the answer that I have given in the past has solved the issue.

Please note you're not the only person in the world or reading the forum that has this issue. We know now that this specific OS has an issue. And I'm sorry I was unaware of this obscure fact.

I'm sorry my answer didn't fulfill your specific needs and I'm sorry that I wasted my time creating those screen shots for you to assist you.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Sorry excuse my post there. Not in character at all for me. Pretty tired today.

I made a mistake and I posted some irrelevant information in this case. Grrrr I hate being tired.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Forget it, Eugene.

Bob

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Enthusiast ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Does the make booklet script from CS4 work on CS5? I use it for CS3 and CS4 and it works a charm. Update your ID file, then open your booklet file and it updates automatically. No having to create a new booklet everytime you update the original doc.

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Community Expert ,
May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010

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Mr. Met wrote:

Does the make booklet script from CS4 work on CS5?

Haven't tried it, but the answer is probably yes. If it fails while loose inthe scripts folder, make a Version 6.0 Scripts subfolder and stick it in that.

Jongware will probably be by shortly to amend this...

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Enthusiast ,
May 13, 2010 May 13, 2010

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Good point. I forgot to mention that once you have your book spreads, export to PDF.


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Community Expert ,
May 13, 2010 May 13, 2010

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Mr. Met wrote:

Good point. I forgot to mention that once you have your book spreads, export to PDF.


And be sure to check the "spreads' box...

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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Well, it did smack a little of ungratefulness when I read it too... besides, I'm on a Mac running 10.6.8, and I still found your directions, although for Windows, very helpful. The actual dialogs, and even the placement of the printer settings buttons were practically identical from those depicted in the screenshots.

Personally, I'm just surprised that this isn't a more automated process within InDesign. Its not a terribly unusual request from print houses to provide properly impositioned printer spreads to keep the production costs down and it seems like a relatively straight forward print/design need so the long standing omission is peculiar to say the least.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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rcbmoose wrote:

Personally, I'm just surprised that this isn't a more automated process within InDesign. Its not a terribly unusual request from print houses to provide properly impositioned printer spreads to keep the production costs down and it seems like a relatively straight forward print/design need so the long standing omission is peculiar to say the least.

I couldn't possibly disagree with that more. Any modern printer is likely to charge you extra to dismantle an imposed document.

The only printers that would want this are little mom and pops or printers too stretched to buy real imposition software.

Print Booklet was never intended to replace professional level imposition software.

Bob

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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Anecdotes ≠ opinions but they certainly seem to form the backbone of a great deal of opinion, so I don't know what you have to disagree with there. I have a need and the software doesn't fulfill that need. And it has been my experience on more than one occasion with printers and more recently (the past 3 years) with shops that specialize in brochure printing specifically. The definition of "any modern printer" is also curious, probably likewise as anecdotal as my stated need, and certainly subject to a great deal of assumptions about use case. From mom and pop shops, to printing comps at Kinkos for a client, to fulfillment with massive web presses, I would expect my software to cope with relative ease on a demand that has been there since the dawn of saddle stitch. The current job that I am setting up is on a massive printer that can offer more competitve prices for their jobs if the designers pre-impose the job. Not the way I normally work, but they certainly aren't the first to request it. But to argue that a professional level piece of publications software can't figure out basic imposition as part of the natural order of things is kind of silly. And to presume that my or anyone else's definition of need from their software is disagreeable somehow smacks of arrogance to me. Sure, maybe I won't get the kind of precision in crossovers and the like that I would from in-house software dialed in to the vagaries of a given press, but then not every job has a $100k budget and 6 color heidelbergs...

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Community Expert ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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"Impositioning" is not as simple as you appear to think! There are scores of variants, and every printing company (in cooperation with its binders) has their own preference.

Check out something like Quite Imposing -- an Acrobat plugin. It allows professional level imposition of PDFs, from the lowly magazine binding for simple stapling up to sheets of 64 pages and more. InDesign's Print Booklet is sort of a running joke, compared to that. There is noth wrong with leaving impositioning to the printer, in my experienced opinion.

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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I like, "scores of variants"... Is that an impositioning pun?

I'm under no illusion of just how complicated impositioning can be, having spent a few years on press at Cadmus in my youth... But, for basic needs like docs without complex crossovers, or assembling mocks, or dealing with printers (or projects) that don't have tighter requirements, it does seem like a lot of headache and hoops to create the most basic and simple of imposed spreads. My supposition is that perhaps it is assumed that it would be too easily an abused tool... Still, given the level of assumed trust in the competence of a given designer using a pro layout tool like InDesign to make those choices as they deem fit with projects, I would hope that isn't the reasoning. It certainly wouldn't stop someone from making just as grave a prepress mistake as in a myriad other facets of layout that are normally better left to the printers.

Oh, and BTW, not to be misunderstood... I would rather not have to do impositioning work. I really really wouldn't. But its not always up to me unfortunately.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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rcbmoose wrote:

... But, for basic needs like docs without complex crossovers, or assembling mocks, or dealing with printers (or projects) that don't have tighter requirements, it does seem like a lot of headache and hoops to create the most basic and simple of imposed spreads

See http://pdsassoc.com/downloads/Buildbooklet.zip

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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Oh la la, that is MUCH better than the MakeBooklet script... Looks like Xmas came late... thank you!

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Community Expert ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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>I like, "scores of variants"... Is that an impositioning pun?

Not intended, but you may blaim a spurious intake of rum for that (as I'm on the down slope of my phase rite now).

Point is, imposition is a tricky thing. I think it's totally fair to say imposition is "best left to professionals". There are many pitfalls, and wo on the poor printer that gets an 'impositioned' document he has to rip apart and re-assemble into the proper order, all bleeds etc. intact. Very best advice I can offer is to ASK YOUR PRINTER before attempting anything.

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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[Jongware] wrote:

Very best advice I can offer is to ASK YOUR PRINTER before attempting anything.

Totally agree... it just so happens that with one of my reps, the printer for huge runs of cheapo brochures has actually requested pre-imposed files. Go figure.

Sorry, I'm in a bind and the Kahlua isn't giving me any decent puns, so I'll try not to impose further on anyone's time and leave it to you to keep me in stitches. No jokes about stripping though or I'll show my age I'm afraid... Hey oh!

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Participant ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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rcbmoose - how do you get the  "Adobe PDF" printer option to appear on the Mac as shown in the first screen shot?

The Mac doesn't have the Print window with the General tab and printer icons or anything even similar to that layout or button arrangement.

Also the Printing Preferences, Adobe PDF Conversion Settings window doesn't appear on Mac.

Nothing is identical since those windows don't exist on the Mac.

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Explorer ,
Dec 28, 2011 Dec 28, 2011

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That's why I qualified it... "practically identical". Replace "Adobe PDF" with "Postscript File" and I found that it got me 90% of the way there so Eugene's point about it helping someone else with a similar need rang true in my case. I was already aware of the lack of the PDF Printer in SL, so that was moot detail for me. But that's the beauty of a an open forum IMO: even if you didn't find it helpful I don't think he should be discouraged or chastened for his effort because it helped me and could undoubtedly help others too.

Also, as an aside specific to the Adobe forums, even though I am not remotely as prolific a poster as some folks, I have frequently found resolutions to Mac questions in Windows threads and vice versa. Personally, I also don't find it terribly clear which flavor of a given software's forum I happen to be in when coming in cold from a Google search or the like... eg. Sure, one should read the OP thoroughly, but if you were just scanning and trying to help, simply looking at the top of this very thread there is quite literally no indication of whether this is a Mac or Windows InDesign question:

Screen shot 2011-12-28 at 1.14.53 PM.png

"I've seen this question asked many times for both Windows and Macs"... me too, and I think every bit of info to troubleshoot it and crowdsource solutions can only help. Even if we don't all have the luxury of dealing with "modern printers."

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