How to export jpeg files with individual page names?

[melissae49811054]

I work for a company that needs ALOT of web images of a product in various names and sizes because this is just the way the web developer created the site to pull images.

So what I did is create a template from InDesign where I can just drop in the main image and it's set up on alternative layouts for different sizes and naming. What I'd like to do is export every single page in the doc as a jpeg, but with the naming convention being what I named the individual pages.

I can't seem to do this. For example:

I have approximately 30 different alternate layouts in my pages section. I've named each page of a layout with what the individual jpegs should be named on export, but I can't just export them all with those specific names. Any way to do this? Please help! It would really help my job!

[rob day]

I work for a company that needs ALOT of web images of a product in various names and sizes because this is just the way the web developer created the site to pull images.

Are you adding something to photo in InDesign? If not you would be better off using Photoshop's Automate>Batch or Automate>Create Droplet, both of which will let you control the naming.

To do it from ID you would need to a JavaScript or AppleScript. Also InDesign's JPEG export has quality problems.

[melissae49811054]

Thanks for responding!

Each image has a different overlay. I work at a check printing company and I need to do web images for the individual scenes of each check and overlays depending on the product blah blah

I have noticed the jpeg issue to a point. Only on super small images though. I hope I answered your question correctly as I'm super frustrated at this daunting task.

I've never used a droplet before. I can defenitely look into it obviously!

[rob day]

To fully automate this from ID I think you would need scripting.

You could also consider exporting to PDF (which would eliminate the quality problems). So instead of alternate layouts for different sizes you could have a single document dimension set to the largest size, and export the pages to PDF/X-4. In AcrobatPro you can split the document into individual pages. In Photoshop you could set up a batch droplet that would create the different sized jpeg versions for each page.

[melissae49811054]

I seem to be having trouble with droplets currently. Photoshop seems to get hung up and can't do it. Not sure why.

I like your idea about exporting the indesign files to pdf. When I do this, each page is the name of the alternate layout name. However, is there a way to exract each page of the pdf as separate files with the page name being the file name? Did that make sense?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

How do you get the PDF pages to export with the alternate layout name? (InDesign is not my main area, I am more into Photoshop, PDF and metadata)

I was going to suggest looking into the Page Exporter Utility script (PEU), however I am not sure if that is going to help with the filenames (it can do JPEG).

As for PDF file splitting and renaming, options exist and are covered here:

Prepression: Splitting PDF Files to Variable File Names

Prepression: Splitting PDF File Names from a .CSV Source

Tags, Bookmarks and other sources of metadata can often be leveraged in downstream workflows, it is just a matter of finding the right hook.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Still can’t work out how to do this without a script, however this script can export to PDF using the alternative layout name:

Dropbox - ExportAlternativeLayoutsAsPDF.jsx

Ajar Productions » Save InDesign Alternate Layouts as Separate Documents

You may need to cleanup with a Batch Rename using Adobe Bridge and export as images from Acrobat or rasterize the PDF in Photoshop, however this at least will use the alternative layout names.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Although I can’t script, I managed to hack the original script so that it does not prefix the original document name and underscore to the PDF export – the export will only use the alternative layout name (which means that you will not need to use Adobe Bridge’s string substitution batch rename, saving a step).

// https://www.dropbox.com/s/eputfkulan69756/ExportAlternativeLayoutsAsPDF.jsx?dl=0
// The original line 68 has been commented out, with the new line 69 being the hacked code to remove the original document name + underscore prefix
/*
    Here is my solution (actually, not only mine - I found similar script and modified them to make it work the way you need).
    This script ask you to choose PDF Export preset first (you can set necessary settings in:
    File > Adobe PDF Presets > Define... dialog box, 
    then save preset, and choose it when you run this script). 
    Once you choosed Export Preset - click OK, 
    Script will save pdf files with your alternative layouts to the same folder where your InDesign file is saved, 
    with name of FileName_LayoutName.pdf
    If you have suggestions of how to improve this code - feel free to contact me     
    Oleh Melnyk  oleh.melnyk@gmail.com
    5 November 2014 
*/ 
pagesCount = app.activeDocument.pages.length;
alternativeLayout = []; // arrayes with alternative layouts names
fileName = app.activeDocument.name;
filePath = app.activeDocument.fullName.fsName;
fileNameWithPath = filePath.replace(/.indd/, ""); // remove indesign .indd extenstion, as we don't need it
// dirty way to get all alterative layouts names - there should be a better way, but for now I don't know how
for(i = 0; i < pagesCount; i++)
{    
    if(alternativeLayout[alternativeLayout.length-1] != app.activeDocument.pages.appliedAlternateLayout.alternateLayout)
    {
        alternativeLayout.push(app.activeDocument.pages.appliedAlternateLayout.alternateLayout);
    }
}
// CORE of the script from here: http://indisnip.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/simple-pdf-export-with-preset-selection/
presets = app.pdfExportPresets.everyItem().name;
presets.unshift("- Select PDF Preset -");
var win = new Window('dialog', 'PDF Export Presets');
win.orientation = 'row';
with(win){
    win.header = add('statictext', undefined, 'Select PDF Export preset:');
    win.PDFExport = add('dropdownlist',undefined,undefined,{items:presets});
    win.PDFExport.selection = 0;
    win.button = add('button', undefined, 'OK');
    };
win.center();
window = win.show();
if(window == true && win.PDFExport.selection.index != 0)
{
    preset = app.pdfExportPresets.item(String(win.PDFExport.selection));
    for(l = 0; l < alternativeLayout.length; l++)
    {
        app.pdfExportPreferences.pageRange = alternativeLayout;
        // app.activeDocument.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType, (new File(fileNameWithPath + “_” + alternativeLayout + “.pdf”)), false, preset);
        app.activeDocument.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType, (new File(alternativeLayout + ".pdf")), false, preset);
    }
}
else
{
    alert("No PDF Preset selected");
}

[Jongware]

> ... Although I can’t script, I managed to hack the original script ..

FYI, that's actually a great way to start to write scripts!

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Thanks Jongware!

I imagine that Dr Frankenstein must have felt the same way, however it is harder for me to try to merge a simple JPEG export script into an alternative layout PDF export script! Yes, I know that it is just a simple matter of deleting some unwanted bits, a copy and paste and renaming some variables etc. Should be easy, right? Well I’m not shouting “It’s alive, it’s alive” yet…

[melissae49811054]

All these are great! This seemed to help the most. It seperated each image into a pdf with the layout name and the pages within that layout name in a pdf. Going to try it out some more!

[rob day]

For automation I usually write scripts, so I don't use the Batch operations that much.

I could be sending down the wrong path, but when you are batch opening and saving as a different format you have to include the open and save as in the action you are batching and then check the Override Action check boxes, and include a serial number. Some thing like this where my recorded action opens a PDF to the desired resolution, Saves As a JPEG, and closes with no save:

Check Override Action "Open" and Override Action "Save As" Commands. Start the name with a Serial Number otherwise only one file will output

[jchan_ID2017]

Hi melissae49811054

I'm not sure if you ever resolved your issue. I have a similar problem. I have to create a series of images (essentially the same graphic in different sizes) that will be shared across all of our web channels. However, what I would like to do is have it name the file based on the basename of the file, but then append the page size rather than the page number? Is that possible?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

jchan_id2017  I have replied in the other topic thread where you cross posted:

Re: Export pages to jpg with custom filenames

As an alternative to the method outlined in the other topic linked above, if you rename your alternate layout with the required name, then you can use the alternate layout export script mentioned previously in this topic thread at post #8. This will create correctly named PDF files, that still need to be rasterized to the desired size.