Both InDesign CS2 and CS3 have a feature that will quickly rearrange the pages of a "reader spread" document into "printer spread" order, and then print the pages on a duplex (double-sided) printer.
The CS2 feature is located in File > InBooklet SE. By checking the Create New Document option, InDesign will create a copy of your document in printer spread order. You can then use the normal InDesign print dialog box to control duplexing, printing front sides only, etc.
In CS3, the feature is located in File > Print Booklet. This command always rearranges the pages into printer spread order as the document is printed, which works fine as long as you have a duplex printer. If you don't, you will need to print the "front" side of each spread, then flip the pages over, reload them into the printer and print the "back" side of each spread. You can't do this with the File > Print Booklet command in CS3. Here's a slick workaround:
1. Create a PDF of the document in reader spread page order.
2. Open the PDF in Acrobat 8.
3. Choose File > Print.
4. In the drop-down list next to "Page Scaling", choose Booklet Printing, choose Front Side Only for the "Booklet subset" and print the spreads. Repeat for the back sides after reloading the paper in the printer.
thanks, works like a charm. You can even duplex by going to the print driver.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great information. However, when I go to print front and back, it prints really small as it prints all spreads across the page.
ReplyDeleteIs there any way to print the fronts separately? Because both fronts print on the same page and are really small. I'm printing a booklet from my home computer. Thanks for your time, lookin' forward to your reply.
wow that was so easy! thanks so much for this! i've been trying all day to figure it out lol.
ReplyDeleteI dropped in on this in google, and thought maybe this would help anybody else looking for the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought to myself, "Now how do I save this PDF with the printer layout without re-arranging everything? Since, if you use Export then it will just save it as the readers spread.
All you have to do in the Print Booklet Screen is click on "Print Settings" and then select "Adobe PDF" as your printer, and then it will save it out correctly so you can finish the rest of this.
If you're like me, that was a gigantic "DUH! I should have thought of that sooner."
Thanks for this discussion. Using CS4, fully installed in Creative Suite Design Premium, I can't find the Adobe PDF printer option in the selection of printers, to use in order to create printer spread PDFs. Help. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSasha, try choosing "Repair Acrobat Installation" from the Help menu in Acrobat 9. It looks like perhaps the PDF printer driver didn't install correctly.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great -- I'm trying to print a booklet inhouse for demo. But, shen I try it (I'm in CS2) the software gets stuck while trying to create the new document -- any suggestions? do I need to reload the software?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: There could be any number of things that are making the InBooklet plugin hang as it tries to create the new printer's spread document. A couple of easy things to try: Are you checking the "Create new document" option in the lower left corner of the InBooklet dialog box? If so, try unchecking that option. This will cause the booklet to be built as it is sent to your printer. Another thing to try, if you have Acrobat 8, would be to use Acrobat to build the booklet, at described in the original blog post.
ReplyDeleteI miss the InbookletSE feature of CS2. The Print Booklet in CS3 feature works great if you want to print the booklet. For commercial printing, I need the pages (5.5 x 8.5) set 4 up on tabloid.
ReplyDeleteAfter printer spreads are created, I need to combine two printer spreads and save as pdf. Is there any way to save the printer spreads as an Indesign file so I can manually combine them to fit my needs?
@SugarAndSpice: You could try one of the scripts found at http://tinyurl.com/ylcwy4y
ReplyDeleteI got Indesign CS4 duplex booklet printing to work on Mac (snow leopard) for my Xerox WorkCentre Pro 123/128. For me, the trick was I had to manually edit the printer driver settings (system settings > print & fax > myprinter > options & supplies > driver ) to indicate that the printer had a duplex module. Then I restarted Indesign, Print Booklet > Print Settings > Setup, then click Printer button. In Layout, make sure that Two-Sided is set. When you return to the Indesign Print settings, you'll see the paper size says "defined by driver".
ReplyDeleteI too appreciated the "create new document" option of InbookletSE in CS2. Now using CS4, I need to prepare the booklet spreads for commercial printing and I don't know what the PDF setting are when I simply "print to PDF." Otherwise, the page spreads in the PDF are correct. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThis works fine if you want a left- or right-side binding, but not if you want a center or saddle stitch binding.
ReplyDeleteIt places a large gutter in the center that alters the measurements of the finished booklet.
For example, I wanted to download a CD from Folkways and the liner notes were included in the download option. After I reformatted it so that the pages would be in order for booklet printing, I discovered the gutter which I could not get rid of. To print it with the "left" or "right" binding inserted the gutter. The result: the booklet would be too big to fit in a CD case.
Any workarounds?
@rzuleger: When you "print" to PDF, you have full control over your PDF settings. On a Mac, in InDesign's Print dialog, click on the "Printer" button, and then in the "Layout" drop-down menu, choose "PDF Options". On Windows, in InDesign's Print dialog, click on the "Setup" button, then the "Preferences" button.
ReplyDeleteThere is a solution I found for creating booklets even for those of us still using CS3 through a “plugin” called “Create Booklet”. I had used this before, but then did not need to when Adobe had the print booklet option. Then, with Snow Leopard, I went back to see if this was still around. In fact, it has been updated for Snow Leopard. You can find it at:
ReplyDeletehttp://web.mac.com/vogelbusch/Site/Programs/Einträge/2009/7/22_Create_Booklet_1.1_support_Snow_Leopard.html
I had InDesign CS and I loved Build Booket for 2 Up Saddle Stitch pamphlets. Now I have updated to CS4 and I can't get it to work. I know Frederick said he got a plug-in Create Booklet. Does that work for the 2 Up Saddle Stitch? Or does someone have a better idea.
ReplyDeleteI am not a professional in graphics or printing, so I may not know all the terminology, but from what I found on Adobe's website," 2-up Saddle Stitch Creates two-page, side-by-side printer spreads. These printer spreads are appropriate for printing on both sides, collating, folding, and stapling." Create Booklet does do this much. I am sure it is pretty basic, so you might not get other things you could get from within InDesign. This works for me with simple jobs. I use it for creating multiple page newsletters on 11 by 17 layout so that it is in booklet ready form to just be collated stapled. Hope this answers your question.
ReplyDeleteI have a duplex printer, but can't get it to work. Going through what Heidi said back in November, I ensured that the printer driver setting for duplex is ticked but having set "two-sided" in Layout, I find that this gets switched off again. Infuriating. It might be something to do with the fact that the printer is networked via another Mac, and I found that I had to set duplex on that as well. Now the "Two-sided" still gets switched off, and the printer goes through the motions of printing both sides, but both sides come out blank.
ReplyDeleteThank you. This is a great little feature in Acrobat.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! you just saved my life =D
ReplyDeleteI hope I haven't missed the answer to the question I have!
ReplyDeleteInDesign CS4 (PC)
My entire CLASS have created individual calendars in Readers Spreads.
Now I MUST find a way for for them to impose their 11" x 8.5" pages, for duplex printing on either 8.5 x 11" or 11"x 17" paper.
The booklet feature seems different from the descriptions of prior comments from other versions discussed.
I know CS4 is 'primitive', but teaching at a Community College in this economic climate has many challenges.
Please help! Grades are due this week!
PRO
I have a small brochure A5 fold to A6. I have the pages in singles, for a visual I use Print Booklet option (CS5) If I want to print the booklet 1 up then this is perfect! However, being such a small document the printer wants it in a 2 up with a 3mm gutter position. Is there an easy way rather than making the document from scratch?
ReplyDeletePrinter Spread is the best thing since sliced bread. Saves loads of time and stress. Good for you for getting the info out there.
ReplyDelete