Participant

Question

Export spread with proper page numbers. Or export pages with default double view for web browser

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
September 3, 2024
4 replies
808 views

Hi community,

I am struggling hard with this issue with the recent updates with all chromium browsers.

The default view of web browsers seem to be single page, but my project has spreads, and supposed to be viewed as Two Up facing with cover page. 😞

I have tried exporting it as spread, which visually does reflects my intention, but page numbers are reduced down by 1/2 (as it is spread). Page numbers are set through master page - style - current page.

Another method I tried is to export as pages, with two-up facing. But the web browser would display pdf as single page by default. I tried to add in javascript into pdf, but that did not address the issue.

Are there any settings or scripts that would display two up facing with cover page by default on the web browser?

Sincerely

This topic has been closed for replies.

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

Quite true. The author can set it; but the user can over-ride it, too (in Acrobat)

Mike Witherell

leo.r

Community Expert

I just ran a quick test, and indeed Chrome's PDF viewer doesn't honor this setting (while Firefox does):

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

Just an aside — I have no idea why FF fell so far out of favor while Chrome rules. Where they aren't equivalent, Firefox is superior, and it's details like this that keep cropping up to prove the point.

I switched to FF when it was new and "better" and remain with it through all supposed improvements elswhere. I keep Chrome around for a backup since too many web apps are wholly optimized for it and glitch on most other browsers.

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

After exporting your file as a PDF as pages; not spreads; you move on to Acrobat > File > Document Properties > Initial View ... and set how you would like the pages to display and you can choose spreads. Finish up with an OK ... Save.

Mike Witherell

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

...assuming the viewer honors those settings. Or even has the option to set that view in its design. Most browser viewers default to one page at default zoom and have no other modes.

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

You have absolutely no control over whether a PDF viewer honors page-display settings, or any other settings.

The only 100% reliable PDF viewer is Adobe Acrobat. Every other viewer from third parties, and especially those for mobile devices and browsers, varies widely in what parts of the PDF standard it implements. Most omit the "fancy" stuff like interactive elementrs. Many are weak on following document settings like initial display zoom and layout. (The goal is usually speed, a small software footprint, or just "not being Adobe."

It's possible there is some JS hack that could get a Chromium browser to adjust the layout, but that would assume its PDF plugin even has the feature to do so.

CC37419818vx11Author

Participant

Hi James,

If the pdf was exported as spread, is there any ways to display the number of pages, instead of number of spreads?

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

Exporting to spreads simply makes one document page out of each pair; I don't think any data is retained about the "facing" pages etc.

I don't know if there's a value in the PDF you can set or hack to reflect the number of virtual pages — might be a question for the Acrobat forum here.

CC37419818vx11Author

Participant

A little update to this question:

Seems like the javascript would be ignored by default on web browsers, hence adding javascript onto the pdf file is not going to address the issue.

jane-e

Community Expert

@CC37419818vx11

One thing you can try is to add a link to download Acrobat Reader with one of those notes to the effect of "This document is best viewed in Acrobat Reader" and tell them how to download the PDF.

Some may follow your instructions, but there is no guarantee.

Jane

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