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Marcin228979735jby
Participant
January 29, 2022
Answered

Exporting multiple Indesign artboards to PDF's

  • January 29, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 829 views

Hi,
i need to personalize 2.500.000 flyers, and sort it by 250 pcs.

i have 12 flyers on each preprinted page, and need only to print BW barcode and number on each of the flyer.

I've made an data merge mechanism: Excel to txt file (12.000 codes in each txt file), txt file to data merge option in Indesign, and then - data merge with 250 pages split per file.

Works fine... but weeeeeery slowly. Est 4 files per 15 minutes... The Indesign file merging is so-so but exporting every Indd file to PDF files is a massacre.

I know i can run few export tasks at once, but above 4 files in parallel export, indesign starts to freak out, and i want to run exporting like 50 files for a night and go home 🙂

Do You have any idea how to automate multi files export? For example "Export all open files to PDF, and shut down the Indesign"

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer jctremblay

Your KonicaMinolta Bizhub Press 1052 probably come with a VDP software. Make sure you take advantage of it.

If what you need is PDF, you can create them directlty from InDesign without creating a ID document first. It's faster. You will need to split your database in batch. You can than spit the final final in 250p files.

4 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 30, 2022

but exporting every Indd file to PDF files is a massacre.

 

Hi @Marcin228979735jby , not sure if this helps, but this script will export a chosen folder of ID files to PDF/X-4—saves the PDFs to a subfolder named PDF in the chosen directory.

 

 

var f = Folder.selectDialog("Select the folder containing InDesign Files", "");
var idf = f.getFiles(/\.(indd)$/i);
if (idf.length > 0) {
	var exf = new Folder(f + "/PDF")
    if (!exf.exists) {
	    exf.create()
    } 
    exportPDF(idf, exf);
} else {
    alert("There are no InDesign files in the selected folder.");
}


/**
* Exports an array of ID files to PDF/X4 
* @param f the array of files to open 
* @param d the destination PDF folder
* @return void 
* 
*/
function exportPDF(f,d){
    app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT;
    var preset=app.pdfExportPresets.itemByName("[PDF/X-4:2008]");
    for (var i = 0; i < f.length; i++){
        try {
            var doc = app.open(File(f[i]));
            doc.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType, File(d + "/" + doc.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '') + ".pdf"), false, preset.name);
            doc.close(1852776480);
        }catch(e) {}   
    };   
    app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.INTERACT_WITH_ALL; 
}

 

manal shanableh
manal shanableh
Legend
January 30, 2022

so, you need automated way to export more than afile at once? you should have find a script for this.

 

what comes to my mind, you can put all file in a book, from book panel, add all indd files, then export the selected document to pdf.. offcourse separated pages.

if i have another idea i will get back to you 🙂

 

jctremblay
Community Expert
jctremblayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 29, 2022

How will you intend to print this over the already printed paper? Which printer? Most of the printer have some kind of variable tool build into their RIP. 

 

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
January 29, 2022

Printing on preprinted material, as with all the color etc. printed offset, an then printing event, individual or other customized material with a laser or inkjet is a very established techniquet. It's typically done on uncoated printing (uncoated paper/no print coating). Small businesses use it all the time for things like brochures, menus, product sheets etc.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
January 29, 2022

I don't think ID is the tool for merges at this scale. At all.

 

I'd suggest using preprints and a better info-merge tool, even Word if not one of the commercial tools. Commercial printing of this many flyers will reduce the cost by some vast percentage... 80%? More? And any mail processing firm can print the custom information at a very small per-piece cost. Your paper and ink costs alone are going to be stratospheric for this project.

M
Marcin228979735jbyAuthor
Participant
January 29, 2022

NitroPress, thanks for the answer, but i'm the printhouse 🙂 i've already printed everything that's CMYK in offset technique, and need only to personalise additional information (barcode and number) different on every single flyer. This is for my client. Everything is going ok, but need to speedup the PDF file generation method or make the InDesign work for me at night when i'm sleeping 🙂

i'm personalising over 300.000 flyers per day but if i'll find a better way to generate those PDF files, then i'll be able to do other things in a meanwhile (mails, offers, lunch...) 🙂

if You have any smart program that can do this better, then i'm open for sugestion.

Best Regards.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
January 29, 2022

Okay, sorry for the misinfo... we do see a lot of newcomers/amateurs get in way over their heads with projects like this.

 

Since your personalization needs are so simple, I think ID might be overkill as a tool and underpowered in terms of throughput. You must know (and maybe have) some of the more powerful mass-mail tools that can do this on the order of 1M impressions per day.

 

Other than that, maybe one of the scripting/merge gurus here has an optimized process.

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