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Inspiring
May 12, 2026
Answered

IMPOSSIBLE to export a Single-Page format PDF format to my Printer vendor from a facing pages Indesign document

  • May 12, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 143 views

I have tried EVERYTHING, Done about 13 Export for Printing attempts, but I never, ever succeeded in generating a single-page PDF from a 330-page book designed with facing pages. And I had no choice but creating that book with Facing pages since it is a book about art where several artworks span over two pages, the reason for having designed it as Facing Pages.  The Basic and no-brainer, EXPORT Single Page, not Spread: does not work, it creates Spread facing pages PDF. Tried to change the InDesign setup, unchecking the “Facing Pages”, no more luck. When exporting, I tried with and without the bleed and crop marks, no more luck. I even tried to make a copy of my InDesign, and crazy type of work, but if at least it would have worked, I have tried to separate all my spreads manually (330 pages !!!!) so they look as single, not facing pages anymore on the right hand side Page window: When separating the facing pages manually, it corrupted the page design and background colours. In despair, I tried every single advice I could find by asking the AI, I tried everything AI was suggesting. I totally exhausted all my options. And to make things even worse, there is not a single Help desk support from Adobe. Huge subscription fees but no help desk assistance whatsoever. I absolutely must provide this copy to my printer according to the preference they establish.

PLEASE someone, PLEASE Help me !!! 

    Correct answer ChristianRuby

    @Dave Creamer of IDEAS @Dave Creamer of IDEAS Hi Dave. Rob showed me his Adobe Acrobat Pro result and all was fine from my InDesign Export using the Single-Page option. This is when I figured out what was the problem; from the very same PDF exported from InDesign, the Apple Preview app shows 2-page spreads with the crop and bleed marks, it never shows single pages as per the single-page option I checked on the InDesign Export General tab. Now… if I open the very same PDF by using the Adobe Acrobat Pro app… it shows me exactly what I want, that is, single-page Pdf, with all my crop and bleed marks on each page rather than on a two-page spread. I am on a MacStudio and I never, ever use the Adobe Acrobat Pro app, I did not subscribe to it for I thought that was way to expensive for what I need provided that I always use the Apple Preview app which gives me the very same for 99.9% of my daily needs… until I just found out that big difference with the InDesign PDF Export. I just subscribed to Adobe Acrobat Pro on a free trial, which I will cancel before my free-trial expires, since I will never need again to do what I need now for this book. Below, 3 screenshots; the first one is the PDF exported from InDesing showing a two-page spread; pics 2 and 3 are from the VERY SAME PDF, but opened using the Adobe Acrobat Pro app. My take is that my printer probably also uses the Apple Preview app and not the Adobe Acrobat Pro, thinking it looks at the InDesign exported file the same way, which it does not.

    6 replies

    Legend
    May 13, 2026

    Could the “9 x 12 V” layout variant showing in the UI be a contributing factor?

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 13, 2026

    This has been resolved. The OP was using Preview and not Acrobat to view PDF. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    Community Expert
    May 13, 2026

    Can you show a screenshot of your pages? 

     

    Just a guess, I think you might have set a large page size and split it manually on a single page, rather than setting Facing Pages in the Document Setup.

    That’s what it sounds like to me. 

     

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 13, 2026

    This has been resolved. The OP was using Preview and not Acrobat to view PDF. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    Inspiring
    May 13, 2026

    Screenshots attqached

    Inspiring
    May 12, 2026

     

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 12, 2026

    You must have a setting or two wrong. Absolutely no problem exporting a single page from a multi-page project. Screen captures of your Pages panel and PDF settings please. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    Inspiring
    May 12, 2026

     

     

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 12, 2026

    Any possibility you can upload a section of the document for testing?

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
    rob day
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 12, 2026

    Hi ​@ChristianRuby , Does it happen if you export using the default PDF/X-4 preset? Can you post a capture of your Export PDF > General tab settings?

     

     

     

    Inspiring
    May 12, 2026

     

     

    rob day
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    May 12, 2026

    I don’t see a problem when I export to default PDF/X-4 (turn off Open in Full Screen Mode). This is Acrobat’s Output Preview:

     

     

    Also, you don’t have to uncheck Facing Pages when you create a document for a bound book. Facing page documents can be exported as Pages by selecting Pages rather than Spreads in General>Export As