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Question

Printing a document without a sidebar

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
December 6, 2022
4 replies
2101 views

Hello, I have a document with multiple pages with a sidebar that I set up on parent pages. I want to set it up so the side bar shows up on screen but then will print at 8.5 X 11 inches without the side bar. (I want to set it up so it automatically prints this way so that it's easy for whoever wants to download and print the file.)

I tried turning the side panel into a button and then selected "non printing" under attibutes but it leaves a blank space where the sidebar was since my document is sized at 12 X 11 inches to account for the side bar.

I have the side bar on it's own layer and tried to see if I could change the settings in Acrobat under layers but Acrobat does not show mutiple layers.

Is there a feature within Indesign or Acrobat that can do this?

Thank you

Test_file_side_bar_.pdf

This topic has been closed for replies.

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

You can set a portion to be printed in Acrobat

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/print-portion-page-acrobat-reader.html

However, I have not tested this, and I don't know if you can embed this or add it to a button for 'Print' function in Acrobat.

That being said, people will use 3rd party readers, like Mac Preview, Foxit Reader, Chrome Reader, etc. that are not compliant with all PDF modules.

My idea is not tested but.

Place your 12x11 file into an 8x11 file and crop the sidebar.

That is create a new file at 8x11 and use File Place to place the pages

Then you this is your linked file - so you edit your sidebar version.

Open the nonsidebar version and update the links.

On the non-sidebar version - you can Publish Online

Copy the URL

On the sidebar version - have a link to the Online Version using the URL

People can print from there.

Rudimentary - and not tested.

But could work with very little setup and easy updating.

jamieb35960912Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure I fully understand. Would there be two versions and the side bar version would have a link to the non side bar version for someone to print? That is a good idea. Initially I was hoping for just one version but sounds like it could be a workaround with maybe one extra click (if I understand correctly.)

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Yes precisely.

Sidebar version as normal

Another version with publish online.

Actually someone else mentioned slug.

This might work as a singular document. If you put the sidebar in the slug.

Then publish online. It shouldnt take the slug area.

So copy the link here.

When updating, publish online and export to PDF.

The link in the pdf sidebar version would link to the publish online version for printing.

Either way.

My pref would be two docs. So you purposefully open, update and publish both.

Up to you.

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi @jamieb35960912 :

How about setting up an Alternate Layout? When you create it, you can link the stories so that editing the parent story will update the second story.

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/alternate-layouts-liquid-layouts.html

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

Unless I am misreading the OP's intent, he wants a distributable doc that will display one way (with the sidebar) but print differently (without it). The various live-document suggestions are good, but I don't think they lead to a solution for distributed or end users.

Daniel Flavin

Inspiring

Have tried the sidebar in a bleed or slug zone?

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

That's a clever idea (a side slug margin) but it still wouldn't allow printing something different from the display.

About the only thing that's occurred to me is to use one version for display and print another, using some kind of clever interactive call.

jamieb35960912Author

Participating Frequently

That is a good idea. Like an interactive button for the print version?

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

I have a similar project, a book (classic reprint) that has an annotation sidebar on the outer margin. Printed at 9x8, the book has the annotations. Printed at 9x6, it does not, and it all works from the same master file.

Unfortunately, I have never found any way to manage this, for print or on screen use, other than two separate PDF files. It's just barely possible that interactive PDF coupled with Javascript could force the PDF to print at a trimmed size, but as printing is pretty "robust" and integral to both Reader and most systems... I'll be surprised.

jamieb35960912Author

Participating Frequently

Thanks for your reply. I wish there was a simpler way. I haven't used Javascript before but can give it a try. Is there a code you refer to? I'm completely new to coding so I suppose this may a complicated answer since my document is different.

James Gifford—NitroPress

Legend

I have no useful experience for this, but there are some first-rate script and automation folks on here. I'm betting, though, that printing is so "encapsulated" and idiot-proofed that trying to override the page size and crop will be difficult, if not locked to a specific print driver. But maybe...

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