8 A6 pages (4 per side) on A4 sheet with imposition

[Alex_28D]

Hello!   : )

I really hope someone can help me, or redirect me in the right way.  I want to print a book with size A6 pages for my nepfew.  I'll use jpeg images for each individual page. I can do this by  placing 4 images manually on 1 page in a sertain way so they can be imposed with the next page, but is it possible to just add them all ( for example 150 jpegs )  consecutively and then the InDesign somehow make them all imposed?    Thanks!

  

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Doing imposition (as the process is formally called) or "booklet printing" is a little tricky, but InDesign combined with Acrobat Pro make it pretty straightforward.

First, though, you need to set your document up as single pages. Don't try to do the layout or imposition on document pages  — the software will handle that.

When you have your pages set up (at A6 size) and your content laid in, in linear page order, you should have a multiple of 8 pages so that every "booklet" page has content. Include a front and back cover layout as part of those pages.

Export those pages to PDF, again in linear order. (While InDesign has an inherent booklet printing feature, it's not as flexible or reliable — going through PDF and Acrobat is much preferred.)

In Acrobat Pro, use the Booklet printing option to impose your pages on any larger sheet size — I think this is limited to 2-up, with 4 pages on any one sheet, so you may need to use A5 paper to get 2-up A6 pages.

Ask away if any of that isn't clear or complete enough!

[Alex_28D]

Thank you very much, but this really  is a tricky thing to pull off ... I tried the Acrobat thing, but at the end, I have to use A5 size paper. My idea is to print on A4 paper and cut it afterwards.  I though someone else tried this 4x4 booklet on A4 with imposition, but I guess  it's not very common thing to do. I cant find any tutorial online.  Is it even possible to create such a contraption using InDesigh and Acrobat ? 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Well, I guess "tricky" is relative. What I suggest needs nothing more than the linear pages and the software does all the work, requiring no cut-down of the printed sheets.

The only alternative is for you to work with four A6 pages in your document, with a grid laid on each with guidelines, and impose the 16 pages images in correct order yourself. That's a bit tricky, as is cutting A6 pages down to 2-up pages with any accuracy. (FWIW, I've done lots of this kind of manual printing and assembly — bless my huge HP tabloid-page workhorse printer! — and somewhere it's going to take ingenuity and skill. I'd say letting the system print to A5 pages is the easiest route.

[Alex_28D]

Thank you!  If I had a printer that prints of both sides and a stock of A5 paper, I would try this, but cutting an A4 sheet 2 time instead of 1 and flipping manually each A5 page in the printer would be more time consuming ... I guess I'll just input the pages manually.  : )   May be someone already has created a script for this kind of operation, but I couldn't find anyting on the Internet.  I really tought a lot of people already print 4x4 booklets with imposing pages on A4 paper and this would be an easy find. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alex_28D

How many pages do you have?

If 16 - then what you've done is wrong.

[Alex_28D]

The picture  is croped. There is one more page. And its done with 2 booklets with 8 pages each.  The new layout  is done with all 16 pages in 1 booklet. The idea is to print for example 10 booklets with 16  A6 pages and bind them together afterwards.  This is how it looks like now, but I have to repeat the manual positioning of the pages on each 16th

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alex_28D

Looks like now your pairs of numbers are correct.

[Alex_28D]

Yeah, but I still can't find a way to input single pages  and make the computer do the impositioning 4x4 on A4  : /

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alex_28D

You could prepare a template.

In the document you are showing us - save it as "imposition-16xA6.indd" - place pages from the PDF generated from your source document - exported as "source-16xA6.pdf".

Now, whenever you prepare a new book - 16x A6 pages - export it as "source-16xA6.pdf" and overwrite your old pdf file - then open your "imposition-16xA6.indd" file and update links.

Drawback - you need to prepare separate "imposition-xxxx.indd" file for each number of pages.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

It's just not a standard print imposition. You're going to have to do it manually, either as page images on an A4 document or, as RT suggested, placing your A6 pages from the original file on an A4 document page.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@James Gifford—NitroPress

I've suggested PDF pages - not from the original INDD file - but that would also work.

[Peter Spier]

Check out this old thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-imposition-script/td-p/13302954

You might find waht you want there...

[Alex_28D]

 I couldn't find anything to help impose 4x4 A6 pages on one A4 sheet.  : (

[Peter Spier]

I haven't tried them, but it looks to me like both the scripts in the first link that Eugene posted, and the script that Rob Day linked to will do 4-up

[Alex_28D]

They can't do the thing we're talking about here. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

They can't do the thing we're talking about here. 

By @Alex_28D

Those mentioned do "proper" 4x4 booklet - where some pages are rotated for folding - you can still use them. 

[Alex_28D]

The idea is to open InDesign; create for example 16 normal single pages and then ( somehow : ) end up with two A4 pages with this imposed configuration of the small pages.  

If you can manage to achieve this on your computer, I'll be really  greatful to share the steps here. I'm new to InDesign and whatever I try, It doesn't work out at the end.  : (

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alex_28D

There are commercial solutions - but you can do it for free - I've already described the steps:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/8-a6-pages-4-per-side-on-a4-sheet-with-impositio...

[Alex_28D]

Thanks! I didn't see that post. But as you say " you need to prepare separate "imposition-xxxx.indd" file for each number of pages."  May be  a script could be created to execute this task as easy as the normal 2 page imposition. I certainly can't code it. : ) I'll continue doing it manually . I just thought  Adobe InDesign (and Acrobat) were capable to doing this.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Alex_28D 

What I meant is that you need to create a separate "template for imposition" for 12, 16, 24, etc. pages - but you need to do it only once - then, when you'll have a book with the same number of pages - you just need to create a new PDF and update links in the template.

Yes, I'll add imposition as part of my tool - but it still won't be free, sorry.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

My impression is that this is a one-off project. Some experimenting and test printing would solve the issues far faster than waiting for a custom script.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Yeah. Sample images has been placed already - now they just need to be replaced with either PDF pages or pages from INDD file.