CS5.5 (Applescript) Packaging and PDF creation script

Report · Dec 13, 2012

Hello there.

I have an applescript droplet which, once an InDesign file is dragged onto it, it creates:

a High Quality PDF;
a Press Quality PDF;
a Smallest File Size PDF; and
a packaged InDesign file without the instructions.txt.

It's an amazing script but I need it to do one more thing... put the four items into its own folder.

Here is how the script looks so far:

on open mgItems

repeat with mgThisItem in mgItems

tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"

try

open mgThisItem

set mgDocName to name of active document

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to " "

set mgShortName to text item 1 of mgDocName

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ""

set mgHRFilePath to "Macintosh HD:Users:colly:Desktop:testfolder:" & mgShortName & "_HR.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[High Quality Print]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to mgHRFilePath without showing options

end tell

set mgHRDigitalFilePath to "Macintosh HD:Users:colly:Desktop:testfolder:" & mgShortName & "_HRD.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Press Quality]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to mgHRDigitalFilePath without showing options

end tell

set mgProofFilePath to "Macintosh HD:Users:colly:Desktop:testfolder:" & mgShortName & "_proof.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Smallest File Size]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to mgProofFilePath without showing options

end tell

set mgPackageFilePath to "Macintosh HD:Users:colly:Desktop:testfolder:" & mgShortName as string

tell active document

package to mgPackageFilePath with copying fonts, ignore preflight errors, copying profiles, updating graphics, including hidden layers, copying linked graphics and creating report

end tell

close active document

on error

-- decide what kind of error handling you want to include if the file won't open

end try

end tell

end repeat

display dialog "PDFs created and InDesign file packaged"

end open

As it works at the moment, many indesign files can be dragged onto this droplet, but they all end up in the same folder e.g. upon processing two indesign files, one called namequestion and the other called splash, all files populate the one folder as such:

namequestion.indd

namequestion.indd_HR.pdf

namequestion.indd_HRD.pdf

namequestion.indd_proof.pdf

splash.indd

splash.indd_HR.pdf

splash.indd_HRD.pdf

splash.indd_proof.pdf

what I would like the script to do is put each set of 4 items into their own folders e.g.

namequestion (folder)

namequestion.indd

namequestion.indd_HR.pdf

namequestion.indd_HRD.pdf

namequestion.indd_proof.pdf

splash (folder)

splash.indd

splash.indd_HR.pdf

splash.indd_HRD.pdf

splash.indd_proof.pdf

it's probably a rather simple fix but this is my first crack at an applescript... normally play with javascript and still learning all that.

Peter Kahrel has a very good javascript at http://www.kahrel.plus.com/indesign/batch_convert.html but to get the outcome above (that's how it's been told to be made) Pete's script has to be run four times with much drag and dropping afterwards.

Many thanks

Colin

If the answer wasn't in my post, perhaps it might be on my blog at colecandoo!

Report · Dec 13, 2012

You have 2 choices here really… Either AppleScript the Finder To create the required folders and save the files in to these… Or write the script in ExtendScript and have an AppleScript wrapper just call the app's do script method…

edit… where are you dragging files from and where did you want the new folders creating?

Report · Dec 13, 2012

Hi cdflash, try this works fine here using IDCS6 OSX 10.7.4

on open mgItems

repeat with mgThisItem in mgItems

tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"

try

open mgThisItem

set mgDocName to name of active document

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to " "

set mgShortName to text item 1 of mgDocName

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ""

set mgShortName to text 1 thru -6 of mgShortName

tell application "Finder"

set mgHRFilePath to (make new folder at desktop with properties {name:mgShortName}) as string

end tell

-----------------------------------

--

-----------------------------------

set mgShortNameForPDF to mgShortName & "_HR" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[High Quality Print]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to (mgHRFilePath & mgShortNameForPDF & ".pdf") without showing options

end tell

-----------------------------------

--

-----------------------------------

set mgShortNameForPDF to mgShortName & "_HRD" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Press Quality]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to (mgHRFilePath & mgShortNameForPDF & ".pdf") without showing options

end tell

-----------------------------------

--

-----------------------------------

set mgShortNameForPDF to mgShortName & "_proof" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Smallest File Size]"

tell active document

export format PDF type to (mgHRFilePath & mgShortNameForPDF & ".pdf") without showing options

end tell

-----------------------------------

--

-----------------------------------

set mgPackageFilePath to mgHRFilePath

tell active document

package to (mgPackageFilePath & mgShortName) with copying fonts, ignore preflight errors, copying profiles, updating graphics, including hidden layers, copying linked graphics and creating report

end tell

-----------------------------------

--

-----------------------------------

close active document saving no -- or yes

on error

-- decide what kind of error handling you want to include if the file won't open

end try

end tell

end repeat

activate

display dialog "PDFs created and InDesign file packaged" giving up after 2

end open

Report · Dec 13, 2012

You don't need to step in and out of the active document to export each just do it in one…

Report · Dec 13, 2012

Ha, ha,

many help for this 😉

did it with just few changes. hope it'll work.

dest will be the folder exports on the desktop.

property baseFolder : (path to desktop as text) & "exports:"
on open mgItems
    repeat with mgThisItem in mgItems

        tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"
            try
                open mgThisItem
                set mgDocName to name of active document
                set text item delimiters of AppleScript to " "
                set mgShortName to text item 1 of mgDocName
                set targetFolderPath to my createFolder(mgShortName)
                set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ""
                set mgHRFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_HR.pdf" as string
                set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[High Quality Print]"
                tell active document
                    export format PDF type to mgHRFilePath without showing options
                end tell
                set mgHRDigitalFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_HRD.pdf" as string
                set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Press Quality]"
                tell active document
                    export format PDF type to mgHRDigitalFilePath without showing options
                end tell
                set mgProofFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_proof.pdf" as string
                set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Smallest File Size]"
                tell active document
                    export format PDF type to mgProofFilePath without showing options
                end tell
                set mgPackageFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName as string
                tell active document
                    package to mgPackageFilePath with copying fonts, ignore preflight errors, copying profiles, updating graphics, including hidden layers, copying linked graphics and creating report
                end tell
                close active document
            on error e
                display dialog e
            end try
        end tell

    end repeat
    display dialog "PDFs created and InDesign file packaged"
end open
on createFolder(nameString)
    set macFolderPath to baseFolder & nameString
    do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of POSIX path of macFolderPath
    return macFolderPath & ":"
end createFolder

Hans-Gerd Claßen

Report · Dec 13, 2012

Untested but can't you do like this…

property baseFolder : (path to desktop as text) & "exports:"

--

on open mgItems

repeat with mgThisItem in mgItems

tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"

try

open mgThisItem

set mgDocName to name of active document

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to " "

set mgShortName to text item 1 of mgDocName

set targetFolderPath to my createFolder(mgShortName)

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ""

set mgHRFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_HR.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[High Quality Print]"

tell the active document to export format PDF type to mgHRFilePath without showing options

set mgHRDigitalFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_HRD.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Press Quality]"

tell the active document to export format PDF type to mgHRDigitalFilePath without showing options

set mgProofFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_proof.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Smallest File Size]"

tell the active document to export format PDF type to mgProofFilePath without showing options

set mgPackageFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName as string

tell the active document to package to mgPackageFilePath with copying fonts, ignore preflight errors, copying profiles, updating graphics, including hidden layers, copying linked graphics and creating report

close active document

on error e

display dialog e

end try

end tell

end repeat

display dialog "PDFs created and InDesign file packaged"

end open

--

on createFolder(nameString)

set macFolderPath to baseFolder & nameString

do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of POSIX path of macFolderPath

return macFolderPath & ":"

end createFolder

Report · Dec 13, 2012

very nice, works a treat in cs6, I would just add the below, just to eliminate having to click on the dialog.

close active document saving no --or yes

Report · Dec 13, 2012

@ Muppet Mark

That was bang-on... nearly. I changed the line:

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to " "

to

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ".indd"

mainly because of how our jobs are filed. A typical folder will have, for example:

49505 cover.indd

49505 text.indd

49505 endpaper.indd

49505 dust jacket.indd

and running the script purely cut and pasted from this forum would result in the PDFs overwriting, and the indesign files packaging into the same folder.

@ Kevin

I agree, added that line so the "do you want to save" dialog box would not appear.

thank you all very much for your prompt and excellent assistance.

Colin

If the answer wasn't in my post, perhaps it might be on my blog at colecandoo!

Report · Nov 08, 2013

Hello guys.

First off sorry to bump quite an old thread, but this thread has been really helpful and the only thing I've found on the internet that has helped me create what I needed.

But I need a little help to perfect the script.

At the minute I have the script doing all the things above, except it only creates two pdfs, the high quality and smallest file size and also exports an .idml.

However the .idml goes into the folder with the pdfs rather than into the packaged files folder, like so:

A7_Test
A7_Test_DownSaved.idml
A7_Test_Packaged
A7_Test_LR.pdf
A7_Test_HR.pdf

I would like .idml to go into that packaged files folder, I've tinkered around with it but can't get it to work. Can anyone help?

Here's the code:

property baseFolder : (path to desktop as text) & "exports:"

--

on open mgItems

repeat with mgThisItem in mgItems

tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign"

try

open mgThisItem

set mgDocName to name of active document

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ".indd"

set mgShortName to text item 1 of mgDocName

set targetFolderPath to my createFolder(mgShortName)

set text item delimiters of AppleScript to ".indd"

set mgHRFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_HR.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[High Quality Print]"

tell the active document to export format PDF type to mgHRFilePath without showing options

set mgProofFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_LR.pdf" as string

set properties of PDF export preferences to properties of PDF export preset "[Smallest File Size]"

tell the active document to export format PDF type to mgProofFilePath without showing options

set mgPackageFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_Packaged" as string

tell the active document to package to mgPackageFilePath with copying fonts, ignore preflight errors, copying profiles, updating graphics, including hidden layers, copying linked graphics and creating report

set mgIdmlFilePath to targetFolderPath & mgShortName & "_DownSaved.idml" as string

tell the active document to export format InDesign markup to mgIdmlFilePath without showing options

close active document saving no

on error e

display dialog e

end try

end tell

end repeat

display dialog "PDFs created and InDesign file packaged"

end open

--

on createFolder(nameString)

set macFolderPath to baseFolder & nameString

do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of POSIX path of macFolderPath

return macFolderPath & ":"

end createFolder

Report · Dec 13, 2012

Of course,

just did the changes requested ... ;_)

their may be other changes possible too ...

Hans-Gerd Claßen

CS5.5 (Applescript) Packaging and PDF creation script

1 Correct answer