Custom sized paper

[triciam62253655]

I use InDesign to make the church's bulletin.  The bulletin is 2 sided on custom paper (5.5X17).  We recently upgraded our copier.  Prior to the new copier coming I took pictures of all of the settings for my print options in InDesign.  After installing the print driver to my mac, I was able to select custom sized paper.  I recreated all of print settings from before.  I keep getting an error about using 2-sided with custom paper. When I send it to the printer it comes out on two sheets of paper.  I have also tried to print from a PDF, and still the same results.  What am I doing wrong?

[manal shanableh]

you must save a print preset not to take pictures for the settings for your Print options.

this will help you

Create printer spreads for booklet printing in Adobe InDesign

[Randy Hagan]

There are a couple of ways this can happen:

1) You've missed a switch to print duplex/both sides on the job. Sometimes you have to click on the Printer... button in the Print dialog box to flip a software toggle or two to get the results you want. Or sometimes you have to configure the printer itself at the system preferences level or change settings on the printer itself to get the results you want. Whoever sold you the copier/printer should be able to help you with that. Or...

2)The printer driver to your new copier doesn't allow this. Sometimes, that happens even when the documentation says things should run perfectly. This may be harder to sleuth, but you can also explore creating a PDF and trying to print your church bulletin from the PDF file. You can learn more about PDFs from the following link:

Export InDesign files to Adobe PDF

Hope this helps. If not, come on back and let us know. There are lots of smart folks around here who are happy to help.

Randy

[triciam62253655]

When I try to print from a PDF this is the error code that I get.....

"The Duplex option, 2-Sided, No Tumble(Long-Edge Binding), is not available when the destination paper size is set to Custom."

[Danny Whitehead. · Accepted solution]

Looks to me like that's your answer - the duplexer on that machine doesn't work with custom paper sizes.

[Randy Hagan]

I agree, with the qualifier that it doesn't work in the current configuration. She may find that with a PostScript upgrade or not.

But this is a very good point to bring up with the Toshiba rep before springing for any upgrade costs. If that's the case, it's easily overcome with a work-n-turn/work-n-tumble of the newsletter, 2-up on a standard 11"x17" sheet. Then she can print on half the sheets and is just one cut away from double the print run.

[triciam62253655]

You are correct.  We have newly purchased a machine that won't duplex custom paper.  I have been able to manipulate through a PDF by printing one side than manually flipping the printed paper and printing on the other side.  Not the best plan but it works.....and that's all that it matters.  Thank you everyone for your advice.  I tried out all of the suggestions, which led me to this plan.

[Mike Witherell]

what kind of printer model exactly?

[triciam62253655]

Toshiba e-Studio 4505AC

[Mike Witherell]

I had a similar problem on my Xerox 8750. It stopped duplexing. I had to click through the printer's front setup buttons to set the paper from custom back to plain paper. It was seeing the duplex command and refusing it because the default paper was set to a thick paper, hence it couldn't duplex a thick sheet. Sort of a self-protective condition. Anyway, see if your front panel buttons allow you to see a similar thing.

[Gloria Taylor]

It seems like you're encountering issues with printing a 2-sided custom-sized bulletin in InDesign on your new copier. Here's what might be causing the problem and the solution:

Issue: Getting an error when attempting 2-sided printing with custom paper.

Possible Solution:

1) Paper Settings: Ensure that the custom paper size (5.5X17) is correctly configured in both your printer settings and InDesign.

2) Printer Driver: Confirm that you've installed the correct printer driver for your new copier on your Mac.

3) Page Setup in InDesign: Go to InDesign's "File" > "Document Setup" and verify that your document's page size matches the custom paper size (5.5X17).

4) Print Setup in InDesign: In the InDesign print dialog, check the following:

• Select your custom paper size.
• Under "Setup," confirm that you've chosen 2-sided printing or duplex mode.
• Double-check any other print settings like orientation and scaling.

5) PDF Export: If printing directly from InDesign doesn't work, try exporting your bulletin as a PDF with the correct custom paper size and 2-sided settings enabled. Then, print the PDF from Adobe Acrobat or Preview.

6) Printer Tray Settings: Make sure the paper is loaded correctly in the printer tray and that the tray settings match your custom paper size.

7) Printer's Duplex Settings: Check the printer's own settings for duplex printing to ensure it's set to flip on the long edge (since your bulletin is landscape-oriented).

8) Contact Support: If the issue persists, contact the copier's customer support or IT department for assistance with custom paper settings and duplex printing.

By carefully reviewing and adjusting these settings, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully print your church bulletin on 2-sided custom-sized paper.