Export multiple double sided pages together as separate pdfs?

Report · Nov 24, 2023

I'm looking to export from one InDesign document multiple double-sided pdfs, as separate pdfs. By double-sided I mean 2 x single pages together in one pdf – not double-page spreads.

Here's the situation – I frequently work for large companies to produce printed graphics for events. We often do things like double-sided food and drinks menus, double sided drinks coasters, double-sided postcards, gift cards etc.

Quite often we have the same design being used across multiple items but with individual variations. For example, 20 x drinks coasters, all with the same colours, same font styling, same format, same logo placement but with a different message on each one. So I usually set these up in InDesign to make use of the master layouts and paragraph/character styles incase I need to change any of the styling, which then updates all of them in one go.

That's all well and good. However, when it comes to printing them, I need to combine the front and back (of one drinks coaster) into a single pdf. As each one is slightly different, I need to make 20 x separate pdfs, each one containing front and back (2 x single pages) of the coasters. So in this example, I would have 20 x separate pages for the front, and 20 x separate pages for the back, so a 40-page InDesign file that I need to turn into 20 x separate double-sided pdfs.

Is there an easy way to do this without exporting each double-sided pdf manually?

Report · Nov 24, 2023

You mean you need to put - side-by-side pages 1 and 21?

Or can you show some sample screenshots of what you have and what you want to achieve.

If I were you - I would do fronts on the left side, backs on the right - and either as a single pages - or as two-page spreads...

Then you can just print / export as spreads - or single pages.

Report · Nov 24, 2023

Sure, here are some screenshots.

So firstly, here's an example of what my InDesign file might look like. These would be double-sided coasters. I've got a master setup for the front side and a master for the back side, and I'm also keeping them on separate layouts for easy reference.

Then on each coaster, there is a minor variation, like a different piece of text (in this case coaster 1, coaster 2, etc). For the printer, I need to supply a separate pdf for each coaster, but each coaster needs both front and back pages in the pdf. I need to combine the front and back for coaster 1 into one PDF, and the same for coaster 2, coaster 3 and so on.

To do this manually, I can simply specify the two single pages I want to export together. In this case "Front:1, Back:1". This exports the front and back of coaster 1 into one PDF:

Which gives me this result, which is what I want:

If I select 'Create separate PDF files' when exporting, then the front and back are exported as separate PDFs, which is not what I want. I need them together in the same PDF as above. And I don't want double-page spreads either, because I need the bleed all the way around on both front and back.

However, when I have a document with 20, 30 or sometimes 50 different coasters, it gets time-consuming exporting each front/back pair separately. I would like a 'Create separate PDF file' function, but to be able to include two pages together – e.g. matching front 1 with back 1, front 2 with back 2, front 3 with back 3 etc.

Does it make sense?

Report · Nov 24, 2023

Unfortunately, you are a Mac user - so you wouldn't be able to use my tool directly... Unless you can connect a dedicated PC to your network...

There are tools for batch exporting - or simple script can be created - and as you have the same number of fronts and backs - pairs of pages can be easily created.

Report · Nov 24, 2023

Or... As you can "separate" pages on the same spread - you could work in spread mode with bleed around / in between...

But of course everything depends on your printing place - how they need your files prepared...

There is always more than one way to skin a cat...

Report · Nov 24, 2023

I would finish in Acrobat Pro with the Organize Page Tool.

Report · Nov 24, 2023

But it's still manual job?

Report · Nov 27, 2023

[...] Quite often we have the same design being used across multiple items but with individual variations. For example, 20 x drinks coasters, all with the same colours, same font styling, same format, same logo placement but with a different message on each one. [...]

By @Wild-Zebra

How about different layouts? And not only in the same file ...