Export pdf for print

[goranl19234833]

I have some things that I do not understand very well.

How do you export a PDF for printing, having created a document with facing pages?

Do you export as pages or spreads?

What happens to the inside bleed? If I export as pages, two-sided view, then I have overlapping inside bleed images...
If I choose a single page view, then I have to add an inner bleed on all the pages in InDesign...

So as you can see, this is very confusing for me 🙂

Thank you very much,
Goran

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

First thing you should do is ASK YOUR PRINTER what they want.

That aside, there are some general principles that are pretty universal:

Export as single pages. The printer needs to be able to arrange the pages in the proper relationship to fit the sheet it will be printed on, and this will vary on the number of pages you have in your file (this is called imposition). They can't do this if you export spreads.

Inside bleed is often unnecessary, and most printers can deal with removing it if necessary during imposition. It would be required for spiral/wiro type binding, and might be needed for other books that have a large number of pages folded together (a signature, or some printer call it a form) where the paper thickness buildup requires that the outer pages be moved further apart to keep the content from getting lost in the binding (called creep, or shingling). This is also handled by the imposition software, so not something you need to worry about. If you don't have content that extends to the inside page edge you don't need inside bleed at all.

So, basically, you can export as single pages using the document bleed settings in most cases. If you add marks, and you probably should add crops, be sure to change the offset amount to equal at least the same as the bleed, if there is bleed involved or you risk the marks showing in the finished product. But again, ask the printer. Many will even have a PDF preset for you to use or a set of specification for you to follow.

[goranl19234833]

Thank you. This is very helpful information.
So, basically, is there any situation where we need to export as spread? Maybe only if we want to show the client what it will look like when it is printed...

[Peter Spier]

The only time I would say you might want to export spreads for printing is if you are printing a four-page flier in-house on a digital printer of some sort, and you'd have to manually move the back page to the left of page 1 first. That sort of documebnt is generally easier to do as two single pages.

For a client proof, then I would say you could do spreads.

[Kseniia9921]

Hi Peter,

Could you please also help me?

Is it okay that an image from one page goes to another page when I choose "using the document bleed settings"? See attached file for an example. Because in the file this image is from edge to edge of one page, but when I export the file for print happens what you can see in the pdf file. I worry that it can affect the finished result after printing...

Thanks!

[Peter Spier]

When an isnside bleed amount is specified unless you split the spread as eplained below that bleed area is the area along the inside edge of the adjacent page, so this is perfectly normal and expected.

There are a number of ways to deal with this, depending on the exact situation. Inside Bleed (at the binding) is almost never required and will be trimmed away or buried invisibly in the binding anyway, so it is normally safe to either eliminate the inside bleed allowance in your settings or to simply ignore it.

If you have a situation where that bleed is actually required (such as a Wire-o binding or because your printer has told you they need it for creep in a document with a large page count) and there are only a few places where there is content that needs to bleed to the gutter it is often easiest just to select the specific spread(s) in the Pages Panel and uncheck Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle from the panel menu. The page numbers should now appear in brackets. Select either single page of the spread (not both) and drag horizontally away from its mate until you see a vertical line and the pages will appear separated. You can now extend any content necessary into the bleed zone.

If the entire document needs to bleed, there are scripts to automate this (Split spreads scripts) or it might make sense for a short wire-o project simply to build as non-facing pages to start.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.