Exporting Paginated PDFs from InDesign 2023 (English)

[nahoyt]

InDesign is a great tool for creating large documents (no doubt), but Adobe falls short when it comes to exporting them in a PAGINATED FORMAT! To me, this is beyond comprehension as paginating a document is an essential tool. We, users, spend a fortune on Adobe products and expect to receive top-notch programs that don't require us to jump thru hoops trying to find plug-ins or workarounds when a process should've been enabled within the program years ago.

If anyone has a solution for exporting a paginated PDF from InDesign, I'd love to hear from you!

[BobLevine]

What do you mean by paginated? If that refers to imposition, that is the job of a print service provider. It's been discussed to death and I don't perceive it ever changing.

[nahoyt]

Not true. As a designer, I need the capability of paginating a document prior to printing it. Do you know how I can do this? If so, please share. Thanks.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Designers very rarely need to set up print imposition. That's the job of the printer, using press and RIP software that optimizes the layout for their press, sheet size, bindery processes, etc.

Why are you, a designer, tasked with imposition?

[nahoyt]

Thanks for your assistance. I will continue to research this elsewhere. Have a great day!

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Well, all you've done here is complain, in vague form, without really establishing what the problem is. Pretty hard to guide you to any solution based on that.

If you won't explain your needs and problems with what is probably the single greatest online resource on Adobe, InDesign and Acrobat issues, I wish you luck on whatever site you find.

[nahoyt]

I asked a simple question about pagination, and you have decided to badger me about it. Forgive me for not using the proper terminology, "imposition." I am working on a project that requires preparing the document imposing/imposition before printing—hence the reason for my initial question. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

No one badgered you. You asked an unclear question framed in a long rant about how crappy the software is, and around 100 years of experience have tried to get you to clarify or fully explain the problem — which seems to include your incompletely understanding what the issue is ("pagination" vs. "imposition" — maybe).

You don't seem to actually want any help, and you've expressed your opinion. Good luck in all your future uses of InDesign.

[nahoyt]

Lighten up! If I didn't want the help, I wouldn't have written to the forum. Obviously, it's a RARE occasion when a designer is requested to prepare impositions for the printer. Thank you to those of you who were polite and offered useful advice without condescension. 

[leo.r]

Print Booklet feature has some basic imposition facilities which may or may not suit your needs.

[Luke Jennings3 · Accepted solution]

Additional work-arounds (of which you might already be aware) would be to create a new InDesign document and place the original pages into the desired page order, then export to a new pdf. To reduce the possibility of error, add large red page page numbers on a separate layer to your original document, then use object layer options to turn off the page numbers before export. Or, re-arrange the pages in Acrobat, and turn off the layer visibility of the FPO page numbers, or use a preflight profile to delete the unwanted layer.

Imposition is typically the responsibility of the printer, as already stated, partly because creep (or pushout) needs to be calculated based on binding style, page count, and stock thickness, any one of which could change at the last minute.

[nahoyt]

I did think of this but hoped there was a hidden function not yet discovered this forum could uncover for me... lol! Thanks so much for the tips.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom · Accepted solution]

This discussion has recommendations for imposition software: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/best-imposition-software-for-offeset-printing-pr...

In your search for a solution, you might want to search for the correct term.

• Imposition = arranging 2 or more pages on one sheet of paper before they are printed.It's one step of the prepress phase of printing. The arrangement of the pages depends upon the size of the printing press and its press sheet.
• Pagination = putting consecutive page numbers throughout a multi-page document.

Here are some images, descriptions, and suggestions on imposition: https://www.prepressure.com/prepress/imposition

[nahoyt]

Thank you for your assistance.

[jmlevy]

Can you precisely explain what you mean by “paginated PDF”? I am not sure to really understand if you are referring to imposition or to page numbering.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I think the OP has moved on.

[nahoyt]

I am working on a project that requires preparing the document (imposing/imposition) prior to printing—hence the reason for my initial question. Thank you.

[jmlevy]

Since English is not my native language, I just wanted to be sure to clearly understand what you meant. How many pages is your project?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

If you had simply answered any of the questions asked, you would have been given all the answers you needed. It's not helpful to start hostile, but it's even less helpful to blow off answers that don't seem polite enough to you, when you have posted confusing information and are not clear what solution you're looking for.

Next time you need help here, you might consider that this is not Reddit or Twitter and the hostility level is zero; if a question is asked, it's sincere; if an observation is made (that, for example, designers should generally not be doing imposition any more), those are equally sincere. If you want a solution (parts of which have been given), it's yours for the asking... but we have ot know exactly what the question and problem is.

[Jumpenjax]

pagination is setup in InDesign, in the parent section. If you take a moment when you begin the job. I do this every month for over 15 years.

Also you can move they pages in Adobe acrobat under organize pages. 

[nahoyt]

Thank you, and sorry about the confusion. It's been a long time since I had a request from a printer to lay out the pages (imposition) properly for a saddle-stitched booklet. I couldn't remember the proper terminology.

[nahoyt]

My question has been answered. The function I was looking for is Imposition—not pagination. Thank you all for refreshing my memory and for your helpful advice.