Fix CS3's Print Booklet !!

[_Myrna_Larson_]

The Print Booklet feature in InDesign CS3 is a step backward!

CS2's InBooklet could create a new document. I BADLY need that feature, as I must print odd spreads in landscape mode, but even numbered spreads in reverse landscape mode.

Having to export/print to PDF, then rotate the pages in Acrobat and print from there is unnecessarily cumbersome.

[_Dave_Saunders_]

The minute I have to provide a UI for this script, it stops being a quickie job done on weekends and becomes a full-blown development effort with all kinds of considerations that add enormously to the scale of the job. For one thing, it immediately creates the need for a terminology that matches that of the industry.

Consider creep. I've not thought about adding it yet, although it is fairly easy to do (and doesn't require an inner bleed). But it does require an interface. You have to be able to say how much creep you want. And you probably want to do it using the measurement units of your choice. So, I need a dialog and all that goes with managing a dialog.

At the moment, the only terminology is in the name of the script: MakeBooklet. Accommodating bleed and slug doesn't require an interface because bleed and slug are part of the InDesign interface. Your document has these settings; I can add them to the booklet. But creep and gap are extra to the InDesign document.

Dave

[_Stephen_Carlsen_]

At 10:21 AM -0700 7/9/07, Dave Saunders wrote:
"...The minute I have to provide a UI for this script, it stops being a quickie job done on weekends and becomes a full-blown development effort with all kinds of considerations that add enormously to the scale of the job..."

Yup.

[_Dave_Saunders_]

Congratulations! I trust all are well.

The reason I didn't write this script in the manner of the earlier Build Booklet script is simply that that script is already written. This is another script that explores a different way of going about the job.

Dave

[Peter Spier]

Congratulations!

Guess you won't be having much time for the forums any more. :)

[Harbs.]

Peter_Spier@adobeforums.com wrote:
> Guess you won't be having much time for the forums any more. :)
>
Sounds like someone with experience... ;)

[Peter Spier]

My daughter will turn 20 on Friday, so she's no longer much of a chore, but twin boys...

[_Thomas_Hamm_]

What happened to Inbooklet in CS3???!!! - what a disappointment to find it replaced by the Print Booklet command!

I used that "Create new document" function often... what has happened to it? Is there another way that I'm missing, other than making a PDF?

[_DaveSaunders_]

See messages 1 and 10 of this very topic.

Dave

[Brutus_Maximus]

Also see this thread: Robert Levine, "No booklet builder in CS3?" #1, 31 Jul 2007 6:43 am

[Tropical Fool]

Yeah, we have the limited inBooklet in CS3, but may experience with creating PDF from it has been, well, bad.

In addition to having very limited control over the quality and image resolution from the PDF "print" dialog, when I exported a project last night all of the text boxes had a white hairline around them -- it shows very clearly on those that are over images. No white hairline when using the regular PDF output.

It was only 8 pages, so I imposed by hand (with one tricky oval image spanning pages 2-3), but heck, in CS2 I could have used the real inBooket and saved the time. (Curse you Quark for buying and locking us out of inBooklet!)

This really is something that Adobe HAS to fix...

There are some scripts that help:

Booklet CE
http://products.carlsenenterprises.com/
Produces PDF pages without the problem I had with inBooklet CS3. It's not fast, but it did a pretty good job.

I haven't found anything yet that makes a new InDesign document, which was really the charm of the full featured InBooklet -- impose then put in those last minute edits AND have full control of output... this is what I long for if anyone has any suggestions...

Of course we could shell out another $899 for Quite Imposing... seems like overkill for my little business though...
http://www.pdfstore.com/details.asp?ProdID=37

the search goes on...

[BobLevine]

InBooklet never adequately created a new document. The feature was badly
broken unless you had a very simple document.

Items that spanned across pages didn't make it and numbered lists got
completely messed up. With the new CS3 numbering that would only have
gotten worse.

Bob

[Peter Spier]

>In addition to having very limited control over the quality and image resolution from the PDF "print" dialog, when I exported a project last night all of the text boxes had a white hairline around them -- it shows very clearly on those that are over images. No white hairline when using the regular PDF output.

Making a PDF through PrintBooklet will always flatten transparency since it is a print-to-distiller process, while exporting will leave the transparency live with many settings, hence the possibility of seeing "stitching" on screen in the PDF. This is a display issue only, which can be corrected by changing the view preferences in Acrobat.

Edit: As far as saying you have little control over image quality, you should have exactly the same control. If images are coming out poorly in comparison either your settings are different, or you are not sending "all" data in the graphics section of the print dialog.

Unfortunately you can't control other people's settings so you might get complaints, but since it is more likely you want to print an imposed document than it is to be viewed on screen, this is pretty much a non-issue. Other transparency flattening issues, however, may not be trivial, so it is imperative that you understand the proper handling of transparency and file organization any time you print to PDF.

All of that aside, I frequently use Dave Saunders' Build Booklet script for simple two-up impositions. http://pdsassoc.com/downloads/Buildbooklet.zip

It has let me down only once, and that was on a file that had sectioning in use. It turned out that having anything in the section prefix field (even though it was unused) tripped up the logic.

Dave is developing a newer version for distribution as shareware which handles multi-section documents with aplomb, and hopefully it will be available in the near future.

Peter

[Tropical Fool]

Robert's points are well taken... but it DID do a good job on simple documents, which is the bulk of what I deal with... dare we hope for an even better tool?

For those who haven't already, you can go to:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

and express your desires for this feature.

[kellyjaye1]

reply to Peter...

"InBooklet SE shipped as part of InDesign CS2 and in the Pagemaker plugins for CS1. If you didn't get it either of those ways, you're out of luck. Quark acquired ALAP, the plugin manufacturer and promptly took it off the market."

by that, do you mean if we have InBooklet from one of those ways, then that "plugin" will work with CS3 also....as in its on my CS2 and want to use it on my CS3?

[BobLevine]

No. It won't work with CS3.

Bob

[Peter Spier]

In CS3 InBooklet, which was no longer an option, has been replaced by PrintBooklet, which, as you know, has some limitations compared with InBooklet, but is much more reliable for having the limitations.

If you never use lists or cross-spine items you would probably never have noticed the disasters that used to happen when saving a new document from InBooklet. But Adobe has adopted the position, and I think wisely, that imposing is a last step before print and you shouldn't need a new document for editing.

If you find you want an editable imposition, I suggest using one of the scripts that are available that shuffle pages. I use one all the time for making proofs because I needed it before there were other alternatives, and it's fast, accurate, and reliable. The only time the one I use (from Dave Saunders) has ever failed is when I tried to impose a sectioned document. Dave has been working on a revised version which solves even that, and I hope he'll get it released fairly soon.

I know you've complained about wanting to print only specific spreads, but I think it makes just as much sense to print the whole book to PDF and choose what to print from there. Unless the document is huge, there is no real time lost in printing the extra pages to PDF, and you have the advantage of being able to change your mind an print an additional spread at any point without having to go back to InDesign to set up the print dialog again unless you've actually edited those pages.

Peter

[_Michael_Kan_]

All,

The Print Booklet ption does not allow any other printer but a PS file. I need a PDF file created and am lost!

Thanks in advance for your help

Mike

[BobLevine]

I suggesting posting in the main InDesign forum with some real details
about what you're trying to do.

Bob

[_plumeragent_]

You can thank Quark for buying the company that made the InBooklet plugin for InDesign, which forced Adobe to scramble to create a replacement for it in Creative S**t 3 due to legalities...since Adobe and Quark don't get along well. Someone should put Quark out of its misery! Now I have to save my ID CS3 pub using InDesign Exchange format, install InDesign CS2 and hope the file opens so I can use the InBooklet plugin there since Print Booklet doesn't allow me to make proper spreads using 2 Up Saddle Stitch (it's greyed out) with my DocuTech. Thanks Quark for once again showing us why you suck for designers!

[BobLevine]

Quark made a business decision. ALAP made plugins for both ID and Quark.

I suggest you revisit your workflow since you're definitely going to
have issues saving back to CS2 just for printing.

InBooklet was never intended to be a high level imposition tool. Export
a PDF from CS3 and get yourself a copy of Quite Imposing for Acrobat.

Bob

[_plumeragent_]

Thanks! Quite Imposing looks good, but I can't afford it at the moment. I definitely need a workflow change, but I'm stuck working with others whom I can't change, plus it's all volunteer work, and there's no business basis to force a change.

I've had good luck with sending ID CS3 files back to ID CS2 using the Interchange format (.inx). Very handy!

I think I've figured out Print Booklet. It still should work for me, it's just that they removed a layer of complexity from the InBooklet feature that I was accustomed to working around. Now it actually makes more sense for my simple needs, but maybe others needed that extra flexibility.

[Brutus_Maximus]

Quite Imposing rocks. It's got a goofy interface that takes a while to learn (imposing a full-bleed saddle-stitched job requires several non-intuitive steps, for example), but once you master the interface it's an extremely powerful tool. One of its best features is that it retains live PDF transparency throughout the process, so you can delay flattening until the last moment.

[_Stefan_Krebs_]

Hi,

After I ran into some trouble with my InDesign CS2, I decided to try-out CS3. I am currently testing a 30-day-trial version, but for the life of me, I can't find the "Print Booklet" option in any menu. Does anyone know whether it's even in the trial version or not?

Thanks for shedding some light on this for me.

Best regards,
Stefan

[Peter Spier]

It should be under the File menu. It's possible that you are using a workspace with customized menus that don't show it, but in that case I think there is a new command listed to show all menu items.

Peter

[_Stefan_Krebs_]

Hi Peter,

Thanks, you're absolutely right 🙂

Best regards,
Stefan