📌 How to Automate "Print Booklet" (Saddle Stitch) in InDesign with JavaScript?

[leean0601]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to automate the "Print Booklet" feature in InDesign, specifically using the Saddle Stitch (2-up) option. My goal is to:

:keycap_1: Split a document into multiple PDFs, each containing 20 pages.
:keycap_2: Ensure that each PDF is imposed correctly for saddle stitch binding.
:keycap_3: Automate the process using JavaScript (ExtendScript) so I don’t have to manually use "Print Booklet" for each section.

I have successfully created a script that exports the document in chunks of 20 pages, but I can't find a way to apply Print Booklet (Saddle Stitch) through scripting.

:small_blue_diamond: Problem:

• InDesign doesn’t seem to expose "Print Booklet" to ExtendScript.
• Trying to use doc.printBooklet(PrintPreset.PDF, exportPDF); gives an error.
• Manually opening "Print Booklet" works, but I need automation.

Has anyone managed to automate Print Booklet in InDesign?

Thanks in advance! :rocket:

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

How often do you have to do it? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Please ignore my question. 

Technical name for your 20 pages PDF is a "signature". 

Here is a workaround: 

- export one PDF with 20 pages - "signature" - or whatever qty of pages you need - name it "source-00", 

- create a new INDD document - name it "signature.indd" and place there pages from this "source" PDF - in whatever order you need.

Now, whenever you'll need to process bigger document - and prepare more of those "signatures" - either:

A) split your main INDD document into those "source" PDFs - each with a counter - "source-XX",

B) do them one-by-one. 

If you do A) - then you'll have, in a loop, rename each "source-XX" to "source-00", open "signature.indd" file, update links, do final PDF export.

If you do B) - you can integrate above with your current part - exporting "20 page PDFs".