How to create one file for book files?

[tnew12]

I need help to be directed on how to open  and view book file so that I'm able to scroll through the whole document. I gave the contractor one file, but in the deliverable, we received it in chapters and its too late to go back to the contractor. Its only a 150page document and having it in a book is more complex than it needs to be. How can I view all of the chapters in one file again that's an .indd?

This is what i've tried so far:

I opened 2 chapters and I click & dragged the thumbnails to after the 1st chapter. This messed up the alignment/layout and overlapped text. Is there another way?

Thank you,

So Confused

[SJRiegel]

A book file is still the best way. 

Once the files are listed in the book panel, you can make a PDF of the entire book.

[maxwithdax · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately you cannot just merge a book into one editable indd document. You can however open each of the documents and then "MOVE" them into one. You might get better results. Make sure you are working with a COPY of your files rather than originals so you don't end up with a mess of jumble at the end. Always retain a backup.

1. Open all your documents

2. Open Page window and select all the pages in your SECOND document.

3. Right click on any of the selected pages and choose move...

4. Select the options here and place them after the last page in your base document.

5. The last box in the Move Pages pop-up is Move to: (first document).

5. Repeat with

- Dax

[Willi Adelberger]

I strongly recommend not, NOT!!!!!, to merge several documents into a single document, even if they are part from the very same INDB book file. There are many way you could destroy everything in doing so, at least if you have not created those documents yourself and you are not sure what was done:

1. Different Base Line Grids can cause text to move or become overset.
2. Styles (Paragraph, Character, Objects, Cells and Tables) with the same name but a different definition and relation to each other may cause unexpected changes in the document.
3. Swatches with the same name and different definitions will change the outlook.
4. Layers in different order, some with the same name, some with different name cause to get a changed order of objects which is destroying everything on some pages.
5. Problem with different Masters.
6. Text variables may target to a different content.

And much more.

Therefore I strongly recommend to leave those documents as single documents and export a single PDF out from the INDB Panel Menu.

There are good reasons to separate a 150 page document into several chapters in a book file.

[maxwithdax]

Willi Adelberger​ First, I completely agree with you. The book feature is there for a reason and when you have a project like the OP, booking is FOR SURE the right way to do it and we should suggest the right ways to do things for sure. But remember that sometimes people what to do things "their way" and when we offer best practices and standards without offering responses to their requests, we are losing sight of the purpose of the boards. To offer solutions (and best practices).

Again, 100% agree that keeping it as a book is the right way to do it. When you have not worked with books or you are a single user, books can seem overkill and unnecessary. But for sure, for sure, they have a place and are the first and best way to manage larger projects.

-Dax

[Willi Adelberger]

Specially for new InDesign user, merging several documents into a single one it can end up in an unwanted outcome as they do not know possible interdependencies between styles, colors and masters. Therefor I think it is more secure and simpler for them to keep existing book files and not to merge.

I agree, if they have to create new files, a book is often a overkill for them.

[tnew12]

Thanks Willi and Dax. I'd rather do things the correct way and learn the functionalities of the program.