How to export a 3-up pdf from InDesign

[Case0535]

Hi guys-

I have a 600 page document.  Each page has a number from 1 to 600.

I need to export out to a pdf file that has a 3-up arrangement.  
So, the first page would have pages 1, 2 and 3 on it.  The second would ahve 4,5 and 6 on it, etc.

I'm not finding a script or instructions on how to do this.  I may be that I'm not looking for the correct thing.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Case0535]

Thanks - I'll give it a shot-

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Case0535

You could also export as individual pages and then use Image Catalog script - included with InDesign.

[Case0535]

I tried that, but it changes my page size.  I'm not sure why.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I tried that, but it changes my page size.  I'm not sure why.

By @Case0535

What do you mean? 

[Case0535]

The script creates a page size of 8.5 x 11 Portrait layout.

My file pages size is actually longer than 11.  It's 3" tall x 12.5" wide.

I need a custom page size of 12.5 wide x 9" tall.

[rob day]

Hi @Case0535 , If you can Print a PDF, Print Booklet will do it if you set the Booklet Type to 3-up Consecutive. You’ll need the Adobe PDF 9.0 PPD in order to set a custom paper size

[Case0535]

So, you do the '3-up' set up in Adobe Acrobat?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

So, you do the '3-up' set up in Adobe Acrobat?

By @Case0535

Print Booklet option available in InDesign. 

[rob day]

No, you use Print Booklet to print a 3-up PDF, or save a PostScript file that you would Distill to PDF.

Choose File>Print Booklet>Setup>Booklet Type>3-up Consecutive, and then Print Settings.../Print Setup to set the Paper Size and the Adobe PDF 9.0 PPD

[Case0535]

I tried the print booklet option. However, it's laying the 3-up images horizontally.  I need them laid out top to bottom.

I'm not seeing an option to set that anywhere on that dialog box.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I tried the print booklet option. However, it's laying the 3-up images horizontally.  I need them laid out top to bottom.

I'm not seeing an option to set that anywhere on that dialog box.

By @Case0535

Can you post a screenshot of what exactly are you trying to achieve? 

[Case0535]

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

By @Case0535

You should've started with that. 

Image Catalog will still be able to do that - if you configure it correctly - create document with extra space and 1x column 3x rows.

[Case0535]

We're close, but the catalog script still makes the page 8.5 x 11 portrait.
The script also puts a vertical space between the images no matter what setting I select.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Some workflows just don't have a solution, and you can beat your forehead in trying to find a path from A to B without considering it may just not be the right direction.

Since this is a repetitive layout, why not just lay out 3-up pages and apply a sequential numbering text box?

That is, other than that you laid this out as 1-up pages, is there ANY reason to try to get that to 3-up printing? Looks like a standard business-check layout; just go with that starting point instead.

[Case0535]

You could be right. 

And yes, I think I can lay it out with sequential numbers.  I'll look into that.

-Thanks-

-C

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

There is a standard method for doing nonlinear/multiple "page numbering"—

• Put a text box on the Parent page wherever you want a number.
• Link them into a continuous flow on the page.
• Create your numbering file (in something like Excel), whether it's 1-n, 1,1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3 or whatever, and export to a text format.
• Flow that file into the numbering boxes, and set the style to whatever you want, including a "break to next frame" keep option.

Voila, you can number 2-up, 3-up, 1/2-up (one page number per spread).... anything that can be represented by that texf file.

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Try this catalog script—it lets you set the page size:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yga2uuc0c1sqvh7nj4uyb/AGul7Z5qI1lGwsUw9OnwBAY?rlkey=dvyou9c467uka05c1...

Dialog setup:

Pages:

[Case0535]

Boom!   That did the trick!  Awesome! 

Thank you very much!!!