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November 20, 2017
Question

How to set up gutter margins for printer requiring single page submission?

  • November 20, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 4600 views

I am probably overlooking something obvious, but if I can't use facing or mirror pages, how do I allow for the binding side gutters on both even and odd pages?

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    2 replies

    Jongware
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    November 20, 2017

    debras54046407  wrote

    ...if I can't use facing or mirror pages ...

    But you can! They have nothing to do with how you create the PDF for your printer!

    It sound like you think using facing pages would export to PDF with "Spreads" as the default. It does not (although you'd better be sure it's not selected).

    Legend
    November 20, 2017

    Can you define "gutters" for us? InDesign uses the term for the space between columns of a multi-column text frame, but I think you mean something else. And did your printer specifically say you couldn't use facing pages? If so, do you know why?

    In case you are asking about bleed at the center bind, have a look at this:

    https://indesignsecrets.com/breaking-pages-apart-to-bleed-off-a-spine.php

    But if you just want to apply a different page margin to every other page and you can't use facing pages, then set up two different single-page masters.

    1. Go to Window>Pages to open the Pages pallet
    2. Double-click on the master page (probably called A-Master if you haven't created any others or modified the default) to select it
    3. Apply the margins for the odd-numbered pages (Layout>Margins and Columns)
    4. Click the fly-out of the pallet and select New Master… (set the Number of Pages option to 1 if you need another single master)
    5. Apply the margins for the even-numbered pages

    Now that you have two masters, you need to apply them to your document pages (your pages should be assigned to A-Master at this point). If your pages already exist, go to the Pages pallet and double-click on the first document page to get out of editing the master. Now go to the fly-out and select the Apply Master to Pages… option. Select B-Master as the master to apply, and in the To Pages: field, type the page numbers you want to apply B-Master to with commas separating the numbers (2,4,6,8 etc.) If you have to add or delete any pages before you're done, apply the masters again.