Imposed PDF with InDesign CC

[edcushwake]

Hi there. Im using InDesign CC on Mac OS 10.8.4.

I'm trying to do something pretty simple, create an imposed pdf using the "Print Booklet" option. Before in InDesign CS6, i would:

1. Go to File >Print Booklet

2. Click on "Print Settings"

3. Adobe PDF would have been selected as the default printer

4. I would add cropmarks and bleed

5. hit ok

6. Select "Preview" to confirm everything looks good to go and hit print.

now, the tricky part in InDesign CC is step 3, since apparently some technical changes to Mac OS since version 10.6, don't allow Adobe PDF printers to be created. My Question is how do i create an imposed pdf to send to the press? Thanks a lot for your help.

[johnf7408886]

So 3rd party imposition scripts are the correct answer? Otherwise it seems like ID got nerfed considering a deprecated, unsupported PDD from 2002 and several versions ago is the right way.

[BobLevine]

The real right way is to let a qualified printer handle it. Otherwise, yes, a third party application would be a far superior solution.

[Peter Spier]

Just because a PPD is old doesn't mean it suddenly becomes useless or incompatible. PPD is a description of what a device can do, and I'd be hard pressed to find any new or removed features for Print-flavored PDF that would render the description invalid.

[rob day]

unsupported PDD from 2002 and several versions ago is the right way.

The Adobe PDF 9.0 PPD is still supported—there's nothing to upgrade. The potential problems with transparency flattening and color management are in the .ps to PDF conversion so there's nothing a PPD upgrade could do to change that.

[rob day]

And as Dov mentions and also John's #12, Acrobat does has a similar Booklet feature for simple impositions and it probably will work better with most print drivers than ID's Print Booklet.

[Sherry @ Lacy & Par]

I realize this thread is a few years old... but as it's still labeled NOT ANSWERED... I have something to bring up.

You said:

"For commercial printing, it is the responsibility of the print service provider to do the imposition of the PDF file in a manner appropriate for the printed piece and for the equipment being used."

And if you ARE the commercial printer... what are you supposed to use?

Ever since InDesign lost it's ability to do simple imposition from within the program (When Quark bought the plug in out from under Adobe) small commercial printers have been in a perpetual limbo. We either have to shell out a few more thousand dollars (in addition to Creative Suite) for a complicated imposition package that is five times more intricate than it needs to be for our use... or we are stuck setting up templates and creating our own.

A few years ago I found INPLATE by Croptima and it did an admirable job of filling in the gaping hole left by Adobe. It imposed, cutstacked, and bookleted just about everything I needed for a very reasonable 70 dollars. Unfortunately, the individual who created the program is no longer servicing it and it is now available free online for as long as it continues to work with InDesign's Creative Cloud.

We are still in need. We have a professional program, used in a professional environment that fails us on EVERY level when it comes to actually getting these files to press. We have needed this since it was taken away from us and rather than tell us something completely useless like "it is the responsibility of the print service provider"... how about Adobe provides a solution to the print service provider's needs?

[Peter Spier]

One possibility that's relatively inexpensive is IDImposer. Overview | IDImposer

[MrTIFF]

Update: IDImposer has a new website:  InDesignTools.com.
- Stephen (developer of IDImposer)

[Willi Adelberger]

If you are a commercial printer you have to invest some money and buy professional imposing software or probably you have some kind like a Fiery Server or built in imposing features.

[Sherry @ Lacy & Par]

Did you even read my post? We KNOW that... the point is... we spend in excess of $1000 per year, per user, on just the Creative Cloud. The suite is billed as a Professional Solution, it *should* be capable of something as basic as imposition. When we first switched from Quark Xpress to InDesign, there *was* a feature for imposing. It was taken away and never replaced. They put the responsibility of imposition on the print provider... and took away the tools to do so, expecting us to shell out to third parties???

Ridiculous. We want it back. We have ALWAYS wanted it back. Third party software is either too robust (and thus, thousands of dollars of "No") or has about as much functionality as Microsoft Publisher -- which, btw, for all it's other failures... IMPOSES.

We did have InPlate by Croptima, but it is no longer available. I'd be happy if it had just *that* level of imposition capabilities. That was a 70 dollar program.

[Willi Adelberger]

I think you can buy an imposition plugin for Acrobat, this could be used for any program. And no, the suite had NEVER a professional imposition program. Only a weak plugin in InDesign from a 3rd party company which was bought from Quark to reduce the functionality for InDesign.

And be honest, a small value to invest for one imposing plugin to make money should be worthy.

[rob day]

When we first switched from Quark Xpress to InDesign, there *was* a feature for imposing. It was taken away and never replaced.

Other than the Print Booklet feature (which both ID and Acrobat have built-in) ID has never had imposition. There was the ImposerPro plugin from Lowly Apprentice which Quark bought and could do 16 page signatures, but it was not a free add-on and cost $200 in 2003.

Imposition, trapping, transparency flattening, and final color management should happen in the RIP. Adobe encourages that workflow because they are higher end print functions that shouldn't be handled by the page layout application. EFI offers Fiery Impose.

EFI - Fiery Impose - Overview

[BobLevine]

Actually, there was a plug-in call InBooklet by ALAP that was included in early versions of ID. I think 2.0 and maybe CS before ALAP was purchased by Quark.

[rob day]

I do seem to remember they had a booklet version from ALAP that was free, but ImposerPro wasn't. I don't remember the booklet version being much different than the current Print Booklet, and it probably worked better when most printers were postscript, but still it was only 2-up. There are plenty of free or almost free 2-Up solutions out there.

Pro was pretty powerful could handle 8-up, creep, crossovers, Work&Turn, Work&Tumble, Split Web, Sheet Wise, Saddle, and Perfect Bound. It definitely wasn't free.

[Peter Spier]

InBooklet SE would, in theory, save a new, imposed .indd, which PrintBooklet will not, but it was buggy.

[rob day]

InBooklet SE would, in theory, save a new, imposed .indd, which PrintBooklet will not, but it was buggy.

ImposerPro also let you generate a new layout, but I could never imagine why you would want that—it just added a step. I suppose if you wanted to get a signature imposed over to Acrobat, but that's such a convoluted workflow—the imposition should just happen at output.

Guess I was assuming Sherry being a commercial printer would need more than 2-up booklet printing.

[Peter Spier]

An imposed file is useful if you don't have a duplexing printer. InBooklet SE was never meant for commercial output.

[Sherry @ Lacy & Par]

Thank you, Bob.

Imposer Pro was the plug in I was talking about. We paid for it after quickly realizing that the free plug in wasn't going to do everything we needed, but then when ALAP was purchased by Quark, they dropped InDesign support. I wasn't looking for *free* but was certainly not looking for an imposition program or plug in that will be obsolete with the next update or corporate buyout.

That's why I purchased Croptima InPlate. After speaking with the owner, I was convinced he'd never sell out to Quark. (Page two of the manual had an interesting little easter egg that proclaimed "Quark Sucks"... gotta love it...)

Anywho...

The problem with third party solutions is that you can't rely on them to support future versions. My point in ALL of this is:  if Adobe incorporated imposition with the CC, we could be at least guarantee it will work with their constant updates.

[rob day]

The IDImposer plugin Peter linked to runs between $15 and $100 depending on your needs. From the documentation it looks very similar to the old ImposerPro.

[rcleonard]

There a many reasons why the print menus are helpful with creating pdfs. I can not begin to argue all of the valuable reasons it as a good thing to be able to print a pdf rather than export a pdf. There is an easy argument or a workaround for every problem I can think of--- that does not excuse in any way Adobe's rresponsibility to their client base.The page size issue. or if  there are tab pages in a document that need extra bleed, or if there are any needs to edit an imposed pdf for many reasons an inexperienced printer may not be able to wrap their mind around. By eliminating existing tool that were once available, Adobe is beginning to remind me of the reasons I completely turned my back on the Quark Express Dinosaur train after the introduction of Mac OSX and indesigns blossoming from Pagefaker  early in the millennium.

Adobe needs to realize that some printers are also creative artist and that by eliminating tools as they chose, Adobe is eroding tools from an arsenal  that has made Adobe the choice of almost all creative digital artists in the world today

[BobLevine]

g234joseph wrote:

There a many reasons why the print menus are helpful with creating pdfs.

Then you need to make a strong case for it and file it as a feature request. But in the meantime, I'd be curious to hear those many reasons.

[asonl4470884]

I been using OS X EI Capitan-version 10.11.1 with Indesign CC 2015 & Acrobat Pro DC.

I try the way you guy given, but can't print using Acrobat PPD..

Is there any other way? Thanks.

[scott_olling]

I am trying to make imposed PS from InDesign and keep getting a paper position fail. The file is generated, but the paper is either the wrong size or the wrong orientation.

I'm trying to use 12x18 as a sheet size. Any help would be appreciated - however, I note that this appears to be a dead issue, with Adobe dropping the question and Apple complicit.

As a general criticism, Adobe seems to be going in retrograde on their Print dialog capabilities as well as on their manipulation of PS. Oh well, as my students used to say, there's still time to sign up for Cosmetology.

[rob day]

As a general criticism, Adobe seems to be going in retrograde on their Print dialog capabilities as well as on their manipulation of PS.

I can think of a number of formats and features that are basically dead but Adobe keeps so older workflows don't completely break. Not much has changed with distilling .ps other than it is discouraged and for good reason. The AcrobatPPD still works you just have to install it. It's like EPS or DCS 1.0! or Photoshop's Custom CMYK—if you really want or have to use those formats and features you can, but they are never going to be a best practice again.

[scott_olling]

Appreciate your response. Maybe I should learn some best practices again again. I realize that most of my petulance comes from having a need that I can't figure out on my own, and arriving en Forum emotionally loaded … thanks again for your efforts