Is this the correct PDF export layout for stitched binding?

[Chris P. Bacon]

I am currently waiting for a reply from my printer, but I want to ask about the general practices:

For staple stitching, do the printers generally ask 2 different PDFs for cover and for content?

Should I define 2 separate start sections at the pages for both documents?

If my paper is only 80 GSM, how many pages can I have at maximum staple stitched so that the magazine will be perfectly closing, no gap in between?

If I choose a much thicker paper for cover, will it look bad or not closing properly?

I don't want cover pages that do not close and they get lifted by themselves, or magazines that don't properly close and they have a gap close to the stiches on the inside.

I will only start out with 52 pages perhaps, so how should I number the pages in each PDF, if the cover PDF would be separate from the content PDF?

[Chris P. Bacon]

I have choosen staple stitching so that spreads can be fully opened and full spread layouts are not disrupted so much by the spine, because there is no spine.

[Sumo148]

The printer will tell you how they'd like the file setup. There's a good chance they'll ask for single pages and they will impose the pages on their end for a saddle stitch booklet. You can see if they can mockup a paper dummy if you'd like to test out paper weights, page count, etc. Ask for printer proofs to review the file first before approving for print.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Is the printer proof a PDF?

[Sumo148]

They can have digital PDF proofs, as well as hard copy printed proofs.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Hard copy proofs for offset printing - I hope this is real.

But they might be printing the proof digitally?

[rob day]

You shouldn’t send spreads—pages will need to be imposed by the printer. Also pagination should be odd pages to the right of the spine

Printer spreads are folded:

The printer handles imposition:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imposition

But they might be printing the proof digitally?

The proof will be digital, unless you are willing to pay for a press proof, which would be very expensive.

[Chris P. Bacon]

I see, my layout looks like that because I wanted perfect binding with my previous printer candidate.

Thanks.

[Chris P. Bacon]

But aren't those spreads on your screenshot?

Depends what you mean by spread.

This is my Illustrator setup:

So I will just paint on that "spread", across the 2 pages.

And this is my InDesign setup:

I will copy the content frame by frame over from Illustrator and place them across this "spread", across the 2 pages.

But, in both apps, what is the difference between 2 facing pages and a spread? Are both a spread, from the printers point of view?

[rob day · Accepted solution]

No, the InDesign Document is set up as Facing Pages with page 1 as the cover with the spine on the left. On an Export from InDesign I can choose Spreads or Pages— for press ready PDFs it should always be Pages. 

The printer is going to set up an imposition for the entire book, so even if the cover is printing on a different weight sheet, you wouldn’t necessarily need two documents, they can get pages 1, 2, 55, & 56 from your doc an impose them for the cover, inside cover, inside back, & back cover.

A 52 page magazine is going to print on at least 4 signatures, but you don’t need to provide a different document for each press sheet.