Multi Page PDF takes more than 12 min for 1000 pages

[devs27984525]

I am trying to use Window->Utilities->Scripts->PlaceMultipagePDF.jsx to place a PDF having 1000 pages and it takes more than 12 mins.

Is there any method to speed it up? 

[BobLevine]

That will be dependent on your computer for the most part. What are the specs, O/S, and InDesign version?

[devs27984525]

InDesign Version: 17.3

O/S: Windows 10 Pro

16 GB RAM

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

16 GB ?? That's barely enough for the Windows itself 😉 You need at least double that.

Or go really big 😄

And what HDD do you have ? Start thinking about SSD ...

As mentioned by Uwe - lower quality and maybe split the job but then it probably will take you longer overall anyway.

The overall slowdown is because InDesign keep unlimited undo - until you close the document.

Try to turn off ENABLE REDRAW:

With scripts run externally as EXE (complied in VB6) - you could minimize InDesign's window - at least 30% speed up - probably the same as turning off ENABLE REDRAW.

[Laubender]

Hi @devs27984525 ,

12 minutes? Not very unusual for placing 1.000 PDF pages, I think.

Alternatively try the MultiPageImporter script, originally written by Scott Zanelli, now curated by Mike Edel:

https://github.com/mike-edel/ID-MultiPageImporter/releases

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[devs27984525]

Hi Laubender,

Thanks for the update, but the perfomance of the script that you have shared is also similar to PlaceMultipagePDF.

When we place a PDF, it shows Creating Preview(Writing Tiff) message. Is there any way to disable this preview so that some time can be saved?

[Laubender]

@devs27984525 said: "Is there any way to disable this preview so that some time can be saved?"

Did you try to change the standard display performance to Low Quality with all sliders set to the left?

Preferences > Display Performance > Options >

Default View: Low Quality

Adjust View Settings: Low Quality

Better Performance,

all sliders to the left, for:

Raster Images,

Vector Graphics

Transparency

Disable [ ] Enable Anti-aliasing

Greek type Below: 64 pt

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[Peter Spier]

It won't afect the total time, but is there a way to break this up into multiple parts? It would probably be a lot easier to work with a smaller number of pages in general.

[Laubender]

Hi Peter,

the MultiPageImporter script allows to break this up.

You can define the range of PDF pages, you can define where to start placing in the document:

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[Peter Spier]

Hi Uwe,

I know that. Just checking withthe post author to see if there uis a reason the file must stay at 1000 pages.

[Peter Kahrel]

Placing a 1,000-page PDF takes a lot of time. You'll have to accept that.

[Dirk Becker]

InDesign Server has an option to not produce image previews for placed images (should include PDFs). Not sure whether the setting makes a difference to your particular use case.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-server-image-preview/td-p/10343709

[Laubender]

Hi @devs27984525 ,

before working with the MultiPageImporter script version 2.6.4 you could open the  document you want to place the PDF pages as windowless document. This must be done by scripting. The document opens, but you will not see it in the GUI of InDesign. I could imagine that placing the PDF pages will run faster in that windowless version. How much faster for a 1,000 pages PDF, see below.

This is an example code written in ExtendScript (JavaScript) to open a document named myInDesignDoc.indd from the user's desktop:

// Example:
// document named myInDesignDoc.indd is positioned at the Desktop
var fileToDoc = File( "~/Desktop/myInDesignDoc.indd" );

if( fileToDoc.exists )
{
	app.open( fileToDoc , false ); // parameter false will open the doc windowless
	alert( "Document:" +"\r"+fileToDoc.name +"\r"+ "opened as windowless document!" );
}else
{
	alert( fileToDoc.name +" "+ "not found!" );
};

The next step would be to run a modified version of the MultiPageImporter script.

The code modification is this, in version 2.6.4 in line 225 you currently have:

var theDoc = app.activeDocument;

Change that to:

var theDoc = app.documents[0];

Why? The active document always has a layout window. So you'll get a error if you run the script on a windowsless open document. With the changed code you address the first document that is open. For faster performance I would suggest that you only open one single document at one time.

Do another change to alert when the MultiPageImporter script is done with placing the pages.

Go to line 498 where the code reads:

exit();

Before that line add a new line of code for the alert:

alert( "MultiPageImporter Message:"+"\r"+"Done!" );

Save the script.

Then run the modified MultiPageImporter script on the open windowless document.

When done, the alert will tell you when, save and close the document with the following script:

var docName = app.documents[0].name;
app.documents[0].close( SaveOptions.YES );
alert("Document:" +"\r"+ docName +"\r"+ "closed." );

Open the document with the File > Open… command of InDesign to see the placed PDF pages.

Note: Just tested this on my German InDesign 2022 version 17.3.0 on Windows 10.

For my tests I used a 868 pages PDF with 412 MB file size.

It took the script abaout 4 minutes to place all the 868 PDF pages and adjust the placed PDF pages to the actual document pages. It took an additional 30 seconds to save and close the document with the second script.

With the document visible in the GUI, the MultiPageImporter script took about 15 minutes to place and adjust all 868 PDF pages. About three times as long as using the windowless version of the document.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[devs27984525]

Thanks Laubender,

Working windowless is taking 4 mins for me too. But I have one more query how to make a windowless document visible.

Example if I add a document using :

var myDocument = app.documents.add(false);
newDocID = myDocument.id;

It's windowless. So how to make it visible after placing the PDF.

[Laubender]

@devs27984525 said: "So how to make it visible after placing the PDF."

Save, close and open it.

See my code above where I close and save it in one go.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[Laubender]

To open it you need the file of the document.

Not its ID. ID of a document is meaningless here.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[willcampbell7]

Try this:

http://www.marspremedia.com/software/indesign/pdf-place-and-export

Can't say it would be any faster. But I'm curious. Disable save and export, just get the pages into a document, see how long that takes. I don't have a 1000 page PDF to test with or I'd try it to see for myself.