Need to impose a PDF booklet from Indesign

[seans662239]

Hello, I need to impose a booklet layout from my reader spread created in Adobe Indesign. I am using the current cloud version of Indesign on Windows 10. I have tried the print booklet feature and it does not work. When I run a preview, the program inserts a blank page to the left of page 1 and also inserts and extra blank page after page 2. I have also tried in Adobe Acrobat with the same result. Every help article and video I've seen so far is not helping. The result I need to achieve is to print the front and back cover next to each other and other (letter size) pages in the right order on tabloid size paper which will be folded and saddle stitched.

[kglad]

[moved from Adobe Creative Cloud to InDesign]

[Abambo]

You need a multiple of 4 pages to create a booklet. You have only 6 pages so the program inserts 2 blank pages to get the job done.

[BobLevine]

Export a proper PDF and then use the booklet feature in Acrobat to print it.

[seans662239]

Hi Bob, I've seen you post that same reply to the other questions. As I said in my post, it still does the same thing. Maybe you can help me figure out a way to make this work.

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

As already pointed out, you only have 6 pages. You need to work in multiples of 4.

[seans662239]

Thank you Bob. That worked, I did not see earlier that you need multiples of 4. Im adding this screen shot so maybe others with the same issue will see.

Thank you!

[Abambo]

Yes, booklets work only with multiples of 4!

Using the booklet print in Acrobat as suggested by Bob does not work the same as here, Acrobat uses "fit" and there is always a border between pages.

What works most often is when your printer has a booklet function.

​But all solutions work ONLY correctly if you ave a page count that is a multiple of 4.​

[Derek Cross]

Test out a couple of pages, you may have problems registering the backup on an office printer (of course you may have a sophisticated duplex printer!).

Normally, when you send a job to a commercial printer you send individual pages for them to impose.

[Abambo]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Derek+Cross  wrote

Normally, when you send a job to a commercial printer you send individual pages for them to impose.

It would surprise me if a commercial printer would really like to get a booklet...

Office printers (even the sophisticated ones) are normally about 2-3 mm off when printing duplex. If you take that into account and have your design accordingly, you can produce very nice booklets.

[seans662239]

Good info. We are printing these out in house. Another way we have done these in the past is to just create a printer page layout from the start, but that makes it take so much more time work with like that!

[Derek Cross]

Do you also have a guillotine and suitable stapler?

[seans662239]

We are using a printer that has the necessary equipment for folding and stapling itself.

[BobLevine]

Then I would imagine the driver in that printer may well be capable of imposing the document properly.

[Abambo]

Our printer (driver) has problems when designing with bleed. Without bleed it is easiest to output single pages (but a multiple of 4... ) and use the printer features...

[Abambo]

"Manual" imposition works fine for 4 page folders, but as soon as you get a second sheet (next 4 pages), it's getting complicated...

We are designing brochures for small runs to be printed in-house. Our printer is one mm off, which is very good and only noticeable if when you get small lines from one facing page to the other.

[SJRiegel]

seans662239  wrote

Maybe you can help me figure out a way to make this work.

As Abambo stated, to make it work, you have to have multiples of 4 pages in your booklet. To see why, take two sheet of paper, nest them and fold. Then count how many pages you get.