Print Booklet as Imposed PDF using an Adobe PDF Preset?

[kcrossley]

I have a Custom PDF Preset that was provided to me by my local printer. This has worked great for jobs that are not multi-paged.

However, I now need to create an imposed PDF using the PDF Preset I just mentioned. How is that done in InDesign CC?

Thanks!

[BobLevine]

Any printer asking you to impose a document should be avoided at all cost. Other than that you’ll need to print to postscript and distill which an absolutely archaic way to create a PDF.

[dannygarber]

Perhaps you could clarify. If you're using a preset provided by your printer and it's worked for single page jobs, I think that preset is for specs for the actual PDF (i.e. CMYK, dpi range, bleeds, crop marks, etc.). If you have a multi page document that needs to be imposed, use the preset from your printer and send them the multi-page PDF. If they ask YOU to impose, then follow Bob's instructions and find a printer that has the ability to impose booklets (amongst other imposition tasks). Imposition and Trapping are best left to your printer. If they can't accomodate then they shouldn't be printers and you should take it as a "red flag" to find a better qualified vendor.

[kcrossley · Accepted solution]

Thank you to everyone who responded.

I just called my printer to find out why they couldn't impose the job and it was because I sent them spreads instead of individual pages. Not sure why they didn't tell me that to begin with, but I'm going to resend them the job as individual pages using the preset they provided.

Does that make sense? Is there anything else I need to do to make it easier for them to impose?

[BobLevine]

This sounds like a blind leading the blind situation. What made you think spreads was the proper way to send the files?

[kcrossley]

Wow! That's pretty brutal Bob. It's called a mistake. I didn't realize I had done that until I spoke with them.

[dannygarber]

You're back on track with your printer. You can calculate booklet/magazine imposition on your own, but your printer is your best bet to avoid the headaches. Several types of imposition software on the market, but they're more geared towards the print industry. Guess you just had a miscommunication with your printer (they didn't tell you to provide singles) in regards to what they needed from you (single pages vs. spreads)

[kcrossley]

Thanks Danny. I think this was more me than them.

I'm "old school." When it came to brochures, I was used to giving my printer the InDesign document and all of the linked files and letting their pre-press department handle the minutia. Today, everything is printable PDFs, which I actually like because once you have your color system dialed in I find it a little more predictable.

[Jeffrey_Smith]

You can try this free online service to perform imposition (registration required). You would export a PDF single pages using the supplied preset, upload PDF, apply variables, download imposed PDF. http://www.imposeonline.com/

Edit: noticed you have issue resolved