Print every page of multipage document n-times on one side of the sheet

[valerigiz]

Hi there! 

Is it possible to print, for e.g., 320 page document, size A5, 4 times on A3 paper. Thus we have 4 times page 1 on one side of sheet, and four times page 2 on the other side of the same sheet? When all 160 sheets are printed, its easy to cut 4 books; without need to collate them manually. Of course, it will be nice, if we have at least one cut mark at the center of the A3 sheet. Now I have to do it manually or use ather programs to print four (in this case) instances of book simultaneously.

Is it possible in InDesign? Maybe with some java or VBscript?

[Mike Witherell]

Have you experimented with the Multiple option in Acrobat DC's Print dialog box? You would make a PDF to print from, of course.

[valerigiz]

I'll give it a try. Thank you!

[valerigiz]

Hi again! I have Acrobat IX Pro. And there is "multiple" print option. But it prints multiple DIFFERENT pages on one sheet, while I want to print (four) multiple of Page1 on one side of the sheet and (four) multiple of Page2 on the other side of the sheet, and so on.

[Luke Jennings3]

Here is a link to a related discussion, you could use the same solution to make multiple pages per sheet. If you need crop marks, export your original book to a pdf first, with small crop marks, or add crop marks to the parent page of your base InDesign file.

Note, the script will import an InDesign file or a pdf. Start with a single page base InDesign file, the script will add pages as needed.

An alternate (and traditional) method would be to use an imposition program.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/set-up-a-copy-of-a-book-side-by-side/m-p/1286509...

[rob day]

Hi @valerigiz , Also, if Luke’s solution doesn’t work for you, I posted a thumbnail imposition script awhile ago that lays out page thumbnails in a grid of selected columns and rows. I’ve add a version that places each page n-up in the matrix. The page frames get a stroke by default—there is a Object Style applied that lets you adjust the frame fills and strokes as needed.

The scripts are here—get ThumbMatrixN-up.jsx

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/588c3640-0b0d-47fc-68f2-f56e5d4dd188

Here’s the dialog:

[Scott Falkner]

There may be a better way but I have always placed the master file into another InDesign file and printed that. For example, I had to produce about 80 business cards for a company. I kept logos and addresses on Parent Pages and made a page for each person. I then placed these 80 pages into my print layout which had the cards arranged 8-up with bleed and crop marks. Changes to the main file were updated in the print file.

[rob day]

I think the challenge for @valerigiz is each of the 320 A5 pages needs to be placed 4x on larger A3 pages, so without a script it would mean placing 1280 times.

[Eugene Tyson]

Maybe I didn't understand this.

You have 320 page document

And want page 1 x4 times and page 2 x4 times on an a3

I'd export the book to a 320 page pdf.

But put the page range as (as done in Excel)

1,1,1,1,2,2,2,2,3,3,3,3,4,4,4,4,5,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,7,7,7,7,8,8,8,8,9,9,9,9,10,10,10,10,11,11,11,11,12,12,12,12,13,13,13,13,14,14,14,14,15,15,15,15,16,16,16,16,17,17,17,17,18,18,18,18,19,19,19,19,20,20,20,20,21,21,21,21,22,22,22,22,23,23,23,23,24,24,24,24,25,25,25,25,26,26,26,26,27,27,27,27,28,28,28,28,29,29,29,29,30,30,30,30,31,31,31,31,32,32,32,32,33,33,33,33,34,34,34,34,35,35,35,35,36,36,36,36,37,37,37,37,38,38,38,38,39,39,39,39,40,40,40,40,41,41,41,41,42,42,42,42,43,43,43,43,44,44,44,44,45,45,45,45,46,46,46,46,47,47,47,47,48,48,48,48,49,49,49,49,50,50,50,50,51,51,51,51,52,52,52,52,53,53,53,53,54,54,54,54,55,55,55,55,56,56,56,56,57,57,57,57,58,58,58,58,59,59,59,59,60,60,60,60,61,61,61,61,62,62,62,62,63,63,63,63,64,64,64,64,65,65,65,65,66,66,66,66,67,67,67,67,68,68,68,68,69,69,69,69,70,70,70,70,71,71,71,71,72,72,72,72,73,73,73,73,74,74,74,74,75,75,75,75,76,76,76,76,77,77,77,77,78,78,78,78,79,79,79,79,80,80,80,80,81,81,81,81,82,82,82,82,83,83,83,83,84,84,84,84,85,85,85,85,86,86,86,86,87,87,87,87,88,88,88,88,89,89,89,89,90,90,90,90,91,91,91,91,92,92,92,92,93,93,93,93,94,94,94,94,95,95,95,95,96,96,96,96,97,97,97,97,98,98,98,98,99,99,99,99,100,100,100,100,101,101,101,101,102,102,102,102,103,103,103,103,104,104,104,104,105,105,105,105,106,106,106,106,107,107,107,107,108,108,108,108,109,109,109,109,110,110,110,110,111,111,111,111,112,112,112,112,113,113,113,113,114,114,114,114,115,115,115,115,116,116,116,116,117,117,117,117,118,118,118,118,119,119,119,119,120,120,120,120,121,121,121,121,122,122,122,122,123,123,123,123,124,124,124,124,125,125,125,125,126,126,126,126,127,127,127,127,128,128,128,128,129,129,129,129,130,130,130,130,131,131,131,131,132,132,132,132,133,133,133,133,134,134,134,134,135,135,135,135,136,136,136,136,137,137,137,137,138,138,138,138,139,139,139,139,140,140,140,140,141,141,141,141,142,142,142,142,143,143,143,143,144,144,144,144,145,145,145,145,146,146,146,146,147,147,147,147,148,148,148,148,149,149,149,149,150,150,150,150,151,151,151,151,152,152,152,152,153,153,153,153,154,154,154,154,155,155,155,155,156,156,156,156,157,157,157,157,158,158,158,158,159,159,159,159,160,160,160,160,161,161,161,161,162,162,162,162,163,163,163,163,164,164,164,164,165,165,165,165,166,166,166,166,167,167,167,167,168,168,168,168,169,169,169,169,170,170,170,170,171,171,171,171,172,172,172,172,173,173,173,173,174,174,174,174,175,175,175,175,176,176,176,176,177,177,177,177,178,178,178,178,179,179,179,179,180,180,180,180,181,181,181,181,182,182,182,182,183,183,183,183,184,184,184,184,185,185,185,185,186,186,186,186,187,187,187,187,188,188,188,188,189,189,189,189,190,190,190,190,191,191,191,191,192,192,192,192,193,193,193,193,194,194,194,194,195,195,195,195,196,196,196,196,197,197,197,197,198,198,198,198,199,199,199,199,200,200,200,200,201,201,201,201,202,202,202,202,203,203,203,203,204,204,204,204,205,205,205,205,206,206,206,206,207,207,207,207,208,208,208,208,209,209,209,209,210,210,210,210,211,211,211,211,212,212,212,212,213,213,213,213,214,214,214,214,215,215,215,215,216,216,216,216,217,217,217,217,218,218,218,218,219,219,219,219,220,220,220,220,221,221,221,221,222,222,222,222,223,223,223,223,224,224,224,224,225,225,225,225,226,226,226,226,227,227,227,227,228,228,228,228,229,229,229,229,230,230,230,230,231,231,231,231,232,232,232,232,233,233,233,233,234,234,234,234,235,235,235,235,236,236,236,236,237,237,237,237,238,238,238,238,239,239,239,239,240,240,240,240,241,241,241,241,242,242,242,242,243,243,243,243,244,244,244,244,245,245,245,245,246,246,246,246,247,247,247,247,248,248,248,248,249,249,249,249,250,250,250,250,251,251,251,251,252,252,252,252,253,253,253,253,254,254,254,254,255,255,255,255,256,256,256,256,257,257,257,257,258,258,258,258,259,259,259,259,260,260,260,260,261,261,261,261,262,262,262,262,263,263,263,263,264,264,264,264,265,265,265,265,266,266,266,266,267,267,267,267,268,268,268,268,269,269,269,269,270,270,270,270,271,271,271,271,272,272,272,272,273,273,273,273,274,274,274,274,275,275,275,275,276,276,276,276,277,277,277,277,278,278,278,278,279,279,279,279,280,280,280,280,281,281,281,281,282,282,282,282,283,283,283,283,284,284,284,284,285,285,285,285,286,286,286,286,287,287,287,287,288,288,288,288,289,289,289,289,290,290,290,290,291,291,291,291,292,292,292,292,293,293,293,293,294,294,294,294,295,295,295,295,296,296,296,296,297,297,297,297,298,298,298,298,299,299,299,299,300,300,300,300,301,301,301,301,302,302,302,302,303,303,303,303,304,304,304,304,305,305,305,305,306,306,306,306,307,307,307,307,308,308,308,308,309,309,309,309,310,310,310,310,311,311,311,311,312,312,312,312,313,313,313,313,314,314,314,314,315,315,315,315,316,316,316,316,317,317,317,317,318,318,318,318,319,319,319,319,320,320,320,320

So now you will have a 1280 page PDF.

And you can print it out now as 4 up from Acrobat using the Multiple feature.

That's how I might approach it.