Print/Export book as spreads

[dtpartner_Suzz]

It is possible to make a InDesign book print or pdf as spreads. But the last page of an document/chapter and the first page of the next document/chapter are always single pages! Therefore many dtp-ers choose not to use the InDesign book option, but make the complete book in one document.

I would love to send my complete InDesign book as pdf in spreads for email review. Please let the first and last page of the book documents be exported as spreads, as if it was made in one document.

[Peter Spier]

You know you can set the default view in Acrobat so your readers see an individual page layout as spreads when they open it, right?

[dtpartner_Suzz]

@Peter
"When they open it right..."
Tried it but they did not open it right and they had difficulties printing it as spreads. I learned never to make it difficult for an costumer. But i am curious to hear from you how to do this right...

[Peter Spier]

In Acrobat, File > Document Properties > Initial View tab. Set the view to two-up facing pages and set whatever magnification you want them to have when the file opens, then save. Users can change this on their end after they open the file, but it will open however you set it.

You didn't mention you originally that you want them to print the spreads on their end. That's a problem, since Acrobat doesn't have that option. For the time being, if you need them to have printable spreads you need to get things into a single document. One way to do this is to export the book to PDF, then open a new ID document and use the script to place the PDF into multiple pages, then export that as spreads. It's not terribly convenient, but it's not too onerous, either, with a script.

Peter

[lymanw69802718]

I'd like to save my doc as a PDF but InDesign doesnt' give me the option. It is grayed out

[Peter Spier]

Not sure what you mean here.

[dtpartner_Suzz]

@Peter thanks for your info Will look for that script (or do you know a script that can do this). Hopefully in the nearby future the complete book as a spread (Export Book option) will be a new feature in InDesign.

[Peter Spier]

PlaceMultiplePagePDF.jsx is one of the sample scripts that should have been installed by default. :)

[_Horse_Hair_Design_]

Go to the Export Adobe PDF window. In the general tab undernieth "All Pages" and "Range", there is a tick box for "spreads". Click it. It should keep the same spread format that you created in In Design.

[dtpartner_Suzz]

@Horse Hair Design
I know that it is possible to print spread from an InDesign Document (indd)
But it is not possible JET... too print a InDesign Book (indb) completely as a spread. The last left page and the first right page of the InDesign book document (chapter/section) will stay single... instead of a spread...

But still thanx for your info
😉 dtpartner

[Peter Spier]

Export or print the book to PDF, then print spreads form Acrobat.

[dtpartner_Suzz]

Found out how to make a PDF in spreads from a InDesign Book document... Also the last page of a document/chapter and the first page of the next document/chapter will be printed as a spread! YEAH...

I do believe there must be a more efficient way to do it, but since nobody could tell me how... I have to do it the inefficient way! This is how i did it:

* Make a single page PDF of the InDesign Book document (indb)
In the menu of the InDesign Book panel/window select
- Export Book to PDF

* Open PDF in Acrobat Professional (PDF 1)

* Delete first page !!!

* Save As... (different name) (PDF 2) !!!

* File Print...

* Print (pop-up window)
- Printer: Adobe PDF 8.0 / 9.0
Copies & Pages (Print submenu)
- Page Scaling: Multiple pages per sheet
- Pages per scheet: Custom: 2 by 1
- Page Order: Horizontal
Layout (Print submenu)***
- Pages per sheet: 2
! ATTENTION: check the page order before printing
in the preview of Copies & Pages submenu!
[Print]

* Save (pop-up window) will pop-up
Save As: ... (documentname)(PDF 3)
Select location on you computer
[Save]

* Open PDF 1
* and open PDF 3
* Select first page off PDF 1
* Drag an drop it in front of the spreads of PDF 3

* Save this PDF (PDF 4)

Now i have a PDF of my book in spread,
except for the first page, which is a single page.

Unfortunately there is a white margin/area around the spreads,
because the Acrobat Print option Multiple pager per sheet does not make the pages Fit/Shrink to Printable Area.

Footnote *** Layout (Print submenu); Pages per sheet: 2
First i did not select this option, Acrobat was mixing up the Pages in the wrong order.

[forum romanum]

I think you might enjoy this:

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/?id=vid0217

[dtpartner_Suzz]

@forum romanum,

Nice video, nothing new to me and unfortunattely nothing new about print/export book as spreads.

[jplew]

the actual solution to this problem is here: http://indesignsecrets.com/make-it-look-like-a-book-in-the-acrobat-pdf.php

The trick is to export from InDesign as single pages, then let Acrobat handle the two-page display.

[DavidMatos · Accepted solution]

A bit tricky indeed but definitely the way to go! Thanks ///

EDIT

You can actually do this directly from Id now using the Export PDF panel:

[ryangwilson]

Hello. There is no "trick", when you select File > Export choose Format "Adobe PDF (Print)", click Save, then in the next dialogue box choose the Spreads radio box in the Pages area.

[Peter Spier]

Personally, I think forcing readers to scroll both up/down and left/right to view your document is a big turn-off. I often set the initial view as two-up, but I would never make it impossible for a reader to change that.

[dtpartner_Suzz]

Document wise yes, but try it from a INDESIGN BOOK! With documents ending with a left page, en the following document starting with a right page.
Unfortunately is does not work that way! Unless you are working with a different version of InDesign....

[Henrik243105141ynx]

....14 years later. Nope still same problem. And noone seems to understad what you are asking @dtpartner_Suzz 😅
Please - if you don't know what a .indb-file is, don't reply. 

[Mike31103101gebb]

It's so needlessly cryptic. This question should not inspire such a long multi-answer response. Why not just make it intuitive, using plain language? Here's a wild idea- the dialogues should the same language one would use verbally to describe. And a preview window. It's amazing how Adobe gets away with not meaningfully improving their products.