Shrinking pages in ID

[Susan Flamingo]

Hi, Dear Friends!

I sometimes have pages in InDesign that run a little too far to the beginning of the next page. These pages are almost all text, fonts of different sizes, and paragraphs with borders and shading. Is there a way to tell the ID string everything on this page so the entire content fits on one page and will do it optimally to retain quality? I know there is a function in MS Word for this, but can it be done in ID?

Thank you, and have a good day!

Susan Flamingo

[Willi Adelberger]

Export as PDF and print from Adobe Acrobat. The compatibility is higher than from InDesign to all printers and this function to fit or scale pages is found in the Acrobat print dialogue. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Willi Adelberger 

I'm pretty sure OP wants to fit specified piece of text on the same page - not resize exported PDF.

@Susan Flamingo 

I'm affraid only manually - or with a dedicated script.

But we need more info.

[Willi Adelberger]

But this can be done in Acrobat without any script. If you want to print only a part select it and print selection or use the snapshot tool and print the snapshot. Why do things complicated when a PDF solution is easy and fast. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

But this can be done in Acrobat without any script. If you want to print only a part select it and print selection or use the snapshot tool and print the snapshot. Why do things complicated when a PDF solution is easy and fast. 

By @Willi Adelberger

But OP want's to fit text in InDesign - on the same page? Or am I really missing something?

[...] Is there a way to tell the ID string everything on this page so the entire content fits on one page and will do it optimally to retain quality [...]

@Susan Flamingo 

You could use Keep option - but I don't think it's what you are looking for - it will move text to the next page instead of condensing it to fit on the current page (will scroll to the correct place in Chrome browser - otherwise you need to scroll to "Control paragraph breaks using Keep Options"😞

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/formatting-paragraphs.html#:~:text=Control%20paragraph%20b...

[Susan Flamingo]

Sorry if I have caused confusion. What I am looking for is an OPTIMAL way to get everything onto a certain single page in ID. (The Acrobat guys said to do it in ID and not Acrobat. I am lost  😞

I guess it would reduce the font size, reduce the space between lines and paragraphs, and reduce the height of images. I think that is the way MS Word handles it.

It would seem odd that this could and should be handled in Acrobat.

So, what is the correct way to go?

- SF

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Susan Flamingo

You are correct - you would've to play with PointSize, spacing, tracking, scale - in InDesign.

Either manually or script could do this. 

[Susan Flamingo]

So you are basically saying this can be done automatically in ID. Word can do it and ID not?!!!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

No, it can't. 

But I'm not sure how can it be done in WORD either? 

OK, you can do it for a TextBox in WORD - but not for a text in the main thread. 

Still, easily scriptable in the InDesign. 

[Susan Flamingo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N7CEPzkkq8&t=4s&ab_channel=TechTimes

>>Still, easily scriptable in the InDesign. 

Easily?! Really? Want to give it try for all of us?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

But on this video text is shrinked too much? There is a big gap at the bottom of the page? 

[Mike Witherell]

To me, the problem requires dropping back to planning spacing and apportionment. Then setting up paragraph styles to define size, leading, space before/after, .... It also requires dropping into an editorial frame of mind. Too many words takes up too much space, so editing down must be performed. It involves counting words and setting a rough threshold of words per page.

No, InDesign doesn't do this for you. What machine could exhibit such judgment? Only skilled human editors and page layout craftsman can do this elegantly and well.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Mike Witherell

With a longer text re-writing might not be necessary - just playing with tracking and/or spacing - in (very) small steps - can also work. 

And script can easily do it - within a set threshold. 

What WORD is doing is rather "drastic"... 

[Mike Witherell]

Yes, Robert, that is a reasonable solution taken in small amounts. 

I imagine myself turning from page to page within the many pages of that publication, and what might I see? A lack of harmony in the typesetting from page to page. It detracts from the design and presentation (IMHO) if done too much or too frequently.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Mike Witherell

Yes, you are right - it should be done in a limited number of times. 

And still, rather with extra styles - not as a local override.