Keeping pages/spreads together using Book feature for PDF

[janepell]

I followed some advice to use the Book feature since I'll be exporting a reflowable E-pub, but this file will also be used for the paperback version. I want to give my client a PDF proof as spreads so she has a clear idea of which pages are on the left versus right side. I need her to be able to comment on whether she wants a blank page in certain spots. However, when I export the whole book as PDF from the Book pane, the resulting PDF ends up with some single pages where a doc started or ended. It still respects the left/right design but is there a way to create an accurate PDF that shows the spreads at they would be in a printed book?

[Laubender]

No. But you can correct that with Acrobat Pro.

Just export one PDF for every InDesign document and put all PDFs together with Acrobat Pro.

Should be doable in a couple of minutes.

The following script by Peter Kahrel could help a lot:

Export book documents to individual PDF files

https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/pdf_individuals.html

Or this one, also from Peter Kahrel:

Batch-process (convert/export/import) documents

https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/batch_convert.html

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[janepell]

I read these and they don't make a lot of sense to me. I'm also not sure it fixes my issue. I don't see anything about keeping the pages together as spreads. This is what it looks like in my thumnails. The last few single pages indicate separate backmatter "chapters."

This is really only for ease of proofing by the client. For the paperback version of the book, I would export as single pages. I've never used the book feature before. I did it because there will be an e-pub version as well, and I though I read that using the book feature would help keep content to its own page, such as copyright and dedication. However, in my tests, that's not happening! (Sorry, change of subject here.)

[Laubender]

Hi janepell,

as I said: Correct that in Acrobat Pro.

The scripts will help you to export all documents of a book or all open document to PDF in one go.

You then will assemble the PDFs to one single PDF using Acrobat Pro's feature

File > Create > Combine Files into a Single PDF…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[janepell]

I'm not having trouble combining into one PDF. You can export an entire book or individual docs. I do already have a complete PDF. The issue is the "spreads" view doesn't get honored from doc to doc within the Book feature.

Just like my image showed, if a page ends on a left side page and the next doc starts on a right side page, even exporting as Spreads doesn't show those 2 pages side by side as they should. Instead, only pages within each doc inside the Book show as spreads. But from doc to doc, the left/right pages show up as single pages.

I'm not seeing how the scripts will solve that particular issue.