How to manage a multipage file?

[Daniele87]

Hi guys,

I'm working on a comic with many pages. I have to switching from one page to the other because I don't start with a script but I draw directly.

In my previous project I worked with an animation software where each frame was a page, and I was able to switch from one page to the other by using the timeline.

Now I'm using Photoshop. What is the best way to manage a multipage file? There are artboards, but I don't know if I can handle a 200 pages (600dpi) comic with them.

Maybe I can work with pages as single files but I need a quick way do switch from one page to the other. Shall I use Lightroom? If so, how?

I'm a Photoshop beginner so any help will be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance .

[c.pfaffenbichler]

First of all: Photoshop is not originally oriented toward multi-page layouts.

Artboards might be useful to you but I would rather simply use Layer Groups with each Group representing one page.

alt-clicking on a Group’s or Layer’s visibility icon in the Layers Panel hides the others.

If you create one file per page you can use Adobe Bridge to organise, view and open them.

Lightroom does not seem remotely useful to you as it is no painting tool.

[Daniele87]

Thanks cp,

so I can create a Group per page. But once I'm done with the drawings, how can I tell Photoshop to export each Group as a single file?

I mentioned Lightroom as a file manager, not as a painting tool...

[cinziamarotta]

Select the artboards (or the layers) you want to save and choose: FILE > EXPORT > ARTBOARDS TO FILES (or LAYERS TO FILES)

[D Fosse]

As the others said...

...but you are really in InDesign territory here. Making multipage documents is what InDesign was born to do.

You can still make the individual pages in Photoshop. A simple command in InDesign called "edit original" takes you directly to the open file in Photoshop. Do the edits, save, and InDesign updates.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

But once I'm done with the drawings, how can I tell Photoshop to export each Group as a single file?

This could be automated with a Script.

And if you should only need one Layer per page it would be easy File > Export > Layers to Files already exists.

[Daniele87]

This could be automated with a Script? Tell me more, please. Each page is composed by multiple layers...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Photoshop Actions are more limited than Scripts – with those one can use JavaScript to automate tasks that include variants like varying numbers of layers or groups etc.

So one could create a Script to save copies of all Group as separate files.

[Trevor.Dennis]

If you don't have InDesign, maybe Bridge would be the way to go.

You wouldn't necessarily need InDesign CC.  I'm not entirely sure what the procedure is for transferring a license to a new owner, but there must be thousands of people who have pre CC licenses sitting unused. 

[Trevor.Dennis]

CP beat me to it there, but a couple more points come to mind.  Bridge lets you sort documents by dragging, as well as the usual name, date parameters.  If you were to collapse each page's layers into a Smart Object, you could use this Bridge script to load those pages into a single Photoshop document as layers.

You could even turn those SO layers into a Frame Animation, and browse them page by page.  This is all very rough and ready, and not a method to compile a finished product of course.

Speaking of which, what is the final product?  Your mention of 600DPI suggests print, and 200 pages would be a huge PITA working from Photoshop.  I'd even prefer to use MS Publisher (spit) which you might already have as part of Office.  Blimey!!!  I've just checked and _I_ have Publisher installed on this system, and I didn't even know it.  That is as part of Office 365

InDesign is obviously streets ahead though, and would add the option to produce cool online versions of the comics, but you would probably need InDesign CC to fully up to speed with HTML5 etc.   You should go ask them on the InDesign forum to see what the possibilities are.

[Daniele87]

Thanks Dennis,

I didn't know about Bridge.

I'll think about InDesign once it's time to print the comic. Now I'm only looking for a method for creating the story and the drawings.

Thanks anyway .

[Trevor.Dennis]

Daniele87 wrote:

Now I'm only looking for a method for creating the story and the drawings.

Thanks anyway .

There's no reason you can't export for print from Photoshop.  Leave all layers intact (i.e. don't hide vector layers by placing a copy-merged layer at the top of the stack), and export to PDF using the High Quality Print option.   This only works for single pages of course, and your printer won't thank you if you ask them to compile a multi-page comic from individual page files.

[jane-e]

I agree with Trevor. Use Bridge to organize. The files are still on your hard drive — Bridge is another way to view them.

You have several Workspaces you can switch to easily for viewing purposes or create your own.

Put a shortcut into Favorites to return to your folder quickly. (Right-click folder > Add to favorites.)

You can label them with bars and starts and filter to isolate just the ones you are working on now.

And you can batch rename.

Later—much, much later—if you decide to publish a book with page numbers, you might pull the photos into InDesign.

But I strongly disagree with my friend Trevor.Dennis about using Microsoft Publisher.

Trevor — Publisher is to InDesign what IrfanView is to Photoshop!

[Trevor.Dennis]

jane-e wrote:

But I strongly disagree with my friend Trevor.Dennis about using Microsoft Publisher.

Trevor — Publisher is to InDesign what IrfanView is to Photoshop!

Jane you are supposed to spit after saying that word.   My thoughts were along the lines of 'the best camera is the one you have got'.  I actually used to use Publisher [spit] for a while, when I started editing the camera club newsletter.  I had individual licenses for Photoshop and Premiere Pro, and eventually added InDesign to that, so I was probably paying as much or more as for Creative Suite.  That was a lot of outlay for what was mostly a hobby, but it was so much better than Publisher I was happy to pay it.

If Daniel can claim a full CC subscription as a business cost, then he should seriously think of doing so.  Illustrator would be of benefit to a comic creator, and before he knew it, he'd have an animated version using Animate, After Effects, and Premiere Pro.  Daniel, those apps are _seriously_ powerful.

But if Daniel just wants to print a multi page document from pages created with Photoshop, and especially if this is not a business, then he may be in the same position I discovered I was, and find that he already has Publisher [spit] installed.

[jane-e]

Well said, Trevor!