Device Independent Postscript file doesn't let me choose paper size or output options

[Elidor23]

I'm trying to output pre-separated PDFs from InDesign CS6 (Mac OS 10.8). My only output options are a laser printer that can't actually produce 2-page spreads on one document, or a device independent postscript file for which all output options are grayed out.

I used to do all this from an earlier version of InDesign using the Adobe PDF plugin as the PPD, with Acrobat Pro was installed, but I have the latest version of Acrobat Pro, and that no longer works.

(If you must know 'why the pre-separated PDFs': the pressman at the company who prints our paper has never been able to figure out the settings on his RIP to spare me this endless nonsense.)

[Manish-Sharma · Accepted solution]

You can get the Adobe 9 PPD in InDesign CS6 Print option but not sure will it work on Mac 10.8, Follow the below steps and then check :-

1. Quit InDesign.

2. Navigate to /Applications/Adobe Indesign CS5/Presets/.

3. Within the Presets", folder Create a folder called PPDs (the folder name is case-sensitive).

4. Control-click the following link and choose Save Link As to download the Acrobat 9 PPD:

   Acrobat 9 PPD

5. Place a copy of the downloaded PPD into the folder you created in step 3.

[Manish-Sharma]

By Mistake, I wrote in Step 2

1. Navigate to /Applications/Adobe Indesign CS5/Presets/.

It is /Applications/Adobe InDesign CS6/ Presets

[Elidor23]

It worked! I can't thank you enough, Manish-Sharma. You are wonderful, and you have saved my sanity.

[Guest]

+1 to Manish-Sharma. Thank you very much, adding the Acrobat 9 PPD worked like a charm. Why Adobe and Apple make us go through this dance everytime we upgrade our InDesign program is beyond my simple mind...

[BobLevine]

OTOH why anyone in the year 2012 would still be printing to postscript instead of exporting to PDF is beyond my simple mind.

Bob

[Guest]

Show me a way to direct export an InDesign file to a fully-impositioned PDF file, and I will. Otherwise, I have to first create the PS file using InDesign's Print Booklet option, and then distill into a PDF using Distiller. If you have a simpler, more direct way, please share!

[Peter Spier]

There are a number of scripts that will impose a file, and an inexpensive plugin: Overview | IDImposer

[Guest]

Thanks, Peter, on quick glance, IDimposer looks like it could be very useful. I seem to remember back around CS3, the print booklet function worked pretty well to produce simple imposition files, although I never had to look for functions such as adjusting for creep. Since then, however, every time I've upgraded, I've always had to remember about downloading the Acrobat 9 PPD. I suppose Apple and Adobe have their reasons for not including it in the newer InDesign packages, but it's such an easy fix, it makes me wonder.

[DHunterDesign]

Same here ... can't write Postscript using "Print Booklet" to Distill. Print Booklet requires a PS file.

[Guest]

In general I would agree, but coming from a prepress perspective there are times where going to PostScript can solve a problem -- for example, when you're having trouble getting a poorly made font to embed properly (or if it's one of those crazy fonts that disallows embedding -- why any vendor does this I cannot fathom).

Or, if you're supplying a file to a more archaic shop that can't figure out what to do with a composite PDF (I had this happen once, where I sent a composite PDF to a silkscreen vendor using a spot color for spot white that was -- you guessed it -- white. He kept coming back to me and telling me that all the white objects were missing... sigh... I printed seps to PostScript and then distilled that to a multipage PDF, one all-black page per sep. Since it looked just like the film he was used to working with, he loved it... my file, of course, didn't change one nit.)

There are few reasons to use PS or EPS in 2013, but despite what Adobe says there are still a few... and in my book, I'll use any tool / file format / trick / conversion / etc. to resolve a problem with a file. Even CorelDRAW on occasion! 

[ironhorse11a]

In indesign, i'm pretty sure that's the only way you can print booklets. You print to postscript then from there to pdf

[Frans v.d. Geest]

‌Because one needs to scale the output dear Bob? 😉

[kmurray_1]

It's 2017 and we still use postscripts to create separation output for our presses. Which exporting to PDF is incapable of doing.

[Awl Right]

Because not all print jobs are 8.5 by 11 and require larger paper proper files for the printer. Not everyone lives online and print is still important to many people who have clients that print magazines or newsletters. 

[ironhorse11a]

I had the same problem on new os maverick install. Lost adobe 9.0 as a printer choice when using postscript. I'm using ID CC. after renaming from "PPD" to the corecct "PPDs" worked like a dream. I can take the revolver away from my head now. My family thanks you.

[tanner2008]

I also just followed these steps and had success!!! I'm amazed and SOO thankful!!!!

[strudelmedia]

Hi,

I'm getting in on this conversation a little late, but I'd like to ask a follow-up question: once I add in the Acrobat 9 PPD, I still am printing to a postscript file and then generating the PDF with Distiller, is that right?

Or is the PPD supposed to actually make a PDF instead of a PS file?

Thanks for your assistance!

[Manish-Sharma]

The Printer is still being used is "Postcript file" we are adding the Driver. Adding the PPD adds up the control in the print dailog box of Indesign, which you don't get natively when "Device Independent" is selected.

The process is postscript file get created and then you distill it to make the PDF.

[strudelmedia]

Ah, okay, as I experienced it. I thought maybe I was missing something. Thanks again!

[volcanicc]

Thanks Manish-Sharma, and for those wondering yes this method still works in InDesign CC2018.

[prestoli]

Thanks for this solution. I am having a similar problem but even after creating that file the General - Pages options are still greyed out. I'm not sure what I've done wrong.

[Guest]

Hi, I'm running CS6 on Mac OS 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard), and this is how it works on my system: When I hit Print Booklet, I get a dialog box with a Print Preset drop-down menu. I change that to [Custom], then click on Print Settings... button at the bottom of the dialog box. This brings up a "Print" dialog box, and on my system, it gives me three drop-down menus: Print Preset (now set to [Custom]), Printer (which I set to PostScript® File; do not use the Adobe PDF 7.0 driver); and a PPD box that was greyed out before, but now becomes active once you've selected the PostScript® File driver option. Now, in the PPD box, I can now find the Adobe PDF 9.0 driver that I downloaded previously. This is the one I use (NOT "Device Independent"). Once I've made those selections, I can now go into the Setup panel where, under Paper Size, I can choose any of the options, or do a custom size.

And yes, once you've done all of this, you can go back to the Print Booklet dialog box, and click on Preview to see if everything is working as intended. Printing then creates a postscript file (labelled "filename.indd.ps"), which I then distill into a PDF using Distiller.

Hope this works for you; it works fine for me, if a little clunky and unintuitive.

[pi_fish]

No issues here using 10.8.3. Thanks.

[Jono_Hayes]

Could you please tell me how to do the same for illustrator?