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Printing from InDesign CS2 - one page, duplicated on a single sheet?!?

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Dashtel

Technical User
Jan 3, 2008
2
US
Hello all. We are trying to get away from using CorelDraw completely here, but one thing CorelDraw (v11 being used for this) does that my print dept. cannot figure out is duplicating a single page x amount of times on a single sheet of paper. For example, in CorelDraw we can use their very easy and intuitive interface (by simply going to Print Preview) to manually set a postcard design (5.5"x4.25") to be 8-up on an 11"x17" digital press... They can also easily set the margins between each and etc... Because Adobe is suppose to be the best, I just assumed it would have a similar interface for something like this - please tell me it's a simple option they are missing in InDesign CS2 so we don't have to constantly output and bring into CorelDraw - quite cumbersome considering 99% of our design work is done via Adobe products...
 
I don't know much about Corel Draw. But I do know that in InDesign you would have to manually do this. You would need to design a template in InDesign and then step and repeat the element the way you want it.

The same had to be done in Quark. The only other alternative is to use an external imposition program. The one that I am familar with is PREPs. But I'm sure you don't want to have to learn a whole new program.

So here's a quick way to do it.

It's probably best to copy the design and paste it into another document that is exact size of the design. So if it's a 60 x 90 mm business card, make the document exactly 60 x 90 cm.

Copy the design, the whole design that is on the page. Open the Pages Panel. Create a New Master Page. Paste the design onto the master page, making sure it's centered.

Insert the amount of pages that you want, using the master page using Layout>Pages>Insert Pages.

Then use, File>InBooklet SE from the top menu of the Application. But that won't yield great results for you.


The only other alternative would be to create the template yourself in a new document. InDesign does not offer great automation for Impositions. Usually you have to use an external program.

You can do it manually quick enough though.

There is nothing wrong with using Corel Draw to impose your files.

 
Actually scrap that "Quick Way to do it" it's rubbish.

The only way I know of is to do it manually or external imposition software.
 
Coreldraw as a standard application is exponentially superior to similar packages in this department.

Other than 3rd party imposition programs, the only way I can think of achieving this is either by downloading a plugin or script or building a script yourself.
Looking around Indesign there is no recordable automation to build a script looks like you have to code it yourself.

Or you could build a template file eg business cards, 21up on an A3 made out of guidelines with crop marks in place.
Then snap to guides, duplicate and place the business cards.

Unless theres built step & repeats in Acrobat?
 
Coreldraw as a standard application is exponentially superior to similar packages in this department.

Other than 3rd party imposition programs, the only way I can think of achieving this is either by downloading a plugin or script or building a script yourself.
Looking around Indesign there is no recordable automation to build a script looks like you have to code it yourself.

Or you could build a template file eg business cards, 21up on an A3 made out of guidelines with crop marks in place.
Then snap to guides, duplicate and place the business cards.

Unless theres built in step & repeats in Acrobat?
 
Heard part of a podcast where they were talking about step and repeats inside of table setups.
 
Surely the simplest option is to:

- build cropmarks with the built in script

- step and repeat using Edit - step and repeat

The only downside would be cropmarks on the inside
of your step&repeat.

havent had a chance to look at it, for $US10.00

Business Card CE script on the adobe website:
 
Ok. Thank you guys for your replies. It's quite surprising to me that Adobe does not have the feature that CorelDraw v12 (I thought it was v11, but we are using v12) offers for imposition.

So, it looks like we cannot lay CorelDraw to rest because of this very important feature. You guys have to download a trial version of CorelDraw to see what it is I'm talking about - I incorrectly assumed that Adobe InDesign CS2 would have this... Oh well, nobody's perfect...
 
It's hard for some people to realise, but InDesign is like RonSeal. It does what it says on the tin. It's a Design program. 9/10 designers aren't printers, or impose jobs for print. Most people leave the imposition to the printers.

If you need to do it in InDesign then layout the imposition in InDesign. I imposed the entire dictionary in Quark Xpress. Try that on for size. I didn't have PREPs and I was stuck.

But InDesign is just a Design Program.
 
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