Preparation of Your InDesign Booklet
Booklets (books, magazines, etc.) created in InDesign need to be prepared by following these exact instructions:
Step 0: Before You Begin
• You must have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Distiller.
• You need to note down the exact size of a full spread of your document. The width is double the width of one page, and height is the same as one page. Example: if one page is 8.5" x 11", then the spread is 17" x 11". If your booklet will have crop marks, your spread will be larger. (Instructions for determining this larger size are in the appendix at the end of this guide.)
Step 1: Save as a PostScript File
1. In InDesign, choose File > Print Booklet.
2. Pages: Choose “All”
3. Choose a Booklet Type (“2-up Saddle Stitch”)
4. Check “Automatically Adjust to Fit Marks and Bleeds”
5. Check “Print Blank Printer Spreads”
6. Click “Print Settings”.
- Printer: PostScript File
- PPD: Device Independent
- In the General category under Options, check “Print Blank Pages”.
- (Optional) Choose the Marks and Bleeds option category on the left and adjust the settings as needed.
- Click OK.
7. Back in the Print Booklet dialog box, click Print.
8. Name your files in the following format: Lastname_Firstinitial.FileExtension Example: Smith_J.ps
9. Click Save.
Step 2: Distill PostScript File / Convert to PDF
1. Open Acrobat Distiller.
2. Default Settings: Choose “SoA Print - InDesign" if available. Otherwise choose “High Quality Print”. (SoA Print PDF presets can be downloaded from our website)
3. From the menu, choose Settings > Edit Adobe PDF Settings.
a. Under Default Page Size, change the Width and Height to the exact dimension
b. Click OK.
4. Drag your PostScript file onto the Acrobat Distiller window, and Acrobat Distiller will convert your PostScript file to a PDF.
Step 3: Check Your PDF in Acrobat Pro
Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro to verify that it looks correct. Your spreads should not be cut off / clipped, and they should not be surrounded by any white space. If you have either of these problems, then the dimensions you entered for the Default Page Size in Acrobat Distiller were incorrect. Return to Distiller and make sure that the Default Page Size matches the size of your spread. (For instructions on sizing with crop marks, see the appendix.)
APPENDIX: Determining Spread Size With Crop Marks
1. Open your InDesign file.
2. Choose File > Export.
3. For “Format” (Mac OS) or “Save As Type” (Windows), choose “Adobe PDF (Print)” (version CS5 and newer) or “Adobe PDF” (version CS4 and older), and then click Save.
4. In the Adobe PDF Preset menu, choose “SoA Print - InDesign”. Note: If “SoA Print - InDesign” is not installed, choose “High Quality Print”.
5. In the General option category, type “2-3” for the Range and check Spreads.
6. Choose the Marks and Bleeds option category on the left and choose the exact same settings as you did when you saved your PostScript file.
7. Click Export.
8. Open this PDF you just exported in Acrobat Pro and check its size (see the File Preparation Guide for instructions on checking PDF size). That is the size that you must enter for the Default Page Size in Acrobat Distiller.