Stone Design Forums

I'm experimenting with PStill and creating full size 2 up from 1 up pages in a PDF. So I set the PDF page size to be 2x the current size, and rotate the output 90 deg. That much seems to work (though there were occasions where it was using the original page size, but that may have been because of the File - Options setting).

The problem I'm noticing is that the content on the output PDF is smaller than it was in the original. In other words, instead of having two 100% size 8.5x11 pages on an 11x17, I'm getting two pages that are around 50% of the original on the same 11x17.

What am I doing wrong?

Are you writing your own slang script to run? Frank has a bunch here that you can look at and use bits of:


http://www.wizards.de/~frank/WP/ControlScripts/

Especially:
http://www.wizards.de/~frank/WP/Control ... -double.sl

should do exactly what you want. Size should be the same if scalefactor is
1.0

These scripts seem to be doing the same thing as the options I was selecting.

But before we go any further, what I'm really after is imposing printer spreads, you know, convert a 16 page 8.5x11 document to 17x11 with pages 16 & 1 sharing a side, then 2 & 15, 14 & 3, 4 & 13, 12 & 5, 6 & 11, 10 & 7, and 8 & 9 so it can be printed on 4 double-sided sheets. (Counted that out just to see if I was doing it right! )

It seems like that's something PStill should be able to do easily, but I don't understand the scripting language well enough to know for sure. (If I did, I might know why those scripts didn't do what I expected!).

Any thoughts on either?

Two ideas to ponder, try this

http://www.cheapimpostor.com/

or
make yourself a booklet with the correct number of pages folded down the middle. Number pages. Design each page in Create the correct size. Make a new document which will take the original pages, 4 up I think in this case as you are folding down the middle. Copy and paste the original pages in the correct positions. Your numbered booklet will tell you which pages have to be printed on the back of which. This is how I did it and it does not take long.

I bogged down with the Applescript, good luck.

Thanks, B., though the link to CheapImpostor didn't work (I did see Russ' thread about imposition that referred to it as well). Searching for it, I came across this hint at MacOSXhints.com which lead me to CocoaBooklet which I'm about to try.

Still, I'd like PStill to be able to do this. Seems like this is right up its alley...

To follow up, CocoaBooklet seems to work really well and quite fast. And it's donationware, apparently. It also installs a PDF plug in so you can run it from the PDF button in the print dialog.

The link works for me.

Andrews very busy at the moment so there is no way he can look at this but I would like the imposition to be done on the Create file then make the pdf.

Anyone tried converting back to Create after imposition?

Once you have put Create into pdf does it remain after being imposed?

Bad timing on my part - it works for me now too. Must've been temporary.


I haven't tried anything, but personally, I'd rather leave the Create file in normal page order, makes it easier to edit and update, then do the imposition outside of it or as part of the output/export/print process.

I'm not sure what you mean by the last two questions.

When I have made booklets in the past I have found the imposition software to fall over at some point in the process. I usually use A5 landscape as my page size/orientation then print to A3 landscape. 4 pages each side cut long ways in half then folded in half. I like a thicker paper for the cover so I lay out the cover twice on the A3 page then print half the required number.

My original Create document is A5 landscape, I agree it is best to see pages in page order. Then I use the image well to drag each page to an A3 Create document and lay out the pages ordered correctly. I then make another A3 document for the reverse side printing. I can save to pdf at any point should I be using another parties print services.

My experience is that imposition software leaves me stranded so I use the Manual method.

Create has the ability to make a pdf that when returned to Create becomes an editable Create document. This ability has to be turned on in Creates preferences. That's what my reference was to in my last post.

That doesn't work when you Export to PDF or Print and save as PDF, correct?

I understand what you mean about doing it all in Create. It makes sense, but I'd rather not do that by hand! I wonder if what you describe can be done via AppleScript or something like that in Create.

Correct, just wondered if the ability to return to editable .cre8 remained after redistilling, but as far as I can tell it does not.

If you find a solution let me know.

Have you looked at the Create Booklets script that comes with Create? It's hardcoded to take 8.5 x 11 pages and create a booklet with the pages shrunk down to 2-up on 11 x 8.5 pages.

The algorithm is to export each page in the document as a separate pdf document. It then creates 2 new Create documents (for back-to-back printing) and lays out the pages in those documents. I've attached the script here so you can take a look at it.

Thanks, Kris!

Blond, it looks like with a little rewriting, you could modify this script to do what you are doing manually. I could probably also change it for my needs, but it's early on a Sat. AM. Maybe later!