PDF saving each page separately

[kepanda]

Hi guys. I looked around for an answer to this, but didn't see it. I'd appreciate it if you could help me out.

I have a 30pg catalog doc. and the printer told me they wanted each page individually in PDF format. I'm used to giving them the whole package or one PDF with all pages, so I want to know how I can do this without having to save each page manually.

I already have the PDF export settings but now I'm having to apply it to each page and numbering it and saving it. It's kind of a drag cause now it's 30 pgs, but it'll probably be 50 next time.

Is there another way to do this?

 

[jimoblak]

There are plugins and scripts to do this in InDesign and in Acrobat. The greater question is why the printer is asking for this. If they are asking because they want to place each PDF page into a QuarkXPress document to impose, get another printer. The placement of PDF files in QuarkXPress may yield unwanted results. Be very careful with this printer.

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAssetDetailSubmit.asp?aID=12022

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAssetDetailSubmit.asp?aID=12265

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAssetDetailSubmit.asp?aID=11359

 

[jmgalvin]

I'm with Jim here. Be REAL careful with this printer.

It seems he can't print directly out of pdf or at least can't impose (putting the pages in proper order for printing front and back of the pages so they come out in order on the book) from pdf.

Sometimes printers who don't have the correct stuff export to individual pdf pages to EPS, often with horrible results, and then put them into a page layout program, such as Quark or Pagemaker. We had one printer one time that said they couldn't print separations from PDF - because they had an old copy of Acrobat. We just notified the account, which had specified that printer, and they told us to use one of their other printers. End of problem.

Since you said you'd be doing more stuff - with more pages - now is the time to stop this problem.

One way to do a check on the printer is to ask them if you could send a CD with the whole packaged Indesign document. If he says NO, it means he has not bothered to invest or learn anything new. That's a bad indicator right there. If he says yes, package up the ID thing, burn a cd and send it to him - rather than wasting time making a bunch of individual pdfs that you HOPE he will get in the right order.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[kepanda]

Thanks jimoblak, I'll check those links right now.

You're right guys, my first suspicion with this printer was that they were lazy, didn't want to bother with anything. Thing is, it's the client's printer and he uses them because of a pricing deal they have (or something). It's the first time I'm sending them work but I have seen how they printed the last catalog and jmgalvin is probably right that they probably place the pages on Quark or something because the cropping is terrible. But yep, that's what's out there.

Thank you

 

[jcape]

Hey kepanda,

I don't what software you have, but Acrobat Professional 7.0 has this option built in. Just go to the Document menu and select extract pages, this saves each page separately.

Before I had this I used a free java program to do the same thing. It works well but you have to know something about java. You can find it here:

http://multivalent.sourceforge.net/index.html

Go to tools, Split is the one to use.

Good luck.

J

 

[kepanda]

Thanks jcape, I have to get Acrobat Pro.
Don't know a lot about java but I'll check it out.

 

[TYPPIET]

It seems you are forced to have your work printed by a cheap and apparently non-professional printer, for the reason of saving your client's money. But why should YOU invest YOUR time (=money) on this? Tell your client that the printer is not up-to-date and his cheap price forces you to ask for a higher price for your work, since you are the one that has extra work to do.

Good luck!

 

[Lessa]

I have been forced to work with a client's printer that is also lazy and wants me to do their job. It was a lot of extra work for me and people on this forum told me it really is the printer's job, not mine. So, I finally told them "sorry, I'm having trouble doing that, and since it's your job, you do it". And now it's their headache instead of mine.

I suggest you tell the printer you don't have the ability or time to do what they ask and if they want separate PDFs, they can separate your 30 page file themselves. There's an Acrobat extension that will do it called PDF splitter, but why should you have to get software to do their job?