Script to duplicate page/spread after current

It's suprisingly easy. The scripting interface knows what 'layout window' you are looking at (in case you have several windows and/or documents opened), and it knows what page or spread is selected inside that window. Both a Spread and a Page have a “duplicate” method, which does exactly what it says — always a nice surprise –, and you also can indicate where the duplicate should be placed.

This one-liner will duplicate the current spread:

and this one the current page:

Note that in the latter case it's slightly ambiguous what the 'current page' is when you are viewing a double spread. When both pages are selected in the Pages panel, the script uses the leftmost page. To be sure what page gets duplicated, use Shift+PgUp and Shift+PgDn to zoom in on the specific page you want to duplicate.

Best of all: if you need this often, well, you can bind shortcut keys to scripts.

I too have need of a script that selects all pages and duplicates them after each page; instead of at the end of the document. Anyone create this script yet?

Thanks for the freebie!

When I make invoices, I often find what I want is to copy a previous invoice and make a new page in front of the current first page of the document. So, I just tried changing the word “AFTER” in Jongware’s script to BEFORE as follows:

app.layoutWindows[0].activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.BEFORE, app.layoutWindows[0].activePage);

That works – but now, it puts the page in front of the current one. So, If I’m on page 1, it dupes page one in front of itself. That’s cool, but not much better than duping right after itself.

If I am on page 20, and want to dupe that page to the start of the document (a new page 1), what word would I use instead of BEFORE?

Hi, i think you could try:
app.layoutWindows[0].activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.AT_BEGINNING, app.activeDocument.pages[0]);

Laros – that worked great – thanks!

Note – I tried changing just the text “BEFORE,” to “AT_BEGINNING,” but it didn’t work. I had to replace the whole line of text, to include the “app.activeDocuments.pages[0]);” part instead of what was there.

But now, using the one-line script you posted above, it duplicates the current page at the front of the document. Very nice!

Haven’t tried it on a spread – but will let you know if it works differently on facing pages. Mostly need it for single-page docs.

i will use this frequently – thank you!

Matt

The only problem I find with this script is that when you duplicate multiple pages at once with itemByRange(), they all come in as one spread, i.e. if I duplicated 10 pages, they would be part of a single spread in the destination document. On the other hand if I duplicate spreads by range, they lose text threading from one spread to another, therefore defeating the whole purpose of scripting it. Any ideas on this? I’m trying to combine several threaded documents into one with these but run into aforementioned issues:

var initDoc = app.open(File (Doc1.indd));
for (b = 1; b < Docs.length; b++){
var pg = initDoc.spreads.lastItem();
var nxtDoc = app.open(File (Docs[b]), false);
nxtDoc.spreads.itemByRange(0, nxtDoc.spreads.length-1).duplicate(LocationOptions.AT_END, pg);
nxtDoc.close(SaveOptions.NO);
}
OR

var initDoc = app.open(File (Doc1.indd));
for (b = 1; b < Docs.length; b++){
var pg = initDoc.pages.lastItem();
var nxtDoc = app.open(File (Docs[b]), false);
nxtDoc.pages.itemByRange(0, nxtDoc.spreads.length-1).duplicate(LocationOptions.AT_END, pg);
nxtDoc.close(SaveOptions.NO);
}

Michael

Dear Jongware,

can i use your code to duplicate the whole pages or the main document with reversed order

Thanks in advance

Hi All,

Super interesting thread. I’ve been looking for a way to 2-up my InDesign documents to print for a while now. ‘2-up’ in the way that it prints 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc. Rather than 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, which is what it does now. I figured if I can make a version of my documents that have all the spreads/pages duplicated, I can Indesign 2-up my way to the desired result. All the info seems to be here, but unfortunately I’m a Mac user; would anyone know the scripts for a Mac?

I would be ever so grateful. Thanks a lot in advance.

The scripts discussed are javascripts, which are cross-platform, so they work on both mac and windows. I work on a Mac, so I know it works.

Applescripts only work on Macs, which is why the vast majority of scripts discussed and shared online for InDesign are javascripts.

I hope that helps!

Depending on the version of InDesign you are running, you could use different Layouts in the same document. I think it should be possible in CC14 and CC15 and maybe even in CS6. In such a case you would have the same text “linked” to two different ways of displaying it. Standard imposing though is better done on PDF files in Acrobat but that depends on your production flow. If you are interested in a script that will make a copy of your file with pages imposed, it probably can be done too – is that what you are trying to accomplish?

Michael

Thanks, Matt – I will try it! The word “Windows” in the script threw me off ;)

And yes, Michael, that is what I’m trying to accomplish. It’s actually exactly what the original forum post described, I just thought the scripts were written for Windows that’s all!
I’ll give it a go, thanks for your replies!

All the best,

Hi all!

Theunis’s script works perfectly! Curious, if any of you can tell me how to add any code to the script so that the duplicated page becomes active instead of staying on the original page?

Thanks!

You could use:

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.activeDocument.pages [yourPageIndex];

or

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.activeDocument.pages.itemByName (“Your page number”);

Michael

Something like that:

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.layoutWindows[0].activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.AFTER, app.layoutWindows[0].activePage);

or

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.activeWindow.activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.AFTER, app.activeWindow.activePage);

Hi all,

Michael asked some posts and 5 years ago how to duplicate multiple spreads in a way that preserves text threads from one spread to another. I have the same problem now, but I couldn’t find the answer here. Is here anyone who knows the solution? :)

I tried to copy the spreads one by one by a for cycle, no success. Then I tried to copy them in 1 step this way:

var myS=thisDoc.spreads.everyItem();
myS.duplicate(LocationOptions.AT_END, otherDoc);

but no change, it didn’t work either: all interspread threads were broken.

Someone please help me!

Tamás

Hi again,

I’ve got an e-mail that said Lasse answered my question. But as I see there are no new answers here. Lasse’s post that was mentioned in the mail doesn’t solve my problem. It is a a great script but it still breaks text threads and ONLY this was my problem, not simply duplicating those pages.

I’m still seeking the solution if it exists at all. When I drag the spreads from one document into another by hand, all threads remain in place. The same action done from script works differently: it breaks all interspread threads.

Tamás

To get this topic alive again, I’ve tried the script:

// Define variables
var file = app.activeDocument;
var pages = file.pages;
var numberOfPages = pages.length;

// Duplicate each page
for (i = 0; i < numberOfPages; i++) {
file.pages[i].duplicate();
}

// Intertwine pages
for (var i = 0; i < (numberOfPages – 1); i++) {
var currentPage = (numberOfPages + i);
var insertPoint = (i + i);

file.pages[currentPage].move(LocationOptions.AFTER, file.pages[insertPoint]);
}

The only problem is that I get an syntax error

Fixed it

There’s an en dash on line 12 that should have been a regular dash. See the updated script here:
https://gist.github.com/lassebrenden/ec2441937899b2458b0c4ffe6602a7de

This is really great! Is there a way to have it only duplicate the selected page vs all pages in the document by any chance?

I ‘m not able to test if this actually works right now, but if you only need to duplicate the currently active page (i.e. not necessarily what you have selected), something like this might work:

var activeDocument = app.activeDocument
var activePage = app.activeWindow.activePage

activePage.duplicate()
activeDocument.pages[activeDocument.pages.length – 1].move(LocationOptions.AFTER, activePage)

Thanks for sending that. I’ve got to play the amateur card. I’m not entirely sure what to do with this code. I opened the other script in text edit & pasted this in, but was getting syntax error. Should I only replace part of the code with what you sent? Sorry to bug but I appreciate it.

This might help:

How to Install a Script in InDesign That You Found in a Forum or Blog Post

Would anyone have a tip on how to edit this script below to affect the current page only?

Thanks!

// Define variables
var file = app.activeDocument;
var pages = file.pages;
var numberOfPages = pages.length;

// Duplicate each page
for (var i = 0; i < numberOfPages; i++) {
pages[i].duplicate();
}

// Intertwine pages
for (var j = 0; j < (numberOfPages – 1); j++) {
var currentPage = (numberOfPages + j);
var insertPoint = (j + j);

pages[currentPage].move(LocationOptions.AFTER, pages[insertPoint]);
}

Hi all.

Old thread, but still trying to sort this out.

I’ve tried these two scripts, but they seem to also copy objects on the pasteboard of the pages below and above, resulting in the pasteboard expanding with unwanted objects.

Any suggestions for a way to edit these to create a script that:
• Duplicates the active page and/or spread
• Moves that page/spread to sit next in order
• Doesn’t affect pasteboard objects that it shouldn’t

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.layoutWindows[0].activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.AFTER, app.layoutWindows[0].activePage);

or

app.activeWindow.activePage = app.activeWindow.activePage.duplicate (LocationOptions.AFTER, app.activeWindow.activePage);