Making Spreads from Single-Sided Pages
Julie wrote to us:
I create multipage documents in InDesign and the printer wants single pages… therefore I create single numbered pages. However at times, I have a picture spread and want to view those pages only as a spread. InDesign doesn’t let me drag a page in the Pages palette next to another to view the spread. Is there an easier way of viewing only the two pages together and then just as easily split them apart again for the printer without changing the entire document into spreads and then back to single pages again?
Julie, I wonder if your printer really wants you to create a single-sided document. Perhaps they just want you to give them the pages one at a time? If the document is going to be imposed into a facing-pages type thing, it’s much better to create the document that way from the beginning. Then, when you print, you leave the Spreads feauture turned off so that each page comes out by itself.
On the other hand, here’s a trick you should know about: In the Pages palette flyout menu, turn off Allow Pages to Shuffle. Now you can drag a page icon close to its neighbor; when you see the black arrow icon, let go of the mouse button and the page should snap into place and you’ll see a spread.
Or, here’s another option: You can select just the two pages you want as a spread in the Pages palette and choose Keep Spread Together from the palette menu. You’ll see brackets around the page numbers. Now you can do the same thing as above: Drag one page over near the other until you see that black arrow icon.
I hope that helps!
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[…] This is tricky, but can absolutely be done. The key is the Allow Pages to Shuffle option in the Pages palette flyout menu. There’s no way to split up a spread (or add pages to a spread) when this feature is turned on. However, if you turn it off, then you can have all kinds of fun. (”It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how!”) […]
I am making a 40 page booklet. All pages are single sided. How do I lay out the pages so that they are all single sided and not a left and right facing pages?
David, you probably want to turn off “Facing Pages” in the New Document dialog box. If you’ve already made your document, go to File > Document Setup and turn it off. (You may want to make sure no facing page master pages are applied to your document pages in the Pages palette first.)
I need export an interactive PDF as there are hyperlinks in my document. When I first did it, my two A4 page spread became one large A3 page in the PDF. Turning off ‘facing pages’ fixes that, but now my page numbers are all on the left instead of alternating. The hyperlinks are on a different layer so I can turn them off and export the PDF using Adobe Pre-sets for when we want to print it (so the hyperlinks don’t show). So I need to be able to export both types of PDFs easily and I’m finding this frustrating. Any help would be appreciated. :)
… forgot to add, it’s not just the page numbers, but anything on the master spread. The graphics at the top of the page look different on left and right handed pages, but of course when I turn off ‘facing pages’ that’s not the case any more. There must be a way to export as single pages without turning off ‘facing pages’ – at least I hope so! :)
Solved!! After I added my comments, I stumbled across another of your forum posts where someone had posted a fix for it, and it worked like a charm. Thank you!!
The fix was here:
https://creativepro.com/breaking-pages-apart-to-bleed-off-a-spine.php
Once I moved the pages as shown, the interactive export worked properly.
Hi Dave, I’m building a book that has 68 pages with facing pages. The print company wants me to send it as a single page. Can I do that???
Thanks,
Sharon
Sharon: Um… I’m not sure what that means. You want all 68 pages on one huge page? I suggest bringing this up on the forums (click Forums above), so that more people will see and respond.
So what does one do about the master page items applied that come out on the wrong pages when you turn off the facing pages button in the doc set-up dialog and allow to shuffle is on? We have a 250 pg. book designed with spreads and now the printer wants singles. Each page has a master applied and or contains art and writing with bleeds.
After reading Julie’s question i was initially puzzled as to why the printer would request single pages as opposed to readers spreads, until i realised that the publications could be wire-o bound, perfect bound, ring-bound (impositions for these books require image bleeds to also bleed into the spine which can’t be done when the documents are set up as spreads).
On that note though, there is a handy script which has featured on this site before called separatepages.jsx which takes an indesign file created in readers spreads and splits it into individual pages for the purpose of adding bleeds in the spines. Artwork still has to be checked very carefully in case any images have disappeared as a result of this script, but this script has got me out of a jam many times!
https://creativepro.com/breaking-pages-apart-to-bleed-off-a-spine.php
Brilliant. Many thanks.
I have the opposite problem. I’ve laid out a 334 page book as single pages (though spreads is checked under document set up) as it is a coil bound book. Now the client would like a pdf version so that each spread is a single pdf page for people to print off.
I’m dragging every 2nd page up beside the first, but would love a script or a command to do it all in one go. Is there one?
@Andrea: Check the box that says “Spreads” when exporting your PDF …
Thank you David Blatner!!! I have been looking for that crazy check box to turn off FACING PAGES for a while. Them moved it from wear they had it in CS3. This will make my life easier.
I have 10 pages and 6 spreads. I want all spreads, but I can’t figure out how to do that.?
Hi I want to enable “Allow selected spreads to shuffle” using script. Please help me with the script in Indesign CS6
Hi I want to enable “Allow selected spreads to shuffle” using script. Please help me with the script in Indesign CS6
Thank you…solved my problem
I have 64 pages i’m trying to export. When i export to PDF all my page numbers are in the bottom left instead of every other page. Facing pages is off. Anyone know why this is happening? Thanks
Mark
Hi – I’m pretty new to ID (I mainly work on web related content) and have been asked to create a brochure for a client. Basically I’m stuck. I’ve set up my document as facing pages because I have assumed that ID would print the pages correctly in the right order. Am I incorrect? Or do I need to create the spreads in the right order myself? by dragging the pages around? Or can the printer print the pages in the right order? Sorry I sound like a novice.
Hope you can help, I need to go to print in a day or two so I’m trying to get my head around it asap. Images are OK, fonts are OK, everything is fine in that respect it’s just the order. I’m worried that when I get them back the pages will not be in the right places.
Many thanks
Doug
Thanks, Dave! This really helped me out with a school project I had where I needed to combine single pages into a spread. Thanks so much!
thank you so much David. You are God sent. I have been trying for several weeks to get my 2 pages together in a spread. God bless you!
I have set up my booklet, and would like to only print out the front and back page into one whole page, so I can make several copies without printing the entire book. What do you suggest?