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Export PDF as separate pages


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I have tried to get Affinity Publisher to print out individual PDF pages, but even the 'all pages' setting still gives a single PDF, even though the pages are separate when opened. you will see from the Staff email 14 January that the change is from All Spreads to All Pages, but unlike Quark Xpress, I still cannot find a way to show each page as a PDF with a page number suffix (01, 02, etc). See my email also dated 14 January with a link to a shortcut to print to separate pages.

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20 minutes ago, ymugmike said:

I have tried to get Affinity Publisher to print out individual PDF pages, but even the 'all pages' setting still gives a single PDF, even though the pages are separate when opened. you will see from the Staff email 14 January that the change is from All Spreads to All Pages, but unlike Quark Xpress, I still cannot find a way to show each page as a PDF with a page number suffix (01, 02, etc). See my email also dated 14 January with a link to a shortcut to print to separate pages.

There's a bit of confusion here!

The export from Affinity Publisher either gives you two page spreads or single pages in a single PDF file (Basically it's just how the pages are displayed in the PDF). If you want the output to be each page as an individual file you either need to use the work-a-round using Affinity Designer, or a PDF editing app. Both options have links above.

Acer XC-895 : Core i5-10400 Hexa-core 2.90 GHz :  32GB RAM : Intel UHD Graphics 630 : Windows 10 Home
Affinity Publisher 2 : Affinity Photo 2 : Affinity Designer 2 : (latest release versions) on desktop and iPad

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It would be really great if Publisher could export single PDFs, specially regarding datamerge. I recently datamerged 54 single pages from one master and then had to use an online service to extract the single pages of this one PDF, that Publisher made - isn't that a bit poor?

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14 minutes ago, abra100pro said:

It would be really great if Publisher could export single PDFs, specially regarding datamerge. I recently datamerged 54 single pages from one master and then had to use an online service to extract the single pages of this one PDF, that Publisher made - isn't that a bit poor?

Or you could have used Designer, assuming you have a license for it.

You could Open the PDF in Designer which will give you multiple Artboards, and then export the Artboards as individual PDF pages by using the Export Persona. I think that would also work in Photo.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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7 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Or you could have used Designer, assuming you have a license for it.

You could Open the PDF in Designer which will give you multiple Artboards, and then export the Artboards as individual PDF pages by using the Export Persona. I think that would also work in Photo.

Thanks, Walt. While I appreciate your feedback I must say, that it bothers me quite a lot. "Why make your customer's lifes difficult?" I would like to ask Serif. It is really obvious that Publisher, which has the data merge feature should be able to do that (like Designer, which hasn't bullet lists and text wrap - c'mon, Serif, really?) - I feel uncomfortable opening the final exported PDF in another app for this procedure - another source of errors.

I mean, these apps cost around two lunches, depending on the country you live in - keeping the apps different for the sake of "buy them all to do all" really isn't something that needs to be forced at the cost of easy and speed of workflow, IMHO.

I'm looking for creative freedom and everything that stands in the way costs me by far more over time than the (luckily so low) prices of the apps.

But maybe Serif hasn't just implemented it yet and works on it and many more improvements to surprise us all.

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1 hour ago, abra100pro said:

It is really obvious that Publisher, which has the data merge feature should be able to do that

Sorry, but it's not obvious to me that this is a feature that a lot of Publisher users need. Publisher is more about producing a single output file.

1 hour ago, abra100pro said:

like Designer, which hasn't bullet lists

Designer has bulleted lists.

1 hour ago, abra100pro said:

keeping the apps different for the sake of "buy them all to do all"

I don't think that is the primary reason for the separation of functions. I think it is primarily to provide a more focused, tailored, environment for the common workflows those application users are expected to need the most, with easy access to the other applications when the other functions are needed.

And, as you mentioned, they are inexpensive enough to allow one to purchase them all at a reasonable price, to allow that interoperation when the user needs it.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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  • 6 months later...

@walt.farrell Affinity Suite is about producting professional content. And professional needs can be exporting single pdf pages on a wide document. Even if its rare, this is a really important feature that should be there when we need, event it's one time out of 100 projects. I can't understand how this feature is still far away and moreover that you say this is not a need for a lot of users, because there is more than 10 forum post on the subject... 

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  • 2 months later...

I really think it does not help the product, when folks in here state, that the input xy is not valid because

  • there is a workaround
  • there is no need for this feature
  • this feature is in another app (of the suite)

It slows down the development because of people getting tired of suggesting things. If there is a poll everyone is welcome to state a "nah!" but when there is the need for something for people to take their time and post it here, there must be a reason to look at it.

If this sounds harsh, please forgive me, I'm not naive english and do not intend to offend anyone.

 

Have a great day, ye all.

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2 hours ago, abra100pro said:

I really think it does not help the product, when folks in here state, that the input xy is not valid because

  • there is a workaround

But posting a workaround does help other users to solve at least some of the issues they are having due to lack of a feature. Posting workarounds is not just for those who started a thread or who reply to it, but also for "lurkers" who simply search the forums for solutions, and when they find them, they apply them without ever posting here. That's why these forums are public.

2 hours ago, abra100pro said:
  • there is no need for this feature

Agreed, that's a non-argument. 

2 hours ago, abra100pro said:
  • this feature is in another app (of the suite)

This, on the other hand, is a valid argument. Serif has split features between the apps for several reasons, not just marketing but also from usability point. Of course, they could be selling just one "eierlegende Wollmilchsau" because technically, at the backend, the document format and the three apps are just one format and one app. But they have wisely chosen not to. A few days ago I have posted a slightly more detailed explanation on the same topic in another thread which was then confirmed by a forum moderator. (feel free to search for it in my post stream)

2 hours ago, abra100pro said:

I'm not naive english

Oh-oh, das chönnt me gloub ä "freudsche Versprecher" nenne… :D 

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Ventura > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 16 > Affinity v2

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1 minute ago, abra100pro said:

AD should have basic text features

And basic text features is exactly what it has, and then some.
(Have you ever tried to use the "basic text features" in Ill-frustrator™? Especially if you were familiar with InDesign's advanced text features? myni Närve!) 

11 minutes ago, abra100pro said:

proper hyphenation (why is there this feature in the panel when it doesn't do anything?)

You mean the Language section in the Characters panel? I guess it's an oversight.
Especially in v1, there were a few other "unintended features" – at least on Mac – where you can activate otherwise hidden elements like the Text Frame, Links, or Pinning panels in the other apps that don't offer the respective panel "out of the box". (This is how I initially realized, back in day, that under the hood it's de facto all just one "Affinity" app.)

Anyway. The smart thing about Serif's concept – also marketing-wise – is that if you need such cross-app features, simply buy the other app of the suite that has it, and then just shuffle the document seamlessly from app to app to add or use the feature you need. File > Edit in… It's been there for years. And if you have all three, work in Publisher and its Personas and you won't have to leave the app at all, except for some very specific APh functions.

Keep in mind: the Affinity file format is universal. The file extension serves only one purpose: to define the default app to open it by double click. If you create a file in Designer, save it as *.afdesign, but then you want it to open with Publisher by default, all you need to do is to change the file extension to *.afpub.
It's really that simple.™ :) 

MacBookAir 15": MacOS Ventura > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // MacBookPro 15" mid-2012: MacOS El Capitan > Affinity v1 / MacOS Catalina > Affinity v1, v2, v2 beta // iPad 8th: iPadOS 16 > Affinity v2

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2 hours ago, abra100pro said:

AD should have basic text features such as a proper hyphenation (why is there this feature in the panel when it doesn't do anything?) I may miss the obvious.

You can transfer Affinity files between the applications. If you have a Publisher file, you can enable auto-hyphenation. If you transfer that file to Designer, you cannot enable or disable automatic hyphenation, but you may add additional text. That added text may be in a different language, and thus you need the Hyphenation Language setting in the Character panel or you can't specify it.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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On 9/16/2022 at 3:43 PM, paulmaad said:

@walt.farrell Affinity Suite is about producting professional content. And professional needs can be exporting single pdf pages on a wide document. Even if its rare, this is a really important feature that should be there when we need, event it's one time out of 100 projects. I can't understand how this feature is still far away and moreover that you say this is not a need for a lot of users, because there is more than 10 forum post on the subject... 

Exactly.

I've had no problem working with Publisher in the last three years or so. Exported files were always OK with the clients.

But I had so many project - flyers, invitations etc. - where I needed to export everything at once but in separate PDFs. This feature (which InDesign has, for example) should be implemented I think.

I'm no programmer but it doesn't sound that difficult to me when Publisher can already export multiple pages as separate JPEGs and PNGs. So why not PDFs?

 

 

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This has been a matter of topic over many months. I was hoping in version 2 that it had been resolved, but not that I can see. While only needing to change a relatively small number of pages, I have to go through each page with the '01, 02' system so that the printing company keeps everything in order.

I have no idea what coding would be required to change this, but there is a workaround that somebody better than I has found for release to the general public.

This is the link from 2 years ago -

http://www.documentsnap.com/how-to-split-pdf-documents-into-single-pages-using-mac-osx/

Is it so much of a hindrance for Serif/Affinity to just include it and make a lot of people happy. Quark has managed it for many years.

I hope that they are not trying to guide us specifically to exactly what they want us to do rather than considering that sometimes, there are bits of the software that not everybody uses, but those who do find extremely helpful.

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  • 3 months later...

I ran into this issue as well, it looks like some tabloid press processes still rely on having all the pages as separate PDF files, with specific numbering schemes as well.

I tried the Designer workaround, but it's looking like it's stuck on something... and I'd rather not have some third-party app to do the job.

But in context, this is the only issue I've had so far while trying to create a new workflow from scratch, after years of not doing any layout work at all. And compared to any remaining sane memories on how Adobe software worked, Publisher has been remarkably trouble-free, managing to do pretty much everything I could imagine it needing to do.

Heh, naturally there's been some crashes (my computer is old), but even then the software happily restored everything where things were. Even the filesize got smaller. 🙂

Thanks, all the people involved.

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