On "book" and "booklet" print modes

[sfriedberg]

While I have several tools which can do signature imposition, today I took a look to see if Affinity Publisher can do it, to avoid a post-export step.  Apparently the print mode "booklet" does signature imposition, although there does not seem to be any way to tell it how many sheets are supposed to be in one signature (an absolutely critical number for signature-based binding, like sewing).  Rather, it treats all the pages in the document as belonging to one however-many-sheets-are-required signature.  Nor does it seem able to manage anything more than a single fold (four pages per sheet total, front and back, each face divided by the fold into two pages) of the sheet.  Commercial offset printing pretty much starts at four folds (sixteen pages per sheet total, front and back, each face divided by the folds into eight pages).  However, for a self-described "booklet" mode, these restrictions seem reasonable.

"Book" mode is useful for perfect binding, but much less so for signature-based binding.  It treats each set of four consecutive pages as a single-sheet signature.  So you would fold each sheet separately, then glue them together at the spine.

I wrote this because the documentation for these features is something less than complete.  In fact, "book" mode is not even mentioned on the Publishing and Sharing > Print help page where the print dialog clearly displays that option.

[fde101]

The inability to control the number of signatures for Book mode has come up before in other threads.

For both modes the page count of the document must be a multiple of four.  That makes sense logically, but what might not be obvious is that the program doesn't simply append blank pages during the printing process to fill in to that multiple...

[sfriedberg]

Actually, when I first tried booklet mode, I deliberately started with a document of 33 pages.  3 additional blank pages were imposed during print in the proper places, without changing the page count in the document itselft.  So that does seem to work properly.

[fde101]

Interesting...  it wasn't always like that so they must have fixed it somewhere down the line and I missed that.

[Douglas Stinson]

I agree. The ability to print signatures would be most helpful! I know a number of people who make hand-made books that would find this feature very useful.

[RobinMcL]

Does anyone know if there are any plans to have this feature? I have been asking for it for years. I am currently working on  a 200 page book and feel that I am headed for a nightmare when it comes to printing.

Robin

[fde101]

As nothing has been said (that I know of) probably best to assume it won't come in the near future.  Book mode prints single-sheet signatures, booklet mode attempts to print the entire project in one thick booklet (not practical at 200 pages).

If you are on the Mac, printing the project yourself, and need signatures of more than one sheet, try something like Create Booklet 2 (mentioned recently in another recent thread and I concur as I have that in my toolbox as well); I would imagine that similar products are available on the other platform but have not looked for them.

If you are sending this to be printed professionally by a print shop, generally best to let them deal with the imposition.

[Jokinb]

I want to be able to print an entire book in groups of 2, 3 or more signatures. Each group would be made up of a certain number of signatures.

Each group would be like a booklet (composed of several signatures) that, sewn together, would form the binding of the book.

I know that this option as I describe it, does not exist in Publisher.

I can print a book but this only generates groups of a single signature. In some cases this is appropriate.

If I choose the Booklet option, it prints the entire document as a booklet.

If within the printing option of a Booklet I choose a range of pages, it prints that range of pages but taking the entire document as a reference.

  It would be interesting if there was a button that would allow to consider that range of selected pages as an independent booklet and print them as a booklet…. group those various booklets, stitch them together and form a complete book.

Currently, to achieve the same goal I have to create a second document where I insert the range of pages of the original document that I want to print as a booklet.

A much more tedious process.

[FergusPearson]

I'm struggling with the same issue. I want to print a 153 page book in signatures for sewing. I can do it in my cheaper-than-Adobe pdf programme quite easily, but not in a programme that has 'Publisher' in its title!

I could convert my Affinity document into a pdf document, but I'd rather be able to print directly from AP. I'm on version 2.5.7 (the latest update) but still no progress since this thread was last touched in Nov 2023. You must all have found ways to do it in other software.

[Oufti]

On 2/9/2025 at 11:05 PM, FergusPearson said:

You must all have found ways to do it in other software.

I eventually made a spreadsheet in Apple Numbers to calculate the succession of page numbers to paste in Affinity print or export dialogs. 

For example, if you want to print 153 pages in signatures, if you add 7 empty pages to your document (160 pages), then you could print it as:

— 5 signatures of 32 pages (inserting 8 sheets printed recto-verso and folded in-folio, i.e. 4 pages each, make up a booklet):

For a duplex printer (print '2 per page'):

32, 1, 2, 31, 30, 3, 4, 29, 28, 5, 6, 27, 26, 7, 8, 25, 24, 9, 10, 23, 22, 11, 12, 21, 20, 13, 14, 19, 18, 15, 16, 17, 64, 33, 34, 63, 62, 35, 36, 61, 60, 37, 38, 59, 58, 39, 40, 57, 56, 41, 42, 55, 54, 43, 44, 53, 52, 45, 46, 51, 50, 47, 48, 49, 96, 65, 66, 95, 94, 67, 68, 93, 92, 69, 70, 91, 90, 71, 72, 89, 88, 73, 74, 87, 86, 75, 76, 85, 84, 77, 78, 83, 82, 79, 80, 81, 128, 97, 98, 127, 126, 99, 100, 125, 124, 101, 102, 123, 122, 103, 104, 121, 120, 105, 106, 119, 118, 107, 108, 117, 116, 109, 110, 115, 114, 111, 112, 113, 160, 129, 130, 159, 158, 131, 132, 157, 156, 133, 134, 155, 154, 135, 136, 153, 152, 137, 138, 151, 150, 139, 140, 149, 148, 141, 142, 147, 146, 143, 144, 145

 

Or if you print all the front pages at once (print '2 per page'), then flip the stack and print the back pages:

Front: 32, 1, 30, 3, 28, 5, 26, 7, 24, 9, 22, 11, 20, 13, 18, 15, 64, 33, 62, 35, 60, 37, 58, 39, 56, 41, 54, 43, 52, 45, 50, 47, 96, 65, 94, 67, 92, 69, 90, 71, 88, 73, 86, 75, 84, 77, 82, 79, 128, 97, 126, 99, 124, 101, 122, 103, 120, 105, 118, 107, 116, 109, 114, 111, 160, 129, 158, 131, 156, 133, 154, 135, 152, 137, 150, 139, 148, 141, 146, 143

Back: 2, 31, 4, 29, 6, 27, 8, 25, 10, 23, 12, 21, 14, 19, 16, 17, 34, 63, 36, 61, 38, 59, 40, 57, 42, 55, 44, 53, 46, 51, 48, 49, 66, 95, 68, 93, 70, 91, 72, 89, 74, 87, 76, 85, 78, 83, 80, 81, 98, 127, 100, 125, 102, 123, 104, 121, 106, 119, 108, 117, 110, 115, 112, 113, 130, 159, 132, 157, 134, 155, 136, 153, 138, 151, 140, 149, 142, 147, 144, 145

 

— If you prefer 10 × 16 pages signatures (inserting 4 sheets folded in-folio): 

 

 

Duplex: 16, 1, 2, 15, 14, 3, 4, 13, 12, 5, 6, 11, 10, 7, 8, 9, 32, 17, 18, 31, 30, 19, 20, 29, 28, 21, 22, 27, 26, 23, 24, 25, 48, 33, 34, 47, 46, 35, 36, 45, 44, 37, 38, 43, 42, 39, 40, 41, 64, 49, 50, 63, 62, 51, 52, 61, 60, 53, 54, 59, 58, 55, 56, 57, 80, 65, 66, 79, 78, 67, 68, 77, 76, 69, 70, 75, 74, 71, 72, 73, 96, 81, 82, 95, 94, 83, 84, 93, 92, 85, 86, 91, 90, 87, 88, 89, 112, 97, 98, 111, 110, 99, 100, 109, 108, 101, 102, 107, 106, 103, 104, 105, 128, 113, 114, 127, 126, 115, 116, 125, 124, 117, 118, 123, 122, 119, 120, 121, 144, 129, 130, 143, 142, 131, 132, 141, 140, 133, 134, 139, 138, 135, 136, 137, 160, 145, 146, 159, 158, 147, 148, 157, 156, 149, 150, 155, 154, 151, 152, 153

Or if you print it in two steps, manually flipping the stack:

Front: 16, 1, 14, 3, 12, 5, 10, 7, 32, 17, 30, 19, 28, 21, 26, 23, 48, 33, 46, 35, 44, 37, 42, 39, 64, 49, 62, 51, 60, 53, 58, 55, 80, 65, 78, 67, 76, 69, 74, 71, 96, 81, 94, 83, 92, 85, 90, 87, 112, 97, 110, 99, 108, 101, 106, 103, 128, 113, 126, 115, 124, 117, 122, 119, 144, 129, 142, 131, 140, 133, 138, 135, 160, 145, 158, 147, 156, 149, 154, 151

Back: 2, 15, 4, 13, 6, 11, 8, 9, 18, 31, 20, 29, 22, 27, 24, 25, 34, 47, 36, 45, 38, 43, 40, 41, 50, 63, 52, 61, 54, 59, 56, 57, 66, 79, 68, 77, 70, 75, 72, 73, 82, 95, 84, 93, 86, 91, 88, 89, 98, 111, 100, 109, 102, 107, 104, 105, 114, 127, 116, 125, 118, 123, 120, 121, 130, 143, 132, 141, 134, 139, 136, 137, 146, 159, 148, 157, 150, 155, 152, 153

— It's also possible to make 3 sigs of 24 pages and 3 sigs of 28 pages (total=156 pages) so there are only 3 empty pages to add (156 pages instead 160)… 

[Oufti]

On 2/12/2025 at 11:16 PM, Oufti said:

I eventually made a spreadsheet in Apple Numbers to calculate the succession of page numbers to paste in Affinity print or export dialogs. 

It's now available here:

 

[Rusack]

why is this so complicated 😭

looking forward to this feature being added directly into Affinity Publisher

@Oufti, great job 🔥

[Oufti]

3 hours ago, Rusack said:

why is this so complicated

I think the point is that for such operations Affinity just rely on the OS abilities (or printer driver's). 

Actually, it's not so complicated (it's been done for centuries…) — but, true, it'd be better if we hadn't to do it ourselves. 
Details about how to do manually the needed "calculation" can be found there:

What I find the most difficult is to choose one option or another, not calculating it…
— How many pages per signature? Where is it better to put a shorter signature? and so on… 

And I definitely would not have an app deciding it blindly for me. Then I'm satisfied with a fastidious but efficient (half-) manual method.

[AdrienBisson]

On 2/9/2025 at 5:05 PM, FergusPearson said:

I'm struggling with the same issue. I want to print a 153 page book in signatures for sewing. I can do it in my cheaper-than-Adobe pdf programme quite easily, but not in a programme that has 'Publisher' in its title!

I could convert my Affinity document into a pdf document, but I'd rather be able to print directly from AP. I'm on version 2.5.7 (the latest update) but still no progress since this thread was last touched in Nov 2023. You must all have found ways to do it in other software.

I also wish that Affinity would add this functionality... I did a 72 page, hand-sewn book with several signatures last year. I used "Create Booklet 2", which someone has referenced here. It does only run on a Mac, as far as I know, but it worked perfectly for me. I exported the book from Publisher, using all of the PDF options that I needed, and then opened that PDF in Create Booklet 2, which allowed me choose how many and how large to make each signature, and to print directly in the imposed order, or to save a new PDF copy in the imposed order. It's in the App Store.

[Martin S Taylor]

I'd just like better documentation. I had no idea what a 'Signature' was in this context until I had to research it.

I have a document comprising five A5 pages, and I want to print the first four pages on a single sheet of A4 – pages 4 and 1 on one side, and pages 2 and 3 on the other. Surely not a ridiculous request? Yet selecting the 'Booklet' option prints all the pages, with half of each sheet blank in a way I can't understand. Fortunately for me the 'Book' option does what I need, but still – some kind of explanation in the documentation would be helpful, no?