Printing A6 booklets on A4 paper in Aff Publisher

[jatclat]

I can’t work out how to set up a template to print 4 pages of A6 on an A4 sheet, and end up with the pages properly imposed. Page Plus does this well. How do I do it in Aff Publisher? I’m using Windows 10 and an Epson ET 2726 printer.

[PaulEC]

Take a piece of paper, fold it in half, then in half again. Write the page number on each "page", open out to give you a "template" of the layout and orientation of the pages in your publication. Create a two page, A4 document. Add guides to divide each page into 4 quarters. Add your content, as per the layout on your paper "template".

You can save this as an actual template in Publisher.

It may make it easier to, initially, design the booklet as eight, un-imposed pages, export as PDF, then place each page on your template.

[jatclat]

Many thanks for such a quick reply.

However I'm still stuck. Half the pages (typically, 2 & 3 out of 4) will need to be upside-down. How do I edit these pages the right way up and then get the imposing done so that 1 and 4 are the right way up and 2 & 3 are upside down? I can see that if I want at least 4 copies I can follow your instructions but typically I want only 1 or 2. Any ideas?

[PaulEC]

For the upside down pages, select everything (Grouping them might help) and rotate by 180 deg. 

 

I'm not too sure what you mean by " I can see that if I want at least 4 copies I can follow your instructions but typically I want only 1 or 2. Any ideas?"

I assumed you wanted to print on both sides of an A4 sheet, then fold and cut to get an A6 booklet.

[jatclat]

Thank you for explaining this, and I appreciate the speed of your responses.

What I’ve been working on is a 4-page A6 booklet, so producing 2 copies from 1 sheet of A4. I was assuming the ‘Booklet’ facility in the Print dialog box would make it possible.

I can see that the manual workaround you describe can work, but it’s so much easier in Page Plus that I was hoping for an equivalent. Any chance a future version might introduce one?

 

[pbasdf]

Not sure if this is available in the Windows version, but in MacOS you can use the N-Up print option.  In addition to specifying a 2 x 2 layout,  there is an option for duplicates (so you get two copies of the one booklet).  You just might need to specify a different page order (4,1,2,3).  Worth playing with that option to see if you can get what you need?

[Catshill]

Perhaps it would be easier to export as pdf and then create the layout using something like https://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfbooklet/

[PaulEC]

If all you want is a 4 page booklet, with 2 copies of it on one A4 sheet, you don't need to worry about imposition or turning any of the pages through 180 deg. (Unless your design causes problems getting equal margins, in which case just turn the second copy pages the other way up.) Just think of the top half of the sheet as one copy and the bottom as the other. One side is the "cover" the other is the inside.

[jatclat]

1 hour ago, Catshill said:

Perhaps it would be easier to export as pdf and then create the layout using something like https://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfbooklet/

Thanks for the information about Sourceforge. I hadn’t heard of it. But, at the risk of infuriating all those good people who put so much work into Aff Publisher, Page Plus remains the best method.

1 hour ago, PaulEC said:

If all you want is a 4 page booklet, with 2 copies of it on one A4 sheet, you don't need to worry about imposition or turning any of the pages through 180 deg. (Unless your design causes problems getting equal margins, in which case just turn the second copy pages the other way up.) Just think of the top half of the sheet as one copy and the bottom as the other. One side is the "cover" the other is the inside.

So that means creating 2 versions.

Characteristically, I create a first draft, print it out, and then examine the printed copy for alterations that need making. I may have to do this a few times. In the system you describe here I would have to make the alterations twice over. In the ‘rotate 180 degrees’ system I would have to unrotate, make the changes, and then re-rotate. Either of these can be done. It’s just that the Page Plus template, which in effect did the rotating for me, eliminated the extra work. If I’m the only person doing this kind of thing maybe it’s not worth your while to cater for me, but I guess there may be others.

[PaulEC]

5 minutes ago, jatclat said:

Characteristically, I create a first draft, print it out, and then examine the printed copy for alterations that need making. I may have to do this a few times. In the system you describe here I would have to make the alterations twice over. In the ‘rotate 180 degrees’ system I would have to unrotate, make the changes, and then re-rotate. Either of these can be done. It’s just that the Page Plus template, which in effect did the rotating for me, eliminated the extra work. If I’m the only person doing this kind of thing maybe it’s not worth your while to cater for me, but I guess there may be others.

You don't need to do everything twice! Do it once, check it's OK, when it is just copy it. As I said, you shouldn't need to rotate anything unless there are problems with getting matching margins, and that depends on your layout and the printer you're using. 

Sorry I couldn't be of help, best of luck  with your project.

[pbasdf]

4 hours ago, jatclat said:

In the system you describe here I would have to make the alterations twice over.

I think you can achieve the layout @PaulEC describes without copying at all: use the N-Up print layout, with 2x2 pages per sheet, double-sided, but set the page print order to 4,1,4,1,2,3,2,3.

[jatclat]

Absolutely amazing. It works! Why did I never think of that? When it's time for me to become a billionaire I'll ask to you sort it for me. Many thanks.

[pbasdf]

47 minutes ago, jatclat said:

Many thanks.

You're very welcome.