Booklet printing on "letter" printing too small / "page" vs. "spread" incomprehensible

[JCarls]

I am continuing to have a problem in which the displayed document for a booklet does not match the size shown in the printing layout. I set up a "greeting card" layout of four facing pages as a new document (no template), to be printed on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper. I verified that the on-screen rulers show it to be 8.5 inches by 11 inches. The contents fit within a .5 inch margin on all sides of the pages. When I attempt to print this, however, each has a white space at the top and bottom.

I realized that this was caused by trying to fit a letter-sized image into a half sheet—Publisher does not create the correct layout for the 5-1/2 x 8.5 inch "pages" of a booklet printed on "letter" size sheets.

In any case, I began trying to understand the relation between "pages" and "spreads" and I'm finding that it is impossible to understand. No matter what combination I've tried, I get ridiculously narrow layouts, or the center spread insists on being dimensioned as 8-1/2 by 17 inches or some other semi-random result. I had assumed that I would use 8-1/2 x 11 "pages" and a 5-1/2 x 8.5 inch "spread." Nope.

Can anyone give me precise instructions for how to set up a simple 4-page greeting card layout that prints correctly on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper? Thanks!

[Old Bruce]

I am assuming you are wanting the "greeting card" layout to open like a book or magazine. If not then don't read any further.

 

Make a page size of 5 1/2 x 8 1/2. Use Facing pages and start on the Left, not the default Right. You'll need four pages (5 1/2 x 8 1/2) this will give you two spreads (8 1/2 x 11). Export a PDF using the default Spreads. This will give you a two page PDF and print that as two pages on opposite sides of one sheet of paper.

Note that page 1 will actually be the last page, your page 4. Then pages 2, 3, and 4 will be your pages 1, 2, and 3.

This is not the proper way to do this but for a four page booklet it is the easiest. Several print drivers will give good results with a proper Start on Right and four spreads with one, two and one pages per spread. But other print drivers will give you results like you report.

I am assuming you are wanting the "greeting card" layout to open like a book or magazine. If not then don't read any further.

[JCarls]

Okay, the usual pattern for posting problems has prevailed for me. After posting, I figured out the correct settings (and thanks, Old Bruce, for adding some additional info). I was thrown, however, by what I believe was a change in the software some time ago, because I had done multiple cards in the past without encountering this problem before.

Still applicable: The need to use the "Facing pages" option and...

• For a portrait card layout, "Arrangement" = "Horizontal" and "Start with" set to "Right"
• For a landscape "tent card" layout," "Arrangement" = "Vertical" and "Start with" set to "Last" 

So, here are the correct settings for a greeting card on 8-1/2 x 11" paper, using the "Spread Setup..." dialog:

For a portrait (vertical) finished card:

1. Use the "Selected spreads" option, then for each of the four pages, use the "Set dimensions of" to set each page to 5.5 x 8.5, Portrait (unlock the dimension lock first).
2. Then, change "Set dimensions of" to "Spread" and set the spreads for each spread to (again, unlocking the dimension lock):
   Spread 1 (Page 1) = 5.5 x 8.5, Portrait
   Spread 2 (Pages 2,3) = 11 x 8.5, not Portrait
   Spread 3 (Page 4) = 5.5 x 8.5, Portrait
3. If your printer supports two-sided printing, you will most likely want to use "flip on short edge" as the option for that.

For a landscape (tent) card layout:

1. Use the "Selected spreads" option, then for each of the four pages, use the "Set dimensions of" to set each page to 8.5 x 5.5, not Portrait (unlock the dimension lock first).
2. Then, change "Set dimensions of" to "Spread" and set the spreads for each spread to (again, unlocking the dimension lock):
   Spread 1 (Page 1) = 8.5 x 5.5, not Portrait
   Spread 2 (Pages 2,3) =8.5 x 11,  Portrait
   Spread 3 (Page 4) = 8.5 x 5.5, not Portrait
3. Once you finish your contents, you will probably need to select and rotate/position the contents of page 4 so it prints "upside down" which will make it print correctly on the card back.
4. If your printer supports two-sided printing, you will most likely want to use "flip on long edge" as the option for that.

If you are in the U.S., you definitely want to save these as templates.