Publisher PDF export defaults to ALL SPREADS

[Clif Graves]

Exporting to PDF requires changing the ALL SPREADS to ALL PAGES every time. The below the line settings can be saved as a preset but not that. Who always exports PDFs as Spreads? None of the printers I work with will work with that. It is a huge potential for error, having to change it every time I export.

[RM f/g]

Still I'm having trouble getting this into my system. Many times I export twice; the second time after realising I should have changed the export setting to ‘pages’.

So yes, please, export pages as prefered preset.

[PaulEC]

This is something that has come up several times over the years. I really find it hard to believe that it would be that difficult to make the setting “sticky” and/or make it possible to include the option in presets! Neither can I see why anyone would actually want to have the setting they choose keep changing to a different default setting!

(It’s good to know that I’m not the only person who prefers to work with facing pages but export as single pages. Apparently Serif don’t think that anyone would want to work this way!)

[Old Bruce]

May as well add my voice to this request. 

[Clif Graves]

Disconnect understood -When setting up a document in 'Model' you chose between single page and facing page. This is the trigger for the pdf export defaulting to pages or to spreads. The interior logic is if you want to work in facing pages you want to export your work as spreads. From my POV this is faulty logic. How you want to work and see your work is not directly connected to how you need to export the work. If you choose single page the choice for page location to start on is grayed out.

What I haven't figured out is if there is any functional difference in the output with one or the other. Using an export with printer marks the results both ways seem the same when viewed in Acrobat. 

[Old Bruce]

2 hours ago, Clif Graves said:

From my POV this is faulty logic.

I thought the fault was that there's an expectation that we the users wouldn't want our Pages versus Spreads choice to be "sticky". But I can see your point that there may well have been some actual thinking behind the decision to make, as a hard-wired default, Facing Pages means export as Spreads.

[JEP]

On 6/30/2023 at 1:51 PM, Clif Graves said:

Exporting to PDF requires changing the ALL SPREADS to ALL PAGES every time. The below the line settings can be saved as a preset but not that. Who always exports PDFs as Spreads? None of the printers I work with will work with that. It is a huge potential for error, having to change it every time I export.

It would be very helpful (with less wasted time) if it is possible to be able to save customized PDF export settings. I like to work in "Spreads" layout so I can see what will appear on facing pages, but need to export as separate pages. 

Appreciate your feedback.

Thanks, JEP

[mumblethief]

Just adding another voice in agreement. I switched to Affinity years ago at this point, and periodically check the forums for updates on this INCREDIBLY obnoxious and persistent un-alterable default. I've wasted a ridiculous amount of time twiddling my thumbs waiting to export for a second time (or third time, after remembering to change it for the first export, and forgetting when I went to export again). This feels like a first version beta sort of mistake, and it is truly difficult to fathom there being no changes after this long and this many versions.

[PaulEC]

I’m sure that, as Clif Graves said a while back, this is a deliberate decision by the development team that you should design and export in the same format (I.e. facing pages or single pages) and that it should not be up to the user to decide for themselves how they wish to work! 🤪

[sinushawa]

It is indeed frustrating. And there seems to be many ways for the devs to go about that. While you are at it you could add a setting for pdf initial view.

[Catshill]

For completeness…

Flagging this in the (hopefully not vain hope) hope that the developers will pick it up and finally fix this issue.

[Clif Graves]

On 7/6/2023 at 10:34 AM, Clif Graves said:

Disconnect understood -When setting up a document in 'Model' you chose between single page and facing page. This is the trigger for the pdf export defaulting to pages or to spreads. The interior logic is if you want to work in facing pages you want to export your work as spreads. From my POV this is faulty logic. How you want to work and see your work is not directly connected to how you need to export the work. If you choose single page the choice for page location to start on is grayed out.

What I haven't figured out is if there is any functional difference in the output with one or the other. Using an export with printer marks the results both ways seem the same when viewed in Acrobat. 

There is a functional difference - with the Model set to single page, bleed is handled a bit differently. There is no option to have no bleed on the 'inside'. Making it impossible to design book pages in the single page model.

[dbon]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:53 PM, RM f/g said:

Still I'm having trouble getting this into my system. Many times I export twice; the second time after realising I should have changed the export setting to ‘pages’.

So yes, please, export pages as prefered preset.

EXACTLY. I export twice all the time for no good reason other than a missed opportunity in the UI to make this setting saved with the preset!

[JEP]

This would be a welcomed and helpful fix. as I and many others have suggested.

Is anyone in AFFINITY development listening?

[Catshill]

Hi @MEB Please can I ask that you take on this long-standing issue and highlight it for fixing? 

Thanks

[JEP]

 

This is a longstanding issue.

I, as many others have described, work in. the "Spreads" layout so I can see what will appear on facing pages, but need to export as separate pages for printing. 

It would be helpful to have "Pages" be the default export.

So, PLEASE, Affinity, listen to your users!

 

[dbon]

8 hours ago, Catshill said:

Hi @MEB Please can I ask that you take on this long-standing issue and highlight it for fixing? 

Thanks

Would love to get confirmation this is on the road map, and in the "low hanging fruit" bug fix list. 

[MEB]

Hello @Catshill, @JEP, @dbon,
This specific issue is still on the roadmap (it was postponed) and will be included in a broader revision of the Export dialog.

[JEP]

13 hours ago, MEB said:

Hello @Catshill, @JEP, @dbon,
This specific issue is still on the roadmap (it was postponed) and will be included in a broader revision of the Export dialog.

Thank you, MEB.

Do you have an anticipated release date for the revision?

[MEB]

Hi @JEP,
No, sorry. That decision is up to the development management team.

[Catshill]

7 hours ago, MEB said:

Hi @JEP,
No, sorry. That decision is up to the development management team.

Are they up for a bit of bribery? - beer, a good curry, gin, Oasis tickets, doughnuts…

[MEB]

🙃 I think it's worth a shot!
Note we have a large dev team... and errr... you don't want to upset the QA team as well or do you? 😎

[Catshill]

7 hours ago, MEB said:

🙃 I think it's worth a shot!
Note we have a large dev team... and errr... you don't want to upset the QA team as well or do you? 😎

Better start saving then…

[MikeTO]

I believe this should be tagged as AF-86