In Page panel, display facing pages on spreads with press-ready page numbers instead of facing page consecutive numbers

[Hate Adobe]

I am putting together a theater program for our community theater and I need to send it to the printer press-ready.  I'm trying to use Affinity Publisher instead of InDesign.  I need to see the spread view in the page panel with page numbering as they will be laid out for print, ex. left page 4, right page 37.  I stumbled on to this view when I was trying to figure out how to get it but I didn't write down what I did and can't find anything in help that makes any sense.  Thanks.

[Oufti]

1 hour ago, Hate Adobe said:

I need to send it to the printer press-ready. […]

The question is: How is this defined? 

Usually, press-ready does not imply that you have to make the imposition yourself, since it will depend on various factors you don't master. It's more common to ask for single pages with bleed, and the imposition will be done by the printer. 

See these specs for example:
https://support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042283214-What-is-a-print-ready-or-press-ready-file-

[PaulEC]

There is no way to automatically display imposed pages in the Pages Panel. but if you print as a booklet you can see the layout in the print preview screen. 

If you do need to output an imposed PDF you can do so by printing to a virtual PDF printer.

(FWIW In 30 odd years of producing theatre programmes, and other booklets, no pro printer has ever asked me for copy to be supplied as imposed pages! (EDIT: Which, as Oufti points out, is not the same as press ready.) Also when printing booklets myself, I have always used the booklet settings in the print driver, never in the DTP software.)

 

[Hate Adobe]

2 hours ago, Oufti said:

The question is: How is this defined? 

Usually, press-ready does not imply that you have to make the imposition yourself, since it will depend on various factors you don't master. It's more common to ask for single pages with bleed, and the imposition will be done by the printer. 

See these specs for example:
https://support.bookbaby.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042283214-What-is-a-print-ready-or-press-ready-file-

Great information!  Thank you.

[Hate Adobe]

2 hours ago, PaulEC said:

There is no way to automatically display imposed pages in the Pages Panel. but if you print as a booklet you can see the layout in the print preview screen. 

If you do need to output an imposed PDF you can do so by printing to a virtual PDF printer.

(FWIW In 30 odd years of producing theatre programmes, and other booklets, no pro printer has ever asked me for copy to be supplied as imposed pages! (EDIT: Which, as Oufti points out, is not the same as press ready.) Also when printing booklets myself, I have always used the booklet settings in the print driver, never in the DTP software.)

 

Thanks, now I understand.  the file I send the printer will just be single pages. I thought that the spreads would look the same as in the printed booklet.  According to the print help instructions "...you can save the imposed booklet to PDF instead of printing directly directly.  On the PDF pop-up menu, choose 'save as PDF'.  There is no pop-up menu.  Is there truly a way to save the imposed booklet to a file?  

[NathanC]

8 hours ago, Hate Adobe said:

Thanks, now I understand.  the file I send the printer will just be single pages. I thought that the spreads would look the same as in the printed booklet.  According to the print help instructions "...you can save the imposed booklet to PDF instead of printing directly directly.  On the PDF pop-up menu, choose 'save as PDF'.  There is no pop-up menu.  Is there truly a way to save the imposed booklet to a file?  

This is done in the print dialog, after setting your print model to 'Booklet' on Mac you should find a 'PDF' button at the very bottom of the interface, select this and a context menu should offer you the option to 'Save as PDF', this then allow you to save your document as an imposed PDF file.

On Windows you'll need to set the 'Printer' to a Virtual printer, such as Microsoft Print to PDF or a third party app like Bullzip and then print with the booklet model to the virtual printer.

[Hate Adobe]

Hmm.  When I select Print from the File menu this is what opens, just this window.  I'm using version 2 and the Help in the app.  Is there an updated help guide or is there something wrong with my version?  

 

[walt.farrell]

47 minutes ago, Hate Adobe said:

When I select Print from the File menu this is what opens, 

You're on Windows. Each OS offers different capabilities. For Windows, you'll need to select a different printer, and see if you have one installed that will produce a PDF file 

[Hate Adobe]

Well, I found Microsoft print to PDF as a printer selection, but a PDF checkbox was not on the screen as in the print you sent me.  However, I noticed that the screen you sent is titled "Range and Scale".  Those options are on my print screen but there is no separate screen but the screen title is "Print".

I appreciate your help.  I desperately want to be able to use Affinity instead of InDesign.  I just don't understand why I don't see what you see.  

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, Hate Adobe said:

but a PDF checkbox was not on the screen as in the print you sent me.  However, I noticed that the screen you sent is titled "Range and Scale".  Those options are on my print screen but there is no separate screen but the screen title is "Print".

As I said, the different OSes offer their functions differently. As you're on Windows, you need to explore your Print dialog. You have both Range and Scale in your screenshot of your Print dialog.

[Hate Adobe]

I guess I'm in over my head.  The range and scale settings on the print option screen are correct.  I've selected every "printer" in the drop down list and it's the same thing.  Printing to file gives me one save format option, XPS.  I still don't understand why I don't get the PDF check box.  I'm just not going to bother, I'll export and save as PDF.  It's not the view I want but for whatever reason there is no Print to PDF option on my print options screen.  I do appreciate your help.

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, Hate Adobe said:

Printing to file gives me one save format option, XPS

Just use the Print to PDF printer you showed. You don't need a PDF check box.

[lacerto]

Obsolete.

[Hate Adobe]

Well, I'm beginning to think that I should just give up trying to use Affinity Publisher to create my programs. I had high hopes for this app replacing INDD but I don't think it's going to work.  I do appreciate the time that you and others have spent trying to help me.  🙂

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, Hate Adobe said:

Well, I'm beginning to think that I should just give up trying to use Affinity Publisher to create my programs. I had high hopes for this app replacing INDD but I don't think it's going to work. 

It appears still unclear if your print provider indeed requested a PDF from you that is already imposed. As far I understand that would be the only reason why you try to use the workaround to Print to PDF instead of the usual Export as PDF.

Note, even if you don't create an imposed PDF, it can get printed imposed with various PDF viewers, for instance the free Adobe Reader.
https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/print-booklets-acrobat-reader.html

[lacerto]

Obsolete.