Default pdf export area setting

[vonBusing]

Hi!

Currently, when exporting to pdf, the default area setting is set to "All Spreads" in the export dialogue. I'm not sure when this is actually helpful, but 99.9% of the time I use "All Pages" (otherwise I export current page/selection). Could this be the default instead or, at least, stick once it is changed?

I'd be glad to hear when and for what purpose people are using the All Spread area setting. 

ref, this thread: 

 

[Ecifircas]

I agree it should be set to all pages by default. I also needed some time to figure this out and i find it counter-intuitive: standard one expexts a page-per-page print. (And anyway, wouldn't booklet printing also require the pages to be in a different order?)

[jimowers]

I raised this issue first in a bug report as I was unable to export a paged version of my document to PDF.  I have been to busy, until now, to follow up on vonBusing's request in this thread.

I believe that the majority of us would expect the default in PDF export to be 'All Pages' rather than 'All Spreads' and would ask Affinity to consider this change.

It may be all right for professionals to have 'All spreads' but I think that you will get a multitude of support issues if you stick with the current default.

[MikeW]

10 minutes ago, jimowers said:

...

It may be all right for professionals to have 'All spreads' but I think that you will get a multitude of support issues if you stick with the current default.

All Spreads is only useful for people who will be printing on their own printer (even then it is a dubious work-flow). It is certainly not a professional persons default.

[jimowers]

MikeW, you give an additional reason why we all want to request that the default be changed to ‘All Pages’.

Thanks.

[thomaso]

On 11/15/2018 at 8:07 AM, vonBusing said:

default area setting is set to "All Spreads" in the export dialogue. I'm not sure when this is actually helpful, but 99.9% of the time I use "All Pages" (otherwise I export current page/selection). Could this be the default instead or, at least, stick once it is changed?

+1 !

I'd appreciate to have it stick to the recently used setting. Like it works already for page numbers. But those, unfortunately, are grayed out because "All Spreads" gets auto-selected in the background after every print/export.

If the recent setting would remain then the unwanted default "Spreads" selection disturbs me only once, – and others too, who prefer a different default.

[jimowers]

Sticking with the currently selected option would be OK but I think that much fewer support calls would arise from the correct default in the first place.

Publisher will open these apps to a new, less experienced market as Photo and Design has done before it. I think that it would be much better to set things like this to reduce questions to the forum and support.

[thomaso]

30 minutes ago, jimowers said:

much fewer support calls would arise from the correct default in the first place. 

Publisher will open these apps to a new, less experienced market as Photo and Design has done before it.

Unfortunatly - seen from the current amount of threads and posts related to this subject - I am afraid the "fewer support calls" might not sound as a very strong argument to the developers. But I agree: I'd prefer pages towards spreads as default.

I wonder why the UI is created at all with a pulldown menu instead of radio buttons and check boxes, which would give more transparent overview.

I just experienced (new in v.192 ??): Even with "All Spreads" selected only pages (not spreads) get exported when page numbers are typed into the pages text box which do not include complete spreads. For instance "6" exports only this page, not its spread. Or "3, 4-6, 9, 10" exports 1 spread (p 4-5) only and the others as single pages. – So, at least for such situations you simply can ignore the default "All Spreads".

Btw.: I can't see how to print (not export) spreads instead of pages. – Is this not possible / not programmed in the UI of print options yet?

[Move Along People]

-

[garrettm30]

The problem of defaulting to export as spreads keeps coming up around the forum. It is a constant annoyance to those of us who are used to the issue, but it is worse for those who are less familiar with the software or are less computer-savvy in general. Although I have already expressed my own desire for something to be done about it, I am returning to this old thread because it has caused my boss to become disgruntled over it as well.

I do understand that there is more requested of Serif than they can possibly do, but this request is so simple and so generally agreed upon (or have I overlooked someone who actually prefers export by spread as the default?) that I am surprised Serif doesn't just swap the default, even if they are not yet ready to either make this sticky or to make it so that it is saved with presets.

(I chose to resurrect this older thread on the issue rather than any of the numerous threads asking for the same thing because this one had some more discussion. It seemed the others were two or three posts apiece.)

[jimowers]

Although I have had to get used to this as well it is extremely annoying that it is apparently causing new users so many problems after ll this time as well.

It seemed all that time ago when we first raised the problem (in the beta product version) that it was a no-brainer to make this a permanent change as otherwise there is absolutely no point having beta trials and then not listen to user feedback! Serif, please listen this time and save a lot of users frustration and disappointment. I know that it took quite a lot of time for me to resolve this when I first encountered it.

It does seem sensible to also make the choice a sticky one if that has not been done already.

[vonBusing]

Although I'm fully aware of the issue and know what I need to do, I get caught by this little issue regularly; especially when I'm in a hurry... It's a true time waster. A fix would be very appreciated.

[jimowers]

I suspect that the reason this is such a problem is because things goes a little like this...

Professionals who buy Publisher may be annoyed by this issue but live with it. Because of its price point in the market the majority of users, though, as not professionals, or retired like me, and simply want to publish to the Web or straight to a print house. IWhen you send facing spreads to a print service they normally want them as single pages for their process. Imt is this large group that is likely to get confused and give up if they cannot solve the issue themselves.

Serif is shooting itself in the foot if it fails to solve this problem. A default of single page is surely not a big deal? Where is the problem?