how do I format and print a booklet?

I just use standard html but you can also use php formatting that many forums use. I keep a text clipping of the href formatting with underline & bold for my text handy & all I have to do in paste in the link & add the text. I also keep a Pages document with pre-formatted links to a lot of things I have to post frequently.

The pictures I use, including my signature, are hosted on my iDisk with an html link. Here's a thread in Feedback about Discussions with the information you need.

There are supposed to be some simple tricks for these forums, but I don't find them reliable.

Laurence

Download and install the free:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14804/cocoabooklet

This will impose a pdf from Pages.

Or get

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/18896/swift-publisher

Which has this plus many more features than Pages.

Peter

Welcome to Apple Discussions

Peter gave you two possibilities. Which did you try?

I always use CocoaBooklet & it takes less than 15 seconds to create a booklet from a PDF. It is possible to create the booklet directly from Pages using CocoaBooklet, but the couple of times I tried it, it wasn't as smooth of a process for me, so that may be what you tried. Even though there are "extra" steps in exporting or printing as PDF & then dragging the PDF to the icon of Cocoa Booklet & deleting the PDF in Finder, I find it much quicker & more reliable.

An added tip: For a folded letter-size booklet start with your Pages document in Legal size & larger than normal font size.

This can be done fairly simply using Automator. You want to make a print workflow to reorder the pages, that's all. You need to make the last step to open the document in Preview so that you can print using the 2-up option (print layout).

When you save an Automator workflow as a Print Workflow Plugin (from the Save As... menu), that plugin will appear in the PDF menu on in the print dialog.

When you are working in Pages, you want to make sure that the document's page size is exactly 1/2 the size of the piece of paper that you are going to print on.

I just whipped a booklet workflow up in a couple of minutes and a 58-page PDF takes about 5 seconds to reorder the pages and open in Preview.

LaurenceH

Look in your Application Folder.

Automator is what it says, an application to combine actions to automate workflow.

Many actions are supplied by Apple, some are AppleScripts or bits of code supplied by 3rd parties. You can look at how it works on Apple's website and there are several websites dedicated to Automator actions. Google for them.

There is also a forum here.

Peter

I would really like to know how to do this in Pages 09, as well. I'm new to Mac (never used automator!), so a step-by-step would be really appreciated!

Could anyone answer this?

Or, if can't use automator, what are the steps to use cocoabooklet? will it work with pages09 & os x 10.6?

linda2009

Welcome to the forum.

What are you intending to do with the imposed book?

Is it going to a commercial printer or is to make up something on your own desktop printer?

The basic principal is to export your Pages document to pdf and then open that pdf in Cocoa Booklet and impose it to suit your end result.

A commercial printer may not want you to do this and may want to do it themselves, especially if you are not experienced in what is required.

If it is a simple 4 page newsletter printed 2 sides, you can do it all in Pages.

Peter

This is for myself. I have a printed booklet of addresses. It is 20 pages which includes front and back. When someone's info changes or I add people, I change it in the document and print it out again. When I used MS word, I just chose "booklet" printing. I can't figure out how to do that in Pages. I have my word doc, with the data, now in a pages doc. It is letter sized, printed on both sides and folded. in word, all the pages printed where they were suppose to. my printer can duplex print.


*the data was in access, now in numbers (&open office) until I can figure out a way to merge it. some of the addresses are now in the address book, but so is other contact...anyway, have to figure out data merging some other time.**

Message was edited by: linda2009

Linda

Have a look at:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/18896/swift-publisher

This has imposition as standard and also a lot of other features that Pages does not.

You could actually set up a Pages *Layout mode* document that correctly flowed the text through linked boxes and then printed it out in the right order.

To give detailed instructions on that I'd need to know exactly how it was being bound.

Peter

This is a simple booklet. Letter-sized, landscaped so that there is basically two columns, folded in half, and just stapled in the middle. How do I set up a Pages Layout mode document? I'm really good with applications, usually learn on my own, I just have all these years of background with MS office stuff.



The swift-publisher program does look nice, it's just that I was hoping I didn't need another software program for this one project. Have you used swift? How about http://www.cristallight.com/desktoppublisherpro.htm - it doesn't cost as much? any experience with it?

Swift Publisher is the better more mature application and not too expensive.

I got mine at a discount either with a bundle or at

http://www.mupromo.com

Are you able to saddle stitch all 5 sheets of paper inside each other? That sounds a little thick.

Any way this is the principle of imposition:

The pages in your case run from 01 to 20 and these face each other on the outside:

20 | 01 (outside)

to get the insides of this you swap them and add one on the left and subtract one on the right:

02 | 19 (inside)

Next set is:

18 | 03 (outside)
04 | 17 (inside)

and so on.

Knowing this you set up a template in *Page Layout mode* with a horizontal letter layout and add a floating text box for the left hand and right hand pages. Add another pair of floating box for the page numbers and number them according to the imposed numbering system above.

Do not use the Facing Pages option which is broke in Pages anyway. You are literally setting up the document in the manner in which it is finally printed.

Take all your text and paste it into the 01 Page floating text box (or cover). It will show an overflow at the bottom right of the box. Click on that and click on the next floating textbox in the real page order ie Page 02. This is where having pre numbered the pages will come in practice.

Thread the boxes with links in order. Fix up your type and styling and you are ready to print.

When printing work out how duplexing comes out of your printer and send it as needed. Or work with printing odds and evens to have them print correctly back to back.

This will be a recycleable template.

*Another method* is make a Pages document using normal half letterhead size pages and send that to a pdf.

Open the .pdf in Preview app and show the thumbnails side bar.

You can drag each thumbnail into a Pages template which has 2 ready made image place holders on a horizontal letter sized document. Drag each .pdf into the appropriate order as above.

Peter

I can do this. Seems pretty straightforward - the pages "imposition."

That was most helpful! I will perhaps download and evaluate Swift, too.

*And the other option mentioned here, cocoabooklet. maybe I'll give that a whirl.

Thank you so much, Peter, you've been very helpful. -not the first time someone from down-under has helped me! Thanks!

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get CocoaBooklet to work in Snow Leopard. I've downloaded a newer version, deleted plists, etc., etc. to no avail. It just briefly flashes in the Dock & quits. No error message.

Linda

Glad to help.

I will add this step by step guide with other versions to:

http://www.freeforum101.com/iworktipsntrick/index.php?mforum=iworktipsntrick

Have a look around and you will find a lot of other useful material there.

Peter

just wanted to add that I tried the crystallight label program, and I found it not good at all. it had trouble with Address Book, and it wouldn't import any of my other formats. the design page for the label was not good at all, and the field results were of fields not on the label! I did not try the publishing program, because I don't think it would be much better. next, when I get a chance, I will try Swift.

**I did find a way to merge all my data (from Address Book), and not have it one result per page. I did a find and replace to remove the page breaks. Now I can work with the data to make the booklet.