Need help with settings Saddle Stitch / Imposition

[DarakuTenshi]

I have been working on laying out a rulebook over the past couple days using Scribus. It was looking great when I view it as a viewable PDF. Today when I decided to test out the imposition by building the PDF with the bleed, the order of pages seems to print just fine... but I have run into an issue with the actual print itself. This may be a simple fix, but I've not been able to figure it out.

Instead of my left and right facing pages touching each other (as I need for a saddle stitch) they remain separated and give me crop marks for around each page. Like in this example, excuse the rough image. The red represents the bleed, the yellow is the margin, and the blue is the safe zone.


How I want it to appear on the printable PDF is like this


Now I don't know if this is a Scribus issues that I'm not adjusting a setting properly, or if I'm doing something wrong on the Adobe Acrobat side of things wrong.

[mnawij]

Hi DarakuTenshi

Spread impostion is not done within Scribus pdf export unless you manually set it up (ie) make document 8.5"x11" and then put the correct 5.5"x8.5" pages in position on the page (see link at the end).  Neither PageMaker, Quark, or InDesign does what you are asking without third party software/plugin.  I do not know which operating system you are using to recommend an imposition solution that would work for you, if you are looking for a free option or mind paying for a plugin for acrobat professional.  Also, if you are using a print shop, ask them if they need it imposed, most shops that I know prefer to do the imposition themselves.  Also please read https://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/Imposition for a more detailed explanation regarding Scribus and imposition.

http://www.humangray.com/ways-to-visualize-book-imposition-page-layouts/

mnawij

[DarakuTenshi]

Thank you I will do that.

[radu81]

Neither PageMaker, Quark, or InDesign does what you are asking without third party software/plugin. 

Don't know about the first two, but in Indesign it is possible to export as spreads without any third party plugin. It's not a new function, it was always available (at least from CS3 and beyond, don't know about older versions)

first image found on google images:

[mnawij]

Digressing from OP...

Yes, but that puts the spreads exactly as you lay them out, and if you do not manually impose the pages, you will get reader spreads instead of imposed spreads.  Also, the first and last pages do not get put into spreads within the pdf, they get left the actual size of the page and not the size of 2up spreads.  This works only when using inDesigns booklet printing option and nowhere else that I can see.  I just verified my answer with my inDesign v5.5, so unless something has changed in a newer version or I am completely out in left field.  There is a work around see:  https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2290315 but it would be easier to set up manual imposition to begin with.  But this is digressing from the OP

Regards,

mnawij

[radu81]

I'm afraid I misunderstood the initial question, sorry 

[zerubbabel]

There is a wonderfully simple, versatile,and free imposition tool here http://www.noliturbare.com/pdf-tools/simple-imposition that I've been using for years. It's a Windows program, but it runs fine under Wine. Does saddle-stitch booklets, cut stacks, 2-up, and duplicate side-by-side impositions. Highly recommended.