Reply To: Inhouse setup for 5-up print

I had a job to setup, print and trim over 300 invitational postcards in my office. I already made a PDF for the postcards by using data merge, and wanted to place 5 postcards (3 vertically on the top and 2 horizontally at the bottom) on an A3 sheet (landscape). Because it is different to how I normally setup a 5-up print, I had to place and move each page manually to achieve this. What would be the best way to approach this the next time? Thanks in advance.

Could you do two print runs? Create two ID files, one portrait 420 mm x (the length of a postcard + a bit) for three cards and the other landscape 420 x (the width of a postcard + a bit) for two. Place one postcard at the top/left of the page as appropriate and then datamerge the variable content (1-180 on the first, 181-300 on the second). Work out the orientation and placement of the output, then print the first file, reload the paper and print the other. You'd probably need generous bleed allowances…