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• • January 24, 2011 at 2:24 pm #58488
    Jttraverse

    Member

    Just a quick question after reading and thinking about exporting to PDF. I've gotten the script from Harb's that allows to turn spreads off so that the exported pdf file will individual pages. But, if showing two page spreads can be enabled from within the PDF viewer, is there an overriding reason not simply to build the original InDesign document with facing pages off?

    It seems to me (after the nightmares I've had trying to add/delete pages from a document built with facing pages, and having all the content alignment go totally whack) that if a document is intended to be a PDF file in the end, it would be so much simpler just to build it as a set of single pages to begin with. Moving or adding/deleting pages wouldn't be a problem if things are basically centered on the page from the outset.

    I can imagine page numbers may be a bit off, they would look better on the left and right if someone views the pdf with two pages showing, rather than on the left/right side of each individual page…but they could be centered and that might work fine.

    Any thoughts??

    JTT

  • January 25, 2011 at 4:45 am #58498
    Rhiannon Miller

    Member

    There's all sorts of reasons to let InDesign know whether a given page is recto or verso. Not just page numbers but running heads in general, especially where you want different running heads on the left and right hand pages; you might want different margins on rectos and versos, or even have a highly visual design with, say, a line down the foredge side or a background colour on verso pages only; you might have chapters starting on rectos only, which you'd want to set with a paragraph style; you might want to align text or anchored objects to the spine or foredge, or have a paragraph rule that sticks into the foredge margin…

    I suppose if you're working with a very simple design that has absolutely no difference at all between recto and verso pages then yes, go ahead and create it as single pages. But for most of the work I do, I couldn't manage without working in spreads.

  • January 25, 2011 at 7:28 am #58501
    Theunis De Jong

    Member

    JTT,

    I've gotten the script from Harb's that allows to turn spreads off so that the exported pdf file will individual pages.

    That toggle is built-in. Surely you are not confusing a PDF with an SWF?

    … after the nightmares I've had trying to add/delete pages from a document built with facing pages, and having all the content alignment go totally whack …

    Rather than avoiding the issue altogether, you might want to look into the proper way of adding, deleting, and moving pages around; the Online Help should get you started.

    The only time InDesign seems to have a mind of its own is when you play with the “Allow Document Pages to Shuffle” and/or “Allow Selected Spread to Shuffle” options. Other than that, I have no problems whatsoever adding or deleting pages. I usually work with facing pages with a mirrored layout, so I guess I would have noticed it when the text frames always go awry after a page edit.

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