Recently, there have been students who need to print a four page booklet for a class. Today, two students came to the Center with the 4 separate 8.5 by 11in pages asking what we could do. An easy way to go about this is to tape them together so that they each create an 11 by 17in page. But here's the tricky part that took me sometime to wrap my brain around--the order of the pages must be in the correct order in relativity to how a book is laid out. The lay out is: page 4 left, page 1 right for the first combination and page 2 left, page 3 right for the second. Page 4 is left as it is the back and page 1 is right as it is page 4's front (cover of the book). After organized, double-side copy 11 by 17in both double-pages to make one copy with all four pages, front and back. Fold it and you have your book! It took me a second to understand it spatially so hopefully this is helpful for anyone else.
Does anyone know any software alternatives to this manual technique? John was considering Publisher-- any others someone has used and would like to explain?
If they already have the 4 sheets of paper printed out, the photocopier and tape method you outlined is probably the fastest and easiest option. You could replicate it in software by making 2 11x17" artboards in Illustrator and placing the scanned images in the order you mentioned and then saving as a PDF.
ReplyDeleteIf they were starting this project from scratch on the computer (nothing printed out yet), InDesign really excels at this sort of thing. They would start a new InDesign document with 4 8.5x11" pages with "Facing" turned on. Then after they place/create their designs, they would just go to File...->Print Booklet... From here they would choose the "2-up Saddle Stitch" option and click on "Printer Settings..." choose "Setup" on the left-hand side and change the paper size to "Ledger". In that same dialog they would change the Printer to "Adobe PDF", click "OK" and click "Print". A save dialog will come up, and they would just save that PDF to a USB flash drive, and bring it to our desk to print out on 11x17 (Ledger) paper for 20 cents (B+W) or $1.20 (Color).
Just noticed an error in my comment, and I don't want to spread mis-information. The correct pricing to print this booklet at the service desk would be 40 cents (B&W) or $2.40 (color) as we charge per side and the booklet would be double-sided.
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