Separating reader spreads PDF in single page PDF

[Made in Taiwan]

Hey guys! 

I guess each of you had to face this problem before: Customer comes in with a PDF exported as reader spreads (facing pages exported as one page) and thinks that setting up a PDF like this makes it  perfectly usable for saddle stitching or perfect binding.

In that case I usually use drag and drop to copy and paste each page (using CTRL+Left mouse button) just right behind each page, so I have each page twice in groups of two in the document. Then I use Acrobat's cropping function and cut away the right side of the even pages to keep the left side remaining, and cut the left side of the odd pages, to keep the right side alive. Then I'll impose or print as required. This works well for smaller PDF with let's say 32 pages, but as I know our customers, one day a 400+pages readers spread PDF will come in.

Does any of you know a faster or more practical way to separate spreads? Telling the client that he's a retard and that's why he needs to go back to his office and make a new PDF with single pages would be the fastest and most practical way, but unfortunately this time it's not an option. I'm using Acrobat 8 and Quite Imposing 1.6, by the way.

[Joe]

Prinergy has a spread split option that cuts them in half and gives us 2 single pages after the refine process.

If by chance you have Pitstop it has a "Split pages in half" action list supplied with it. I am on Version 12 Update 2. Not sure what version they added that in but it is there now.

[Joe]

Even with the Acrobat Crop tool it wouldn't be hard to crop a 400 page PDF. Just setup your crop for the LHP's and tell it to crop Even Pages Only and then setup your crop for the RHP's and tell it to crop Odd Pages Only.

[Made in Taiwan]

Even with the Acrobat Crop tool it wouldn't be hard to crop a 400 page PDF. Just setup your crop for the LHP's and tell it to crop Even Pages Only and then setup your crop for the RHP's and tell it to crop Odd Pages Only.

That's exactly the way I'm doing it so far. But before cropping, you need to duplicate each of those spreads. In a small document that's easy and fast, but if it's a lot of pages, it takes quite a while and more important, it's easier to get things messed up.

Prinergy has a spread split option that cuts them in half and gives us 2 single pages after the refine process.

If by chance you have Pitstop it has a "Split pages in half" action list supplied with it. I am on Version 12 Update 2. Not sure what version they added that in but it is there now.

I really found it, it works! I'm relatively new to Pitstop and never realized it has this feature so far. Thanks a lot for this advice, Joe! 

[Joe]

Yeah, the Pitstop way would be the way to go. I didn't know if you had it or not.

Are you running any kind of workflow software, ie...Prinergy, XMF, Apogee, Rampage, etc? Like I mentioned Prinergy has that function built in and I think XMF has something like that as well.

[Made in Taiwan]

I have Pitstop 11 on my computer, but although I was the one, who introduced it to my boss, I use it rather seldom. Kind of afraid to get used to something, which I would probably not get again in case that I would need to find another job one day. Getting used to the comfortable way is easy, going back to the more difficult way would be a battle.

I work in a digital shop, we have a KM C7000 and a 1051, furthermore two smaller office style copiers as a backup. No such things as XMF or Prinergy, though. Some while ago I have downloaded the demo-version of Preps (which can not output any whatever kind of file), just to try out, how it works. But it would not be suitable to our company at all.

[Farabomb]

I would be lost without pitstop. We are slow today so unless a bunny runs by I'm spending most of my day learning Pitstop 12.

I have prinergy but 90% of the time if I get a PDF that not single page, page order I kick it back. I've had mixed results with the page split option. It happens so rarely I haven't given it the time it really sort it.

[DigiCorn]

I've done this where I set up facing pages in InDesign, and then used the script to place a multipage pdf onto my facing page spreads. Then I've exported the new ID file as a single page PDF.

[DCurry]

Not sure what your impo software is, but in Preps I used to place each page twice in the run list, then offset the odd pages by the trim size (if the spreads are 11x17, put in a horizontal offset of -8.5). Very fast and no danger of messing with the PDFs.

These days, though, I use the Prinergy split option.

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

I do what Dan does. It's been my mantra the last couple months.

[Farabomb]

I read that and said, now that's a really good idea.

I will forget the next time I get one in but it's still a damn good idea.

[Made in Taiwan]

I would be lost without pitstop. We are slow today so unless a bunny runs by I'm spending most of my day learning Pitstop 12.

I have prinergy but 90% of the time if I get a PDF that not single page, page order I kick it back. I've had mixed results with the page split option. It happens so rarely I haven't given it the time it really sort it.

That's actually what I'm afraid of. The vast majority of printing companies here doesn't use Pitstop so far (I guess it's because there's no language pack for traditional Chinese available), so I would be groping in the dark after a job change. But who knows, maybe in the future Pitstop can conquer Taiwan... Actually I'm not planning to change my job in the near future, but just in case... Or maybe I'll take a shot on Pitstop and learn more about it.
This morning I've tried to separate several files with no bad results. But as always, you can try as much as you want and everything works fine, but the moment, when you need it, it's might be still going to screw you up.

[abc]

There's a Chinese version of PitStop available, have you taken a look at it?

[DCurry]

I do what Dan does. It's been my mantra the last couple months.

In all things, or just this specific instance?

[Joe]

Not sure what your impo software is, but in Preps I used to place each page twice in the run list, then offset the odd pages by the trim size (if the spreads are 11x17, put in a horizontal offset of -8.5). Very fast and no danger of messing with the PDFs.

These days, though, I use the Prinergy split option.

Yeah I actually liked that method but with Prinergy, even though it will let you add the PDF to the page set twice, changing the geometry settings for one changes it to the same for the other so you either get two LHP's or 2 RHP's depending on your geometry settings. So we're forced to use the split page option with Prinergy.