Whats the best way to place a 300 page pdf into InDesign?

[Bugsimus]

I'll be working on a job this afternoon where i'll have to place 300 page pdf into InDesign... Any ideas for a fast way to do this besides manually? The reason why I want to do this is I have to place scanned images into the job and thats all the client supplied :-(

[rab]

Make 300 pages in you document (Is this possible? Should you make multiple docs?) . If it's a single PDF with 300 pages you can click on import options when you choose place and select all pages (You can also set crop to trim, media, bleed etc.). Then just click to place each page. You don't have to get picture each time. Some of the others may have a better solution for you.

[DCurry]

It shouldn't be too horrible if you plan ahead. For starters, I think I would break it down into several smaller, more manageable documents -- maybe six 50-pagers. Put a picture box on a Master Page -- be very exact with your size and position. For best results, center it on the page and make it the EXACT size of the PDF's Media Box (or Bleed Box, or whatever page box you are going to designate when placing the PDF.)

Then, zoom out quite a bit so yo can see several pages on your screen. Place the PDF, but make sure when you are navigating to the PDF that you have "Show Import Options" checked. In the following dialog, select the PDF, and you can also select a page range to place. This is also where you tell InDesign which Page Box to crop to. Click OK and you'll have a loaded cursor - click once in each picture box in your document to place the pages. If you set up your picture box size and position correctly, the placed pages will be perfectly centered in each picture box, thereby saving you from clicking the Center Content button 300 times.

edit: Looks like Rab beat me to the punch while I was typing!

Edited by: Dan Curry on Sep 13, 2007 8:22 PM

[Bugsimus]

Yeah, thats the only way i know atm... But i'm looking for a better way in between jobs atm... Hopefully I find one before I start it :-)

[jctremblay]

Their is a free script that can place multiple page pdf into indesign. Take a look at this IndesignSecrets blog post for details.

http://indesignsecrets.com/free-bund...n-adobecom.php

[Bugsimus]

Brilliant... You can get the script in the CS2 CD or if you have CS3 its already installed.

[Bugsimus]

That script is cool... and I found another program/plugin for Indesign called [PDF2ID|http://www.digitalriver.com/dr/v2/ec...E=&CACHE_ID=0] and that will create a indd file out of your pdf.

Also I noticed that when using that script it places all my page boxes at X-0 Y-0 coordinates, but my document has bleed. But you can use another script in that package that will move all the page boxes. I just had to edit it a little because the measurements were set to points, so I just change that to millimeters.

[Bobmorli]

That PDF2ID plugin looks great but does it work great as well? No weird looking objects or so? What happens with subsetted font items?

Would be a great help taht plugin if it works like they say it works. Since we moved from quark to indesign moest internal documents have to be remade...

[Bugsimus]

Its not too bad from what i've tried of the demo so far, i'm trying to get IT to buy it soon and give it a more in depth go :-)

But if your changing from Quark to Indesign, this one here ([Q2ID|http://www.markzware.com/q2id/]) looks pretty cool for that... I'm gonna get IT to buy that too, because I don't think we are going to be buying Quark anymore.

[cosmo]

What is the reason you are trying to place a 300 page document into indesign? Seems like an extreme option with maybe an easier solution.