Is there a way to set Preps up to run as a stacked pages?

[MattG]

Hi all!

This may be a dumb question, but I have 2000 pages of numbered variable data pages, 8.5 x 11", in pdf format and I need to print them in numerical order 2up on a 12 x 18" sheet. Is there a way in Preps to have one side print stacked 1-1000 and the other side 1001-2000? I've already completed this job through HP Smartstream but it took 2 days to complete. InDesign Data Merge took 10 minutes but created individual pages and I need it stacked. Possible suggestions for the future? Thank You!

 

[DCurry]

Sure - Preps calls it Cut and Stack. Up til Preps 5 it was really easy. If you have any version of Preps that is newer it is still possible but more difficult to accomplish (for me, anyway.) Let us know what version you're using and I can try to point you in the right direction. I've only used it once in the past 2 years so I'll have to refer to the Help menu to figure it out again in Preps 6 or 7.

On a side note, I am curious as to why it took 2 days with SmartStream for only 2000 records. Are you invoking a layer swap rule? That does slow it down, but with only 2000 records it should still be manageable and not take 2 days.

 

[MattG]

Thank D - Using Preps 6 on this computer although I have the newer version on our new system. Thanks for the info! Our digital press guy mentioned Cut and Stack and then I remembered there was that setting in the Bindery part of Preps. I'd never used it before and they never showed us that in training so I had to Google it and it came up with a step-by-step how-to from Kodak. A little more complicated, but it worked!

As far as Smartstream, it actually took about 9 hours to create 1000 2up pages. I had 2 flyers to do so that doubled the time. I just learned about InDesign Data Merge and that took 10 minutes not including the Preps time (wish I knew about that!). I usually use PTI's FusionPro but I've had too many issues with fonts and everything so I needed to find another alternative just in case. Thanks again...really appreciate the help!

 

[DCurry]

If you'd like, feel free to PM me with a link to your SmartStream files and I'll run it and see how long it takes. I also have SmartStream Composer (server version of Designer) and I could see how fast that chews through it, too, just as a comparison. I just can't imagine what kind of file would take that long to process for such a small number of records.