Signature plug in for Indesign?

[rande]

hi. anyone know of a Signature plug in for Indesign? ... I'm looking to be able to make multi pg 8pg 5.5x8.5 sigs., ...script maybe.

 

[chriscozi]

hi. anyone know of a Signature plug in for Indesign? ... I'm looking to be able to make multi pg 8pg 5.5x8.5 sigs., ...script maybe.

Why? This conversation will quickly devolve into a discussion of pdf imposition program alternatives. - Search the forums for imposition

 

[Dov Isaacs]

You are probably best off creating and editing InDesign source documents in logical page order, exporting the resultant pages to PDF, and then using any number of products (either standalone or Acrobat plug-ins) to make signatures for printing. This avoids having to muck around with page ordering within InDesign “to get it right” whenever you need to either delete an existing page or add a new page or for that matter, do significant editing within InDesign that would likely mess up the signatures. Note that many PDF workflow systems and for that matter, RIPs and DFEs have built-in signature handling.

- Dov

 

[TJPrinter]

PDF workflow is more efficient and has more options. Is there a particular reason you need to stay within Indesign?

 

[rande]

I'm setting pages up for a digital press, anywhere from 8-80pg booklets. I don't need to stay in Indd. but have seen a plugin about 10 yrs ago that seemed to work fine. Can't find anything so far. If I could do something in acrobat with a plugin, that would be fine. I use Pitstop, I don't know if there's an addition to that or acrobat. I could make a ton of templates in Indd. but thats a hassle if corx come up, and different sizes. 5.5x8.5 (8pg sigs) or 5x8. So I'm looking for anything that would get me there. There is software on the Digital press but its sequencial and can do forms. Not sure how I would be able to use facing pgs. I'm open to any ideas tho. I appreciate the responses.

 

[gregbatch]

Take pdfsnake.com for a spin. It can do various types of imposition from your print-ready PDF files. You can try it free, and start month to month for about $13/month. Totally web based. Nothing to install. You can save your routines.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

I'm setting pages up for a digital press, anywhere from 8-80pg booklets. I don't need to stay in Indd. but have seen a plugin about 10 yrs ago that seemed to work fine. Can't find anything so far. If I could do something in acrobat with a plugin, that would be fine. I use Pitstop, I don't know if there's an addition to that or acrobat. I could make a ton of templates in Indd. but thats a hassle if corx come up, and different sizes. 5.5x8.5 (8pg sigs) or 5x8. So I'm looking for anything that would get me there. There is software on the Digital press but its sequencial and can do forms. Not sure how I would be able to use facing pgs. I'm open to any ideas tho. I appreciate the responses.

Yes, there was a third-party InDesign plug-in many years back (more than 10 years ago) that did output imposition. That small company was bought out by Quark which immediately discontinued that plug-in in an interesting effort to somehow competitively hurt Adobe InDesign (which it didn't).

Again, doing imposition within InDesign is not a particularly good idea. Impose the PDF if you want. In addition to the pdfsnake product mentioned by @gregbatch above, Callas pdfToolbox PDF works! as well as Quite Software's Quite Imposing Quite at Home provide excellent imposition tools either as Acrobat Pro plug-ins or as stand-alone applications. I've used both of these successfully when needing imposition in situations where I was not going to a full service print service provider (who should do imposition as part of their service).

- Dov

 

[prepressdork]

Hi Rande,

You mentioned that you use Pitstop. Do you have the 2021 version? If so, Pitstop can do simple printer spread impositions complete with crop marks, color bar, etc.. In your Action List Editor window, type "Impo" in the search field at the top.

Hope this helps,
pd

 

[rande]

great thx. i'll get into those ideas

 

[TJPrinter]

I’ve used Quite Imposing for years and it’s a great plugin. You could also look at Montax Imposer. Montax has several versions of their plugin and a standalone application and the pricing is certainly appealing. They too have a trial period. Good luck.

 

[rande]

thx everyone. appreciate it.

 

[CharlesQuite]

Thank you for the nice comments Doc (we appreciate them). Quite Imposing can easily do Simple and very complex layout. Check out our site and try the Demo if you like.

 

[gregbatch]

Thank you for the nice comments Doc (we appreciate them). Quite Imposing can easily do Simple and very complex layout. Check out our site and try the Demo if you like.

Charles, Quite Imposing has always been my first choice. However, for some it is a high price for simple imposition on a tight budget. Yet I could list all of the extra features and things that can be done with it that would make it a bargain. Especially when dealing with files from business customers who don't know what they are doing. The ability to quickly turn reader spreads into proper imposition. Scaling (especially anamorphic) and shuffling options that can make cutting sequential pieces on a Duplo a breeze.

 

[jdodoubleg]

If you have a fiery on your digital printer you could get a license for impose, you may already have one. Or, try this, it might have what you need, it is also free. Press Release 2020-30-01 - Meadows Publishing Solutions

 

[YourCastle]

i haven't used the InDesign plug-in Smartstream in years, but I do remember it being a useful tool. It could even do dutch-cut, i think.

 

[Magnus59]

i haven't used the InDesign plug-in Smartstream in years, but I do remember it being a useful tool. It could even do dutch-cut, i think.

Smartstream is useful for VDP particularly as it writes native JLT files for the HP Indigo, but I wouldn't use it for anything else.