Printing instruction manual in duplex

[mazstar1980]

I would like to print a copy of my Nikon D90 instruction manual which is saved as a PDF.

I'm trying to figure out how I can print a booklet using the least amount of paper. My logic was to have two pages to one piece of paper. My printer cannot do automatic duplex so I would have to print using odds and then evens.

Therein lies my problem – if I am printing odds it'll turn out that Page 1 & 3 are printed onto one page together.

So how would I go about printing Pages 1&2 and then 5&6 etc and then when I do the manual duplex it would Pages 3&4 and 7&8 etc

I'm not sure if I'm making sense but hope someone can help – it's 300 pages which I could then print on 75 pages.

I have a Brother HL-2170W which allows for manual feed duplex (that's too hard with 300 pages) or using the odds and evens method.

 

[gr8tfly]

I believe you're talking about imposition. This is where, if you were to print half-letter per page (single fold), you would have the first and last pages on one side of a letter-size sheet and the second and second-to-last pages on the other. The same would hold if printing full page, though I imagine the Nikon Manual isn't full page.

For instance: A 10-page booklet.

First sheet front: page 2 and page 9
First sheet back: page 1 and page 10
(folded, page 1 would be the front cover)​

Another thing an imposition program will do is compensate for creep - the change in margins based on paper thickness and number of pages. That way, when bound and trimmed, the margins remain constant. Otherwise, with enough pages, trimming would cut text from the outer margin. It also keeps the gutter margins aligned as you go from the outer pages to inner.

I've used "Cheap Impostor" with good results (doing the single-fold 5.5"x8.5" size). I'd recommend taking a look at it and trying a few test pages, before committing to the complete 300-page booklet.

I have a Brother 2040L and have used its manual duplex (odd/even pages) to print booklets like I've described. I've also sent the PDFs generated by Cheap Impostor to the local printer for printing, folding, trimming and binding - they've come out great.

edit: In re-reading your post, I think you were using the 2-up option, then printing odd/even (2-up giving 5.5"x8.5" pages). I think Cheap Impostor is still the answer. Its output PDF should allow you to use 1-up (normal) and the odd/even option to get the correct output.

 

[mazstar1980]

Mmm..I wasn't intending to print a traditional booklet . I was happy to simply cobble something together and staple it in the corner. The booklet might be harder to create.

I just want someone to tell me easiest and most efficient way of printing the user manual?

 

[mazstar1980]

mods - can i change the title to "Printing instruction manual in duplex"?

I just realised I was asking the wrong question.

 

[gr8tfly]

Mmm..I wasn't intending to print a traditional booklet . I was happy to simply cobble something together and staple it in the corner. The booklet might be harder to create.

I just want someone to tell me easiest and most efficient way of printing the user manual?

If you're printing a full sheet per page, odd/even printing should work fine. You let the document print through all the odd pages, then you reinsert the odd pages back in to the supply tray with the recommended positioning (face up/down, top/bot). Then print the remaining even pages.

Could it be you were duplexing each page while only printing odd? That would result in page 1 & 3 being the first sheet's front and back.

Hope this helps.

 

[mazstar1980]

If you're printing a full sheet per page, odd/even printing should work fine. You let the document print through all the odd pages, then you reinsert the odd pages back in to the supply tray with the recommended positioning (face up/down, top/bot). Then print the remaining even pages.

Could it be you were duplexing each page while only printing odd? That would result in page 1 & 3 being the first sheet's front and back.

Hope this helps.

Yeh its easy printing a full page of paper - but I don't know how to print 2 to 1 page and duplex.

 

[angelwatt]

mods - can i change the title to "Printing instruction manual in duplex"?

I just realised I was asking the wrong question.

Done. For future reference, you can click the edit button and then the Advanced button where you can then edit the thread title on your own.

 

[gr8tfly]

Yeh its easy printing a full page of paper - but I don't know how to print 2 to 1 page and duplex.

So you are trying to print 2 pages of the PDF to one side of a full sheet, then 2 more on the back? Or 1 page per side? I think we still have a communication problem on what's trying to be accomplished.

If the first case, you probably will need Cheap Impostor. I think you want 2-up, but page 1&2 on one side and 3&4 on the other. There should be a setup to do what you want in the app (if I'm understanding what you're doing correctly). It's not imposition, per se, but the app might let you do what you want.

Another option (though it might be cumbersome, depending on the equipment you have), would be to cut the paper in half and use the odd/even procedure with page size set to half-letter. Then just staple normally (if you have a stapler which can handle the thickness).

If the latter - printing one page [of the PDF] per side - you just set the printer to print odd and print out the whole document. Then place the document back in the feed tray properly, switch to even and print the whole document again. I think I described this earlier in a slightly different manner.

I think I've hit all the scenarios...