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repeat action every 16 pages

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 3:41 pm
by Scott_PC79
Is it possible to run an action every 16 pages in the same PDF?

For example, my PDF has 48 pages (8.5x11) and the first 16 pages need to be converted to saddlestitch printer spreads, then the next 16 pages convert to printer spreads and so on. My end result needs to be 24 pages(17x11) where the first 8 sheets is one book, the next 8 pages is the next book and so on.

Re: repeat action every 16 pages

Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 4:58 pm
by yosimo
I think the main problem here is not the repeatability of all 16 pages, but getting the pages in the right order for a thread-stitched booklet.

Once this problem is solved, you can then use the "Reorder Pages" action to order the pages to the booklet.

For a 16-page booklet with a total of 48 pages:

Code: Select all

16,1,2,15,14,3,4,13,12,5,6,11,10,7,8,9,32,17,18,31,30,19,20,29,28,21,22,27,26,23,24,25,48,33,34,47,46,35,36,45,44,37,38,43,42,39,40,41
For a 16-page booklet with a total of 480 pages:

Code: Select all

16,1,2,15,14,3,4,13,12,5,6,11,10,7,8,9,32,17,18,31,30,19,20,29,28,21,22,27,26,23,24,25,48,33,34,47,46,35,36,45,44,37,38,43,42,39,40,41,64,49,50,63,62,51,52,61,60,53,54,59,58,55,56,57,80,65,66,79,78,67,68,77,76,69,70,75,74,71,72,73,96,81,82,95,94,83,84,93,92,85,86,91,90,87,88,89,112,97,98,111,110,99,100,109,108,101,102,107,106,103,104,105,128,113,114,127,126,115,116,125,124,117,118,123,122,119,120,121,144,129,130,143,142,131,132,141,140,133,134,139,138,135,136,137,160,145,146,159,158,147,148,157,156,149,150,155,154,151,152,153,176,161,162,175,174,163,164,173,172,165,166,171,170,167,168,169,192,177,178,191,190,179,180,189,188,181,182,187,186,183,184,185,208,193,194,207,206,195,196,205,204,197,198,203,202,199,200,201,224,209,210,223,222,211,212,221,220,213,214,219,218,215,216,217,240,225,226,239,238,227,228,237,236,229,230,235,234,231,232,233,256,241,242,255,254,243,244,253,252,245,246,251,250,247,248,249,272,257,258,271,270,259,260,269,268,261,262,267,266,263,264,265,288,273,274,287,286,275,276,285,284,277,278,283,282,279,280,281,304,289,290,303,302,291,292,301,300,293,294,299,298,295,296,297,320,305,306,319,318,307,308,317,316,309,310,315,314,311,312,313,336,321,322,335,334,323,324,333,332,325,326,331,330,327,328,329,352,337,338,351,350,339,340,349,348,341,342,347,346,343,344,345,368,353,354,367,366,355,356,365,364,357,358,363,362,359,360,361,384,369,370,383,382,371,372,381,380,373,374,379,378,375,376,377,400,385,386,399,398,387,388,397,396,389,390,395,394,391,392,393,416,401,402,415,414,403,404,413,412,405,406,411,410,407,408,409,432,417,418,431,430,419,420,429,428,421,422,427,426,423,424,425,448,433,434,447,446,435,436,445,444,437,438,443,442,439,440,441,464,449,450,463,462,451,452,461,460,453,454,459,458,455,456,457,480,465,466,479,478,467,468,477,476,469,470,475,474,471,472,473
and so on...

Image

Unfortunately, you can't specify the sort order of the first 16 pages so that all the other pages sort themselves with the same scheme. You always have to enter the complete sort order. (My PitStop version is 2018, maybe there are better options in the newer versions.)

After that, you could use another cumbersome and time-consuming action to put the pairs of pages together on one printed sheet...

regards
yosimo

Re: repeat action every 16 pages

Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:56 pm
by freddyp
If you have PitStop Server you can split the PDF into groups of 16 pages to which you apply the action list for 16 pages and then you merge the PDFs again.