InDesign - export a PDF of multiple copies of a range of pages

Question

I don't know if my search-fu is off, or if this is actually something InDesign can't do.

I have a document with 78 pages. I want to create a PDF that contains 52 copies of a range of four pages in the document. These pages are junior size (5.5x8.5"), so I can't just use the PDF printer that's built-in on Windows 10 (it doesn't allow for custom paper sizes, apparently). I can export the page range, but how do I export it as multiple copies into a single PDF?

Answer 1

The only way I know is to simply enter the wanted page range in the Export Adobe PDF > General > Pages > Range field 52 times.

If the range you want for example is "2,15,17,30" you simply repeat those four numbers 52 times with a comma between each copy like this:

2,15,17,30,2,15,17,30,2,15,17,30, and so on.

If the range is four adjacent pages like 2,3,4,5 you can simplify it a little bit like this:

2-5,2-5,2-5, and so on.

The field is ridiculously small so I can't really show it:

Sadly it doesn't seem to be possible to write something like 52*(2,15,17,30) which would be much easier in a case like this.

Answer 2

My thought would be to create multiple PDFs and then combine them

• Export PDF of pages before duplication
• Export PDF of only the pages to duplicate
• Export PDF of pages after duplication

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In Acrobat choose File > Create > Combine files into to Single PDF... and then order the pages in that dialog appropriately, adding as many copies of a single PDF as are needed.

This will result in one PDF with the duplicated section.

(You can also merely duplicate the "middle" PDF in the OS so you can rename and number the duplicates, which might make tracking 52 easier than counting how many copies are in the Acrobat window.)

Answer 3

Okay, I figured out how to add custom paper sizes to the Microsoft PDF printer (and just wrote about that over here), but I'm pretty annoyed InDesign can't do this. It seems like a pretty trivial missing feature.

Anyhow, for the custom paper sizes to create a PDF, if anyone's interested:

1. Open Control Panel (easiest way is to search for it from Start).
2. Open Devices & Printers.
3. Click on the icon for Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Click Print server properties in the toolbar.
5. Click Change form settings and wait for the dialog to reload.
6. Check Create new form.
7. Add a name, and set the dimensions. You don't need to set margins, since this is for creating PDFs.
8. Click Save form, then OK