PDFClerk Icon

Creating Step and Repeat Layouts

Learn how to create a simple very generally useful step and repeat layout, or how to create a complex layout targeted at documents with a more specific layout.

Creating a simple step and repeat layout:

A useful and very simple layout that works automatically in many circumstances is one where you just want a single original to fill n sheets, or to be repeated n times. To create such a layout template in the Impositions Editor:

  1. Create a new template by clicking on the "+" button and name it appropriately.
  2. Set columns and rows to 0. PDFClerk wil automatically figure out the best layout depending on the size of the original.
  3. Set slot size to "First Page Size (Fixed)".
  4. Under the "Page Distribution" tab turn on the "Step & Repeat" text box.
  5. Click the "+" button to create a rule.
  6. Select "Impose Listed Pages", then enter 1 in the text field and set it to fill 1 sheet.
  7. Turn on "Center content within margins" if you like.
  8. Click the "OK" button and switch to the new template.

This template can be used on any document, but it will use only the its first page. You can set the rule to impose the page a specific number of times rather than filling a sheet. The only adjustment you may need to make in the template for the individual documents that use it, is to adjust the number of repeats/sheets as appropriate for the occasion. If you want to control what PDF display box from the original gets used, and obtain trim and/or bleed marks you will find those instructions in the steps outlined below.

Creating a more complex step and repeat layout:

Lets say you want a layout where the document has two pages, and you want the first page to appear twice on the left half of the sheet and the second page twice on the right half: 1 1 2 2. And that repeated for each row. You want to fill 100 sheets with this pattern. You also want PDFClerk to automatically size the slots to maximise the use of available space, and have a gutter in between each page, with space for bleed and trim marks. The bleed and trim boxes are specified in the original PDF pages. You want PDFClerk to switch to using the PDF page's crop box whenever you switch to this layout

  1. Create a new template by clicking on the "+" button and name it appropriately.
  2. Set columns to 4 and leave rows at 0.
  3. Specify both horizontal and vertical gutters in groups of 1 with an appropriate gutter size for each (e.g. 5mm).
  4. Under the "Page Distribution" tab turn on the "Step & Repeat" text box.
  5. Click the "+" button to create a rule.
  6. Select "Impose Listed Pages", then enter 1,1,2,2 in the text field and set it to fill 100 sheets.
  7. Switch to the "Display Boxes and Sheet Metrics" tab.
  8. Check the "Derive bleed and trim marks from pages" option.
  9. If you want marks on the inside of the columns/rows check the "Force Inner Marks" option. If you want marks in the center of the slots' edges check the "Draw Center Marks" option.
  10. Turn on "Center content within margins" if you like.
  11. From the "Default to Display Box:" popup menu select the "Crop Box" option.
  12. Click the "OK" button and switch to the new template.

See also

Creating Recurring Patterns with "Watermarks"
"Watermarks"