Template for back to back printing

**silvertop** · 31 December 2015, 03:27 PM

I am quite new to Photo & Graphics Designer. What I want to do is create a book with portrait orientated pages flipping on the left, long side. This requires a template with the text/photo useable area offset to the right for odd pages and to the left for even pages. (Beginning a print starting with page 1). I can then print the pages back to back and bind them into a book with a thermal binding machine I own. I can think of ways of creating an "odd" and "even" page template but that would be quite laborious when I come to inserting blank pages before editing. I wondered if there might be an already prepared 2-page spread template? Any other way of achieving my objective will be equally welcome of course.

**mwenz** · 31 December 2015, 03:42 PM

I don't use that Xara application. I do use XDP. I would no more do a book in it than pull my own teeth. There are people here that have done books in their Xara application though. A very few people.

Use a word processor (LibreOffice is free) ), use a free layout application or buy something like PagePlus. It will be far and away easier.

**silvertop** · 01 January 2016, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by mwenz

I don't use that Xara application. I do use XDP. I would no more do a book in it than pull my own teeth. There are people here that have done books in their Xara application though. A very few people.

Use a word processor (LibreOffice is free) ), use a free layout application or buy something like PagePlus. It will be far and away easier.

Thanks for that contribution. I already have Office so have an excellent WP. It was already clear to me that I had chosen the wrong platform for DTP though hence my post. I have in the past produced a substantial book using CorelDraw and the experience was similar with the easy bit inputting text and images. The page layout was very testing. Xara's Page & Layout Designer is offered at a good price right now and would be entirely compatible with my existing Photo & Gr Designer app. Reviews suggest that Serif Page Plus is top of the pile for features including comprehensive pdf facilities. P+ is half as much again if cost comes into the discussion. So I dare say I will be going back to Xara!

**mwenz** · 01 January 2016, 11:21 AM

One can usually pick up the previous version of Serif software for an incredible price. Check the price of PP X8, which would be the previous version. You'll be in the exact same boat with any Xara product.

**silvertop** · 01 January 2016, 04:22 PM

I am totally a Newbie having today bought Xara Page & Layout V11. If I persist for long enough I guess I will answer my own question but if I can get there quicker by tapping into this forum then all the better. I want to use a template which has a two-page layout but most important, with a binding gutter. The odd pages will have the binding gutter on the left and the even pages will have the gutter on the right. This way I can print duplex and eventually bind my printed pages into a book. I confess that I have spent two hours viewing xaraxone.com tutorials but as yet I have not even located the many templates that come with the software. Help please!

**mwenz** · 01 January 2016, 04:34 PM

There are no such templates. There is no concept of margins. There is no concept of Master Pages which handle page construction if/when pages are moved, added, removed.

I don't know if either of your applications can open the attachment or not. It is a sample done a while back for having L/R "margins" (guidelines) along with page numbering while maintaining a spread view. Easy to muck it up, but such is life.

Mike

**angelize** · 01 January 2016, 07:42 PM

Hello Silvertop Welcome to Talkgraphics!

First I have moved your threads into the Xara Graphics Chat area as this is maily a how to do this in Xara question. And as the two threads are pretty much the same question I've merged them into 1 thread.

As to answering your question. As Mike has pointed out for a full book with hundreds of pages, chapters, table of contents, etc Xara is not the best solution. However for a small booklet or pamphlet it is doable with some effort.

I have attached a blank template that will give you an Idea how to start. The template is set to US letter size and set as a double page spread. There is a large gutter down the centre to accommodate folding. To set up your pages as folios( set up in order for printing back to back so that the pages appear in the correct order when the booklet is printed) you will need to number them manually for example for a simple 4 page pamphlet the first set would be 4 and 1 and the second set would be 2 and 3. What I do if I need more than about 8 pages is to set up a dummy. I use some sheets of blank paper (actual to scale size is not that important) and fold them into pages making sure I have enough for a cover if needed, and all my pages I then use a pencil and number them and I use the dummy to plan the layout. Yes I know this is going old school but for a small booklet it would get you there.

**roly** · 02 January 2016, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by silvertop

I already have Office so have an excellent WP.!

Hi Silvertop, you mentioned you have office, I am assuming the Microsoft office suite, look at the Publisher module, I used it many years ago and it did the job without too much training. You might be able to try it for 30 days free but I am not sure.

Ciao

Roly

**RKissane** · 04 January 2016, 07:35 PM

Hello Silvertop,

The way I read what you wanted to do, was to print individual pages with a gutter so that on the back of page 1 is 2 and page 3 is 4 and so on. You will then take these pages and put a cover on them and bind them in your thermal binder.

You can create your own template fairly easly. What I would do is under the Utilities menu go into "options" and under the "page size" tab select double pages and landscape. Turn on rulers by either going to "window menu" and then under "bars" select ruler or CNTRL+L. With rulers displayed, pull out a guide line for the right side gutter and a guide line for the left side gutter. Now when you want more pages just right click on one of the pages and select add double page and Xara will insert a new double pages with the same guide lines.

Once you have the gutter setup the way you want then save the two pages as a template.

Play around a bit and see if this makes sense.

Also I would recommend you taking a look at http://www.xhris.digitalred.net/#xl_xr_page_index for videos on using Xara Desinger Pro. Alot of items will still apply to PhotoGraphic designer. The Pro just includes more of the XARA software packages all in one item.

Ray

**Albacore** · 05 January 2016, 10:56 AM

I am a so called moderator here at TG and I hate to see people trying to use Xara software for something it really wasn't designed for. Yes I use to use Xara for simple booklets & brochures and it was easy to use so long as the booklet wasn't large that I couldn't figure out the imposition of it myself. It also had to deal with me re-inserting the printed pages in the correct way for duplex printing on the back side. Then I got a phone call offering me a copy of P/Plus for stupid low amount of money and things like the above seemed loads simpler.

Now you can buy the newest version of P/Plus X9 for £67.50 or you can go back one version to X8 and download a digital ver. for £15 or the disc ver, £30 which I think is silly money:
I think for quick simple Z folded brochures nothing beats the speed of Xara but when you get into page numbering, tables, calendars and Photo//Mail merge not to mention the most obvious Master Pages then nothing beats for the price Page Plus.