Imposition mode

Booklet imposition

Reorders pages into folding sequence so a folded, stitched signature reads correctly. Takes a signature size and an optional cover-spine allowance.

Booklet reorders pages into folding sequence. Pages are paired so that the first page sits next to the last, the second next to the second-to-last, and so on inward — and each pair is placed side by side on a sheet that will be folded through the middle. Fold the printed section, stitch it on the fold, trim the three open edges, and the pages read 1, 2, 3, 4 in the hand.

The pairing is the mode. Everything else you set — sheet, scale, marks, duplex — behaves as it does elsewhere.

Fold order for a 4-page and an 8-page signature

A 4-page section is one sheet folded once. The outer side carries pages 4 and 1, in that order across the sheet; the inner side carries 2 and 3. Fold it and the sequence is right.

An 8-page section is one sheet folded twice, and the pairing runs inward from both ends of the sequence:

Form	Side	Pages across the sheet
Outer	Front	8 · 1
Outer	Back	2 · 7
Inner	Front	6 · 3
Inner	Back	4 · 5

The outer form carries pages 8 and 1 — the back cover and the front cover of the section — because those are the two faces that end up outermost after both folds.

The rule generalises: for a section of n pages the pairs are (n, 1), (2, n − 1), (n − 2, 3), (4, n − 3) and so on until you meet in the middle. Set the Signatures (pages) field to the section size you are folding — it is a free text field defaulting to 4, and a Booklet job with it empty is rejected.

Cover spine and paper weight

Cover spine is on by default and reserves a cover and spine treatment rather than folding everything on a single centre line. Paper weight, 1 to 1000 gsm with a default of 120, is only available while Cover spine is on — switch the spine off and the field goes with it, because there is nothing for it to describe.

Creep and finishing controls

Check the binding and finishing settings against the stock and folding process for your job.

Set creep for your folded section. Booklet provides a creep amount and inward or outward direction controls. Set the allowance for your stock, inspect the preview, and proof a folded section before production. The paper-weight field does not calculate creep for you.

Sheet numbering is rejected. A signature is folded and trimmed as one piece. A per-sheet number placed outside the trim on a flat sheet ends up inside the finished book once that sheet is folded — on a page, not on a waste edge. Rather than print it where it cannot be trimmed off, the job is refused with Numbering is unavailable in Booklet mode. The slug line is a different control and remains available; see slug line and sheet numbering.

There are no fold marks or collation marks either. Marks are crop marks only, at the trim — see crop marks.

When to use it, and when not to

Saddle-stitched booklets, programmes, zines and short-run catalogues.
Folded 4-page and 8-page sections, including simple folded leaflets that read as pages.
Not for work that is trimmed apart rather than folded — that is N-Up or Cut & Stack.
Not for perfect binding without measuring the spine yourself; the paper weight field will not do it for you.

Does my page count have to be a multiple of four?

Folding says yes — a folded leaf is always four pages. If your document is 14 pages, pad it to 16 in the source before importing, and decide deliberately where the two blanks go. FastImpose imposes what you give it; it does not invent pages on your behalf.

Why can't I turn on sheet numbering?

Because the number would print inside the finished book. A signature is folded and trimmed as a single piece, so there is no waste edge on a folded sheet for a per-sheet number to sit on. The validator refuses the combination rather than producing a booklet with numbers on the pages.

Does FastImpose handle creep?

Yes. Booklet has a creep amount and inward or outward direction controls. Choose the allowance for your stock and verify it with a folded proof; paper weight does not calculate the setting automatically.

Should the 180° back-flip stay on?

In almost every case, yes — it is on by default and it is what makes the reverse of each folded sheet land the right way up. It requires Duplex; setting it without Duplex is rejected. Run one sheet, fold it, and look at it before committing. The duplex and flip page has the procedure.

What it is for

Saddle-stitched booklets and programmes
Zines and short-run catalogues
Folded 4-page and 8-page sections
Anything gathered and stitched on the fold

Settings

Setting	Range	Default	Notes
Signatures (pages)	Typically 4 or 8	4	Pages per folded section. Required — a booklet job without it is rejected.
Cover spine	On, Off	On	Reserves a cover and spine treatment. Turn it off for a plain saddle-stitched booklet folded on the centre line.
Paper weight	1–1000 gsm	120 gsm	Records the stock. Only available while Cover spine is on.
Numbering	Unavailable	Off	Sheet numbering is rejected in Booklet mode — a signature is folded and trimmed as one piece, so a per-sheet number would print inside the finished book.
Paper format	A4, A3, A5, Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Custom	A4	Custom takes an explicit width and height. Sheet sizes above Tabloid — SRA3 among them — are set this way.
Scale	Greater than 0%	100%	Applied to the placed page, not the sheet. Proportions are never distorted.
Page rotation	0, 90, 180, 270	0	Rotates the source page before placement.
Page range	e.g. 1-8, 12, 15-20	All pages	Impose a subset without splitting the source file first.
File bleed	0 mm and up	0 mm	A single allowance applied around the placed page. Keep it at or below half the gap, or adjacent pages overlap.
Centre in sheet	On, Off	On	Centres the imposed block on the sheet rather than pinning it to the margin.
Duplex	On, Off	On	Imposes fronts and backs as a two-sided job.
Flip back 180°	On, Off	On	Rotates the back of each sheet. Requires Duplex — the job is rejected if set without it.