This post is about Booklet printing using InDesign. InDesign automatically imposes your document, and creates the printer spreads. These can be sent to a printing device or an Adobe PDF Printer to create a PDF.

Pages appear in sequence in the layout window, but are printed in a different order so that they appear correct when folded and bound.

The number of pages in a booklet should always be a multiple of 4. If not, then blank pages are added to your output.

The original document is not modified while creating a booklet, neither is a copy created with pages moved around. The source files remain intact and InDesign does the heavy lifting and outputs the booklet to the print stream: which you can capture on a printer ,or PDF via the Adobe PDF Printer.

You can preview the spreads, and once you’re satisfied, you can send it on to the printer.

There are a few terms the “Pro’s” use when it comes to booklets. Some that you’ll encounter are:

• Printer Spreads -  in printer spreads, pages are positioned such that when the two pages are printed on the same sheet, folded, and collated, the pages end up in proper sequence.
  
• Imposition - The process of creating printer spreads from layout spreads.
• Cover – is the outermost printer spread. In the above example, pages 1 and 8 form the Cover.
• Centerfold – In the print world, the innermost printer spread, such as pages 4 and 5 in the above example. Also refers to a picture — or even the person, whose picture is on the centerfold.
• Sheet - The term sheet represents two printer spreads: the front of the sheet and the back of the sheet.
• Creep - Creep is the distance pages need to move from the spine to accommodate paper thickness and folding.

• For a  negative creep values, the outermost sheet is not adjusted, but the pages on the inner sheets move towards the spine.
• For  a positive creep value, the innermost sheet is not adjusted, but the pages on the outer sheets move away from the spine.

 Remember: Centerfolds require a positive creep.

See Printing Booklets in the InDesign help for exact procedures.

You can also have a look at some videos on YouTube . One for example is at Print Booklet to PDF.