Book Module and pdf

[RobertBoire]

Hi,

I am in the process of putting together my first book and have tried to print to a pdf. It seems that this actually created 2 pdf files, the content of the book and a second pdf for the cover. Why? And is there a way to avoid it?

Also is it me, or is the placement of the captions a little bit on the flaky side?

Thanks

[digitaldog]

I am in the process of putting together my first book and have tried to print to a pdf. It seems that this actually created 2 pdf files, the content of the book and a second pdf for the cover. Why? And is there a way to avoid it?

That's the 'correct' behavior and I don't think there's any way to alter this through LR. Probably because of Blurb (printing covers on one press, the interior on another). If you have Acrobat Pro, you can combine them. But I'd check with whoever is printing it as they too may want them separate.

[Peter McLennan]

The Book Module is not well realized, IMHO.  I gave up and bought InDesign.  Much better.

[Robert Katz]

Putting the discussion of LR book module aside; all the programs that one can use
to send files to Blurb use separate pdfs for the cover and the body of the book. This includes
In Design. 
Robert

[Rhossydd]

all the programs that one can use to send files to Blurb use separate pdfs for the cover and the body of the book.

As Andrew has already said, that's because Blurb require separate PDFs for covers and inside content.
There's no reason why LR shouldn't bundle the whole book into a single PDF and I'm sure many people would like this.

[RobertBoire]

There's no reason why LR shouldn't bundle the whole book into a single PDF and I'm sure many people would like this.

Ya, I could combine them in Acrobat, but its a bit annoying.

Something else I just realized. I would like to distribute the pdf as a draft to some friends but just realized that its huge (30MB for a modest number of images). What is the best way of reducing the size? I thought of shrinking the images on export and reimporting them or printing to file and reimporting them. Or I suppose I could do it in Acrobat?

Thanks

[digitaldog]

What is the best way of reducing the size? I thought of shrinking the images on export and reimporting them or printing to file and reimporting them. Or I suppose I could do it in Acrobat?

This can be done on Mac using the Print to PDF (even PDF to JPEG) with Quartz filters or even ColorSync utility as well as Acrobat Pro (reduce file size).

[JeanMichel]

Hi,
While LR is amazing for photography, I would not think of using it to produce books. I earn much of my living doing that and use InDesign for this. InDesign (or Quark really the tool to produce books.
Unless the book is a self-cover, you always have to make separate files for the cover and the interior. Typically you design the cover on one 'page' to include the back cover, spine, and front cover; and a second page for the inside back, spine and front. Often the cover is larger than the interior... so you do need woo press pdf's.
Within InDesign or Quark you can save pdf's in a variety of flavours including "smallest size" which is fine for checking the book on screen.
Jean-Michel