How to export PDF files correctly

If you want to export an e-book, brochure or other publication from Adobe Indesign to a PDF format, you should consider how this PDF file will be subsequently processed or read.

The following example shows why. To keep myself fit and healthy, I often go to the gym in the evenings and read newsletters, specialist articles, or e-books on my iPad while working out on the crosstrainer. In this specific case, I wanted to read an e-book on content marketing:

Since it was advertised as an e-book, the e-book manufacturer should have ensured that this PDF file could also be read in digital mode (desktop or tablet).

As you can see, the e-book was designed to display multiple PDF pages at once. The e-book PDF was exported as a print sheet, which is why one page in the PDF doesn't correspond to one page displayed on the tablet. As a result, reading this e-book was extremely tedious and exhausting because I constantly had to manually zoom in and out – on every single page!

Since the e-book was about 30 pages long, you can probably imagine how nerve-wracking it was to read the entire e-book. The reading flow was severely disrupted, and many people probably wouldn't want to finish reading this e-book for that very reason. What a shame.

The solution: Export PDF files correctly!

Export PDF file for digital consumption

If an e-book or PDF file is intended to be read digitally on a computer or mobile device, we recommend exporting it as individual pages. Here's how (Adobe InDesign):

1. File - Adobe PDF Presets - High-Quality Print (or another preset)

2. save

3. Select pages

4. export

By the way, it is recommended to activate the "View PDF after export" command so that the PDF opens automatically after export and you can then view the final result without having to manually open it yourself.

The end result is a PDF file that displays perfectly in digital reading mode. One page of the PDF now corresponds to one page on the iPad:

Export PDF file for print consumption

If a PDF file is intended to be read in print (for example, a book, brochure, or magazine), we recommend exporting it to print sheets. Here's how (Adobe InDesign):

1. File - Adobe PDF Presets - High-Quality Print (or another preset)

2. save

3. Select printing sheets

4. export

Please note: Every printing company has different printing specifications that must be taken into account when exporting to PDF! Therefore, if you're exporting a PDF for printing, always speak to your printing company beforehand and ask them which settings you want the PDF file to be exported with.