How to Create a PDF Ready for Upload as a Flipbook

This article shows you how to create a PDF file that’s ready to upload to your READZ account. When creating a PDF file for upload, we advise these five steps to avoid any errors.

check page settings
make a backup
flatten layers
make the file print ready
check file size limit

Each step is discussed below. For the purposes of this demonstration, our examples use InDesign CS6.

1. Before you start creating

You can optimize the user experience by creating PDF documents that follow READZ page standards. In our experience, PDF documents with these settings work best on the platform:

portrait orientation
letter size

To save time and avoid last-minute layout changes, select these options when you create a new InDesign document.

Open InDesign and select Create New Document. The New Document Panel displays.

2. On the New Document Panel, locate Page Size.
3. Click the box beside Page Size and select Letter from the drop-down menu.
4. Locate the Orientation setting. Select the Portrait icon.
5. Click OK to save. A new document with a blank page displays.

2. Copying your file

This step assumes you’ve written an Indesign document and are ready to create a PDF file.

Before creating a PDF, make a backup copy of your Indesign file. Some of the PDF preparation steps can’t be undone. If you make a mistake, hours of work could be lost. Those potential problems can be avoided by making a copy of your work.

Open your file in InDesign.
On the main InDesign menu, click File.
Click Save a Copy. The Save a Copy panel displays.

3. On the Save A Copy panel, select the destination folder.
4. Enter a unique file name.
5. Click Save.

3. Flattening layers

You probably use the Layers tool when creating Indesign documents. Layers help designers apply styles to specific elements. Before exporting your work as a PDF file, it’s a good idea to flatten layers. When you flatten - or merge - layers, it’s impossible for other people to change your work. Plus, flattened layers help to ensure the printed version of your document looks good. Once you flatten layers, it’s impossible to undo the merge. That’s why it’s a good idea to make a backup, as suggested in Step 1.

Open your file in InDesign.
On the main InDesign menu, click Window.
Scroll down and then click Layers. The Layers panel displays.

4. Inside the Layers panel, document layers are visible.
5. Highlight all of the layers with the mouse pointer.
6. Right-click on a layer. A new menu displays.

7. Select Merge Layers. A single layer displays on the Layers panel.

4. Exporting a file

To save a document as a PDF file, you have to use the Export tool.

On the main InDesign menu, click File.
Scroll down and then click Export. The Export panel displays.

5. Customizing print quality settings

Inside the Export Adobe PDF panel, you can customize document quality. Basically, there are three options.

High Quality Print is a good choice for documents printed on desktop printers or at quick print shops.
Press Quality is a good choice for documents printed by commercial presses. This option produces the highest quality printed work but also the largest file size.
Smallest File Size is a good choice for documents viewed only online.

Unless your documents are going to a commercial press, we suggest the High Quality Print option.

At the top of the Export Adobe PDF panel, click the box beside Adobe PDF Preset. A drop-down menu displays.
Select High Quality Print.

Make sure to select 'Pages' not 'Spreads', as this will result in a PDF export that will not render correctly.

6. Checking file size

File size can influence the overall user experience. Files that are too large load slowly on the screen. For that reason, we suggest a maximum file size of 100 MB.

File sizes over 100 MB are not supported on Readz. You can check the file size on your computer.