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Getting booklet printing working is proving more difficult than expected, even for just 4 pages. I have successfully used geometry to define an unusual paper size: A4 portrait halved from top to bottom. Then I add the booklet commands, and it combines pages 4 and 1 as expected onto a single A4 portrait page. But then page 2 is produced on its own, and then two blank pages. Page 3 is missing.

The same happens when I try A4 pages being reduced to A5 for a landscape booklet, so I don't think it's a result of my odd paper size. I've followed advice in this answer and put \setpdftargetpages after the preamble.

(I know about multicol and the like, but as far as I cant tell that can't generate two-sided printing of sheets that can just be folded into booklets.)

MNWE:

\documentclass[14pt,onecolumn]{memoir}
\title{Booklet printing test}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\marginparsep = 0pt
\marginparwidth = 0pt
\headsep = 0pt
\footskip = 0pt
\usepackage[showframe,paperwidth=10.5cm,paperheight=29.7cm,includeheadfoot,includemp,textwidth=9.5cm,textheight=27cm]{geometry}

\usepackage[print,four,twouparticle]{booklet}
\source{\magstep0}{\paperwidth}{\paperheight}
\target{\magstep0}{21cm}{\paperheight} 

\begin{document}

\ifpdf
  \pdfoutput = 1
  \setpdftargetpages
\else
  \setdvipstargetpages
\fi

\maketitle

\subsection{One}
\lipsum[2]

\newpage
\subsection{Two}
\lipsum[4-5]

\newpage
\subsection{Three}
\lipsum[6-7]

\newpage
\subsection{Four}
\lipsum[8]

\end{document}
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JGC
  • 369
  • Please see this answer which I wrote in response to another question. booklet is essentially incompatible with geometry. The documentation explains how to resolve the issue but it has never worked for me. One workaround used geometry in the initial stage and then booklet only. That no longer works for me so I developed a solution independent of booklet which I explain in that answer, along with the failed, earlier solution. I do not currently know of a better answer though I am sure there must be one! – cfr Jun 01 '14 at 22:55
  • For booklets, I compile the main file as a5paper, then assemble the pages thus produced in an a4 document, with pdfpages and the \includepdf command. – Bernard Jun 01 '14 at 23:35
  • I suggest Bernard's method with a modification. Use pdfbook (from pdfjam suite) to create the signatures for the booklet. It is much easier. – mas Jun 02 '14 at 01:40
  • @masmys How is that easier than using the relevant option of pdfpages? pdfjam just wraps pdfpages anyway, I believe. Bernard's comment is essentially the basis of the answer I linked to in mine: compile the document to whatever size you like (A5 portrait in my case) and then use pdfpages in a wrapper tex document to create the signatures and prepare for printing onto whatever paper size (A4 landscape in my case). For example \includepdf[pages=-,nup=1x2,landscape,signature=4]{firststagepdf} for a 4 page signature. – cfr Jun 02 '14 at 01:53
  • I meant easier in the sense that one need not create a tex file and use \includepdf etc. to include the file, and then compile. Maybe, I should have said simpler than easier :-) – mas Jun 02 '14 at 02:20
  • @cfr, I'd noted the warning in the documentation about geometry (namely "If you are making any changes to the values of \paperwidth or \paperheight, say through the geometry package or the memoir class, then the booklet package must be called after those changes have been made. In this case you may have to specify a different \source than usual, but I think that this is probably unlikely.") and put the booklet commands after geometry. But thank you for confirming that you have issues too. – JGC Jun 02 '14 at 09:58
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    I was really hoping to have a solution that required a single-pass of LaTeX. I generally write in markdown and then use pandoc to produce PDF output via LaTeX, supplying appropriate style and preamble commands. The pdfpages approach looks suitable, but would require a change in my workflow which I'd prefer to avoid. So, further answers still welcome! – JGC Jun 02 '14 at 10:01
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    @JGC Yes. I would have preferred that, too, which is why I consider my answer to the other question more of an alternative/work around than a true solution. (It eliminates booklet rather than fixing the issues.) However, after struggling for hours with it, I finally decided a change to my workflow was much less hassle. I really hope you get an answer which avoids this since I can then adopt it and go back to a single source file. (I think hoping for a single pass of LaTeX may be unrealistic but that does depend on content. I tend to have cross references and citations which rule that out.) – cfr Jun 02 '14 at 14:29
  • @cfr, indeed. I have asked the maintainer for help, but as the last update was 4 years ago, I'm not holding my breath. – JGC Jun 02 '14 at 19:39

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