Controlling the file you get ensures the final output meets your needs, whether it's a zip file or a single PDF. This guide will walk you through the settings that affect how your binder file is generated and formatted, giving you full control over the result.
Prerequisites: You have edit permission on the binder
File types available
Your binder can be generated in the following file types, each with it's own specific settings:
zip
single PDF
To control this:
Click on the Configure button at the top of the binder
Go the the file tab in the top right
Your changes are saved automatically
Heads-up:
You can only generate your binder in one file type at a time. If a participant requires the binder in a different file format, simply update the setting here and regenerate the binder.
If your binder's been generated, any changes to the configuration won’t take effect until you generate the binder again.
Zip file | Single PDF |
| 
|
Zip files
A zip file packages all the documents and the index into a single compressed file. This format is ideal for users who need to manage and distribute documents separately.
If you choose a zip file, it will generate as follows:
Zip file | This will have the following properties:
⚠️ File names are restricted to 30 characters to prevent exceeding maximum path limits. |
Index | This will have the following properties:
|
Files | These will have the following properties:
⚠️ File names are cut to 150 characters to prevent exceeding maximum path limits (in the binder, document names are restricted to 250 characters) |
Single PDF
A single PDF combines all your documents and the index into one unified file. This is useful if you want a complete, printable binder to share or distribute.
If you choose a single PDF file, it will generate as follows:
PDF file | Contains the index and all documents for your binder merged into one PDF file. This will have the following properties:
⚠️ File names are restricted to 30 characters to prevent exceeding maximum path limits. |
Index | This is the first file inside the PDF file, and will have the following properties:
|
Documents | These will be inside the PDF file, and be in the same order as you have them in your binder. |
Bookmarks | You control if this is on/off. If on, sections and documents (including their number) appear as bookmarks in the sidebar, making it easier to jump to the right place in the binder. |
Hyperlinks | You control if this is on/off. If on, pressing on a document name in the index takes you to the document's location in the single PDF. |
Page separator | You control if this is on/off. If on, a blank A4 page is added between each document with the name of the document (in Arial, size 18, bold and centred text). |
If you're generating your binder as a single PDF, keep in mind the following limitations:
PDF files: All of the documents in your binder must be PDF files. If you have selected single PDF as the generation method and you upload non-PDF files, a modal will appear notifying you that you won't be able to generate the binder. The generate button will be disabled until you remove the non-PDF files or switch to zip format.
Password protection: If any of the documents in your binder are password protected, the binder generation will fail. You'll be informed what documents caused the issue, and need to remove or replace these documents before generating your binder.
Next steps
Configure index: If you haven't already, configure how the index will look.
Preview index: Once you’re happy with your index configurations, you can preview how it will appear.
Generate: When everything looks right, you’re ready to generate the binder file so it can be exported.