Can't print booklet to PDF?

Question

I am using InDesign CS5 (7.0.3) on Mac OSX 10.6.8.
I've created a short 12-page document, 5.5"x8.5", and I want to print it 2-up so it will fit on letter-size paper that I can fold and staple. Simple, right?
I can't figure out how to print it as a PDF.
I go to "print booklet" and the options are either to print to my printer, or to print to "PostScript File," which I select and I end up with a .ps file.
Then I open Acrobat Distiller and drag the file to the window, where it is turned into a PDF file.
BUT...the resulting PDF file has all the text printed portrait instead of landscape, and most of it is cut off. Not what I wanted.
I've been through every dialogue box I can find, and I don't see any settings to change the orientation of the page for the .ps or .pdf file. The print preview looks perfect.
How do I fix this? Thank you!

Answer 1

Some articles I've read give me instructions on where to put my PPD file, but not on how to obtain a PPD file (I've searched my computer and the web with no luck). Either I'm clueless (definitely a possibility) or the instructions are lacking.
The article to which you linked told you pretty clearly where you could find that PPD, assuming that you have installed Acrobat 9 at some point in the past.
If you do not have Acrobat 9 installed, then why don't you search Google for "ADPDF9.PPD"? It's the second link. And, because you ask us to spell it out: you'll want to right-click on the link and choose Save Link As, and make sure you save it with that name - ADPDF9.PPD.
However, given the length of the document (it's really short), then I have another suggestion for you - do it manually. No, seriously! I'm assuming that your source document is already at the "letter-half" page size. What you can do is:
1) Fold up some paper so that you have a 12-page booklet. Write page numbers so you know which panel goes where, when you...
2) Unfold that paper. See, now you can see exactly what is going on under the hood!
3) Make a new, empty portrait-orientation letter-size InDesign document.
4) Using your handy key that you made in steps 1 and 2, place your letter-half content-having InDesign file into your empty InDesign file. (Yes, you can place ID file 1 into ID file 2 and it will behave like an image.)
This feels like a lot of work, but it's work that will not simply vanish the next time that somebody at Adobe or Apple decides to change the way that PDFs or printers work. Also, you'll get a better understanding of what goes on during imposition, and you'll have easily editable files. Make changes to the source file, update the links in your target booklet INDD, and you're ready to go!