Book Setup
Booklets
Booklets should be laid out as single pages (NOT AS SPREADS)* in a multi-page pdf. There should be 1/8 inch bleed on each side of the page, including the fold side. If you are setting up files for saddle-stitched or perfect bound book pages, we recommend a safety area of at least 1/4 inch inside the trim line. If you are setting up files for wire or spiral bound book pages, we recommend a safety area of at least 3/8 inch inside the trim line. Additionally, if you are ordering calendars with a hole drill at the bottom, please include at least 3/8 inch of safety from the bottom edge for the hole in the middle. For more about bleed, trim, and safety, see our file setup page.
*With the exception of perfect bind covers. See more in the perfect binding tab on this page.
Cover Setup
For all standard binding types except perfect bind, the book cover counts for four pages (front, inside of front, inside of back, back). These should be included in the multi-page pdf along with the inside pages. The file’s page order should match the order in which they will be bound, so with the cover it would be front cover, inside of front cover, inside pages, inside of back cover, back cover. For perfect bind books, see the perfect binding tab on this page.
Types of binding
Saddle-stitch: The sheets of paper are nested and folded in half, then stapled on the fold, like a comic book. One sheet of paper equals 4 pages once it’s bound (the front and back are counted as separate pages). Because of this, the page count needs to be a multiple of 4.
Perfect Bind: Perfect bound books are glued at the spine, with a strong flexible glue. The other three sides are then face trimmed. The result is similar to a paperback book. For more info, see the perfect binding tab on this page.
Wire-O Bind: Wire-O binding is done with 3:1 pitch (3 holes per inch) black metal wire, and diameters range from 3/16” to 9/16”. Wire bound documents will lay open completely flat, and pages can rotate 360 degrees.
Spiral Bind: The books are bound with a plastic spiral and crimped at the ends. A variety of diameters is available. Spiral bound documents will lay open completely flat, and pages can rotate 360 degrees.
Overview
Perfect binding is a process where the pages are bound together on one edge with flexible glue, and the cover is adhered to that edge to form a spine. During the binding process, a score is created on the cover 1/4 inch from the spine to allow the cover to open freely. The page count will need to be an even number, but does not need to be a multiple of four like some other binding types.
Templates
We have templates available on our templates page.
Cover Setup
The best way to create a print file for the cover is to lay out the exterior and interior cover spreads, including the spine width*, and save them together as a two-page PDF document. The cover should still include a 1/8 inch bleed around the outside of the entire spread. Keep in mind that there will be a score mark 1/4 inch from the spine, so important information should be kept out of that area. If you are not sure of the spine width, please ask and we will let you know!
If for any reason you are not able to set up full cover spreads and you send the covers over as pages, we can usually use the bleed from those pages to wrap around the spine. Any other setup done by us for the spine (adding text, etc.) might incur an additional fee.
Similar to other types of books, your files should be set up as a multi-page PDF, exported as single pages (not spreads), all in order starting with the front cover. All of the pages should be upright; you do not need to rotate them since we will do that part during preflight. The main difference with a calendar is that you will need to leave space for a hole at the bottom center approximately 1/4″ in from the edge, and for wire-bound calendars you’ll need to leave approximately 1/4″ at both the top and bottom, for the hole punch and wire. This means that any important info should be kept at least 1/4″ from the top and bottom of the page so that it doesn’t get interrupted by the hole drill or binding.