How to Design a Book & Save on Printing Costs
- 1). Open a new Word document, letter size and landscape orientation, with two columns. This will give you a back cover (left) and front cover (right).
- 2). Create your front and back covers, using inserted images and text overlays. Save the document.
- 3). Repeat steps 1 and 2 for inside covers. You can include dedication and copyright information if you like on these covers. Save the document as "inside cover."
- 4). Open another new Word document with the same size, orientation and columns. Open your text file with your book language. Copy and paste the text language into the new document file and save as "content."
- 5). Your content section will now print in the same two-column format as your covers. Print the pages and number them (with pencil on the back).
- 6). Using extra paper, place page 1 on the "right" column of the page. If your last page is an even number (for example, 32), place that on the "left" column of the page. Continue to pair your pages (2 and 31, 3 and 30) with even pages on the left, and odds on the right, until all your pages are matched.
- 7). Open a new word document, with two columns. Copy and paste the text from the first pair of pages into a new file. Repeat this process until all pages are paired.
- 8). Print two copies of your entire paired page documents and stack them, front to back, so that pair 1/32 and 2/31 are back to back. Stack the next set of four pages -- 3/30 and 4/29 -- until all stacks are matched. Fold one stack in half, leaving the first page on top. This will give you an idea of what your completed pages will look like.
- 9). Place your covers back to back, and fold in half, wrapping around your completed text. This will be a final look and design of your book.
- 10
Take your unfolded copies, with the folded version of your "completed" book, to a printing company such as Kinkos or Office Max. With the "dummy" version, the
company can use the unfolded pages to print front and back, and bind the books for you.
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