When you’re printing a book, there are some design rules that you need to follow to get a quality print. From making sure that all of your text is legible, that your images are high resolution, and that your pages are properly formatted, we’ll guide you through the process. By following these simple design rules, you’ll be able to create a beautiful and professional-looking book that will impress your readers!
Page Layout
To start with, you need to make sure that the pages of your book are laid out correctly. Each page of a print book has a spot at the top for a running head, which includes the title and author name, while some pages also have a spot for page numbers at the bottom. These spots might not fit properly onto some computer screens or small mobile devices, but they will certainly show up when your pages are printed.
To print nicely on paper, all of these running heads and page numbers must be lined up perfectly on their separate layers which can then be deleted once you’ve created your final book file that is set to get published. It’s important to note here that this is different from creating separate text boxes or images to add them to your book, which is something that you do need to avoid.
How Can You Avoid These Errors?
The key here is to create one separate page for each running head or page number that will appear on any given page of the book. This can be easily done in Microsoft Word. Start by selecting all of the text that belongs to a single running head and then adding it to its layer in the Pages Panel (Window > Pages). Then select all of the text that belongs at the bottom of a single page and add this to its layer as well. Now click back on your first layer and find ‘Create Clipping Mask’ under Layer > Create Clips Mask > Current Frame. The clips mask option will allow you to add these two layers together in a way that is visually appealing when printed. With the clipping mask added, you can now delete both of these layers once your book is finished. Just make sure that you are not deleting any text boxes or images since these need to be saved!
Lining Your Headers and Footers
It’s important to note that these running heads and page numbers should line up just where they will show on the pages of your final book. This means that if you’re positioning them during the early stages of formatting your book, then there’s a chance they may appear too close together or too far apart once everything has been finalized and formatted for print. As long as everything looks fine while you’re still working on it though, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Cover Design
The design of your book cover is as important as the formatting because it is what will first attract people to take a closer look at your work. Think, for example, of the work of children’s book designers. There are certain rules that you need to follow for this as well, especially if you want to make sure that you’re getting the best quality printout of your cover page.
First off, always use high-resolution images when designing the front and back covers of your book. These should be sized so that they fit perfectly on an 8 1/2″ by 11″ sheet of paper before any trimming takes place. If you want to increase the size slightly, then there are ways to do this without losing too much clarity in each image. Also, remember graphic design elements like lines or lettering that are meant to have a transparent effect can’t be printed with this level of quality. For this reason, it’s best to stick to flat colors on your cover design as well as any images you’re using.
Keeping Your Cover Consistent
All aspects of your book need to be consistent with one another, including the cover. Therefore, if you’re creating an image for your cover page that is meant to act as a link between two pages or chapters in your book (or even part of the front and back), then make sure that this same design is used elsewhere throughout the text.
Make sure to set up your text, headers, footers, and images correctly before you get too far into formatting for print. Use the clipping mask option in Word if needed since this will allow you to add these various aspects together without losing any visual appeal. And lastly, always use high-resolution images when creating your cover design so that everything comes out looking nice once it’s printed. With these tips in mind, you can’t go wrong!