By colin dunbar with our page size set we continue with the global settings and in this post we cover page layout and margins.
Format word for 8 x 10 book with gutters.
Anything 6 x 9 and up flopped around too much the paper and cover wasn t stiff enough to hold itself up across such a distance.
Now open up the book.
You can use the preset styles in microsoft word or modify them for a custom look.
You look at it on your desk and you can measure it that it s 5 25 x 8 in size.
Try measuring the amount of the page that you can see to read from.
I d shoot for at least 200 pages and not more than 350 pages.
Let s say you have a print book that is 5 25 wide by 8 tall.
The editor also provides four popular trim sizes for formatting 4 25 x 6 87 in 5 x 8 in 5 5 x 8 5 in 6 x 9 in.
I suggest you save your word document as we ll be adding formatting features and it ll be useful.
Novels appear in lots of different sizes but for a shorter book i prefer smaller sizes that seem to be more intimate a reading experience.
If your book is a different size and you have questions about what the margins should be feel free to give us a call at 888 664 8166.
If you didn t save it create a new document.
This is going to be a smaller amount because a portion of each page is being used to hold the book together.
5 1 2 x 8 1 2 is probably the most popular size but 5 1 4 x 8 is also a charming size for these books.
Open your saved word document.
You don t want a big but very thin book.
Note that not only are the left and right margins different from one another but the top and bottom margins also are different from one another.
Having some real life examples at your side you should get a better sense of which trim size is best for your book.
You want a book that s got some substance and thickness to it.
Using the styles function in word can help you ensure your book s font and spacing is consistent.
Of all of those the 5 x 8 felt the best in my hand.
Now that you understand what the gutter margin is you can take the proper steps to prevent this potential issue.
6 x9 may seem like the obvious choice but for most books i think it s a little big.
Using styles also saves you time because you don t have to format the font and spacing for each part of your book.
Whether it s choosing to a flat laying binding style such as saddle stitch booklets wire o booklets or spiral bound booklet or including the gutter margin when you start designing your perfect bound book or hard cover book.
Book size you ll need to start by choosing a book size.
The other popular size is 8 x 10 often used for manuals and other nonfiction.
