Use this guide when your edited manuscript is final and you want to publish a paperback through print on demand or a short-run printer. Have your final text, ISBN for the paperback, cover design brief and the printer's or platform's file specifications.
Step by step
Choose trim size and paper
Look at similar books in your category and pick a standard trim size your printer supports. Choose paper colour and weight. These choices affect page count, spine width and cost.
Lay out the interior
Set margins, including a wider inside margin for binding, and choose readable body and heading fonts. Add front matter, such as title page, copyright page and contents, and back matter such as notes or an index.
Check images and fonts
Use images at a resolution suitable for print and check they are licensed for print use. Embed fonts in the PDF and confirm the font licences allow commercial use.
Build the full cover
Once the page count is fixed, calculate the spine width with the printer's calculator. Create or commission a full wrap cover with front, spine and back, including bleed and a barcode area.
Export and check files
Export print-ready PDFs to the printer's specification and run their file checker. Look at every page in the preview for blank pages, orphaned headings and images crossing margins.
Order and approve a proof
Order a printed proof and check it on paper, including colours, spine alignment, page numbers and running heads. Fix problems, order another proof if changes were significant, then approve.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Trim size and paper chosen
- Paperback ISBN assigned
- Copyright page complete
- Images print quality and licensed
- Fonts embedded and licensed
- Spine width calculated from final page count
- File checker passed
- Printed proof approved
Practical tips
- Finalise the text before calculating the spine, as even small changes can alter the page count.
- Start chapters on right-hand pages for a traditional look, but check the effect on page count.
- Remember to send a copy to the British Library for legal deposit within one month of publication.
Common problems
The file checker rejects my PDF.
Read the error message closely; common causes are missing bleed, unembedded fonts or low-resolution images. Fix the source file and export again.
The spine text is off-centre on the proof.
Small variations are normal in printing. Keep text well inside the spine and avoid designs that rely on perfect alignment.
Colours look darker in print.
Screens are brighter than paper. Lighten images slightly and follow the printer's colour guidance, then check another proof.