There are many things to consider when creating a book. And they're all interrelated, so changing one part of the process can affect another part of the process. In this chapter, we will explain how to create a book to fit your needs, be it a catalogue, annual report, novel, whatever. 

 

What is the message of the book?

Every document has a message and this is the first thing you have to know before you can begin writing it. Are you writing a sales piece or an educational piece? Who is your audience? What information do you want to convey? These are all important questions that you need to ask yourself before you begin writing the content and assembling the pages. After all, how do you design something if you don't understand its purpose first?

 

What are the page dimensions of the book?

Deciding what size you want the final book to be is not a minor decision. Like many other choices you're going to have to make when building a book, the page dimensions you choose for your book affects other digital printing factors.

  • Page dimensions are used to decide the imposition method that will work best for a particular workflow. Not all page dimensions are compatible with all imposition methods.
  • Page dimensions are used to determine the size of the paper used to print a book, which is used to achieve the imposition method. Again, not all imposition methods are compatible with all paper sizes. The size of the paper you choose must be large enough to include crop and trim marks on the outside of the margins and it must also accommodate the lamination film if necessary.
  • Page dimensions, imposition method, and paper size all determine the amount of paper to be trimmed once the book is printed. It is our goal to keep these costs to a minimum, which is why it is important to consider all of these factors when determining the page dimensions of your book.