Checklist for authors who will create and submit their own print-ready files

Use this checklist if your manuscript is complete and you intend to prepare and submit your own print-ready files. The checklist will help guide you through file preparation, and choices related to book size, binding type and paper stock.

Here's how:

Download and print a hard copy of the checklist for reference as you prepare your materials for submission.

Manuscript submission

When you’re ready, follow the instructions to place your order. If you have any questions about your submission, contact a Blitzprint Client Support Specialist at 1-866-479-3248, or by email.

Get it fast

If you want your book printed as soon as possible, learn more about our rush service.

Cover layout

To design your cover, you need to know your book’s final size and the width of its spine. Use our book printing calculator to determine your spine width (below).

Although Microsoft Word is a great word processor, it’s not the best program in which to build a print-ready cover. Watch our Flash tutorial to learn how to create a cover file in a typical layout program such as QuarkXpress, Adobe InDesign or Adobe lllustrator.

Let's assume you're making a 6x9-inch paperback, and you've calculated your spine width to be 0.625 inches. Build a page size of 12.625-inches wide by 9-inches tall. Place guides at the 6-inch and 6.625-inch locations. You’ve now marked off the areas for your front cover, spine and back cover. Now start placing your graphics and text elements into position. Keep in mind that any graphic elements (including colour) that run to the edge of the page must extend 0.125 inches to 0.25 inches past the edge. This is called a bleed (see below). Be sure also to keep text no closer than 0.25 inches to the edge to allow for trimming.

Watch the cover layout Flash tutorial.

Commonly Used Papers

Spine Calculator

About bleeds

Bleed is when, after the finishing process, the printed elements on the page go to the edge of the sheet, leaving no blank margin between the printed area and the edge of the sheet. In order for this to occur on every copy of the cover, extra image, or colour area, beyond the intended trim line, is required to compensate for any movement in the printing process. The bleed amount should be no less than 0.125".

Correct
The gray crop marks indicate where the printer is expected to trim the sheet. The black box shows the final size. Everything beyond the black box is bleed and gets discarded, leaving the book at the desired finished size.

* * *

Incorrect
This example has no bleeds. The image and final trim are the same size. The printer will be forced to trim off some of the image. The result: the final book would be smaller than specified. And since graphical elements like the title end up closer to the edge, they risk being cut off.

Resizing Microsoft Word files

Microsoft Word defaults to a document size of 8.5 x 11 inches, which is fine for printing at home. It's relatively simple to resize your Microsoft Word file to that of your book’s interior. To resize your manuscript to final book size, watch our MS Word Flash tutorial.

Creating PDFs

Blitzprint uses a PDF (portable document format) workflow. That means we convert all files to PDF before sending them to press. If you've formatted your document on your own and are satisfied you've got print-ready files that will require no further work prior to printing, you can create the PDF versions yourself.

You’ll need a converter. If your computer does not have a converter, search Google for a free PDF converter. We recommend either PDF Creator or PDF 995 . (Note that the free Adobe Acrobat application that comes with most PCs will only read PDFs, not create them. Most Apple computers have built-in converters that allow you to export your Microsoft Word or page-layout files as PDFs. PC versions of Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 also have a ‘Save as PDF’ option. In both the Mac and PC cases, simply select the desired PDF output option in the ‘Print’ window.)

Once installed, most PC PDF converters will set up as a new printer on your system. Instead of writing to a physical printer, they will export an electronic PDF file.

Watch our PDF-creation Flash tutorial.