From Screen to Shelf: A Comprehensive Guide to Printing Your Book Using Microsoft Word
Many aspiring authors dream of seeing their words in print. While professional publishing services offer numerous benefits, printing a book yourself using Microsoft Word can be a cost-effective and fulfilling option, especially for small print runs, personal projects, or proof copies. This comprehensive guide provides detailed steps and instructions for transforming your Word document into a print-ready book.
## Is Printing a Book with Word Right for You?
Before diving into the process, consider the pros and cons of printing a book with Word:
**Pros:**
* **Cost-effective:** Ideal for small print runs or creating proof copies.
* **Full control:** You have complete control over the design and layout.
* **Immediate gratification:** See your work in physical form quickly.
* **No publisher required:** Perfect for personal projects or limited distribution.
* **Accessibility:** Most people already have access to Microsoft Word.
**Cons:**
* **Time-consuming:** Requires meticulous formatting and attention to detail.
* **Limited design options:** Word’s design capabilities are not as advanced as professional layout software.
* **Print quality may vary:** Achieving professional-grade print quality can be challenging.
* **Not suitable for large print runs:** Economically impractical for mass production.
* **Requires technical skills:** A good understanding of Word’s formatting features is necessary.
If the pros outweigh the cons for your specific needs, then printing your book with Word can be a viable option.
## Step-by-Step Guide to Printing Your Book with Microsoft Word
This guide breaks down the process into manageable steps, from initial formatting to final printing.
**Phase 1: Manuscript Preparation and Formatting**
1. **Finalize Your Manuscript:** Ensure your manuscript is completely edited, proofread, and revised. Any errors or inconsistencies at this stage will be amplified in the printed version.
2. **Set Up Your Document:** Open a new Word document and configure the page settings. Go to *Layout* > *Size* and choose the desired book size. Common book sizes include:
* **5.5 x 8.5 inches (Digest Size):** A popular choice for novels.
* **6 x 9 inches (US Trade):** A standard size for general fiction and non-fiction.
* **8.5 x 11 inches (Letter Size):** Suitable for workbooks or large-format books (though less common for novels).
3. **Set Margins:** Navigate to *Layout* > *Margins* > *Custom Margins*. Set the margins according to your chosen book size. A general guideline is:
* **Top:** 0.75 – 1 inch
* **Bottom:** 0.75 – 1 inch
* **Left:** 0.625 – 0.75 inch (for inner margin, adjust for binding – see gutter below)
* **Right:** 0.625 – 0.75 inch (outer margin)
4. **Set Gutter Margin:** The gutter margin is the extra space added to the inner margin to accommodate the binding. In the *Custom Margins* dialog box, increase the *Gutter* value to 0.25 – 0.5 inches, depending on the thickness of your book. This is *crucial* for readability. Make sure to apply the gutter to the inner margin, as described below.
5. **Mirror Margins:** Very Important! In the *Custom Margins* dialogue box, under ‘Multiple pages’, select ‘Mirror margins’. This ensures that the inner and outer margins are correctly applied to facing pages.
6. **Choose a Font:** Select a readable and aesthetically pleasing font. Common choices for body text include:
* **Times New Roman:** A classic serif font.
* **Garamond:** Another elegant serif font.
* **Georgia:** A well-designed serif font that is easy to read on screen and in print.
* **Arial:** A widely used sans-serif font (generally less preferred for body text in books but may be suitable for specific genres).
* **Calibri:** A default sans-serif font (similarly less preferred for long blocks of text).
Choose a font size between 11 and 12 points for body text. For chapter titles and headings, use a larger font size (14-18 points).
7. **Paragraph Formatting:**
* **Indentation:** Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.25 – 0.5 inches. You can do this by going to *Format* > *Paragraph* > *Indentation* > *First line* and choosing ‘First line’ and setting the ‘By’ value.
* **Spacing:** Use single or 1.15 line spacing for the body text. Avoid double spacing unless it is specifically required.
* **Alignment:** Justify the text to create clean and even margins. Select all text and click the ‘Justify’ alignment button on the *Home* tab.
8. **Headers and Footers:** Insert headers and footers to include page numbers, book titles, or chapter titles. Go to *Insert* > *Header* or *Insert* > *Footer*. For book printing, using different headers and footers for odd and even pages is essential. This allows you to place the book title on the left page and the chapter title on the right, for instance. In the Header & Footer Design tab, check the box labeled ‘Different Odd & Even Pages’. You can then create separate headers and footers for each.
9. **Chapter Breaks:** Insert page breaks at the end of each chapter to start a new page. Go to *Insert* > *Pages* > *Page Break* or use the shortcut *Ctrl + Enter*. Even better, use Section Breaks. Section breaks allow you to apply different formatting (e.g., headers, footers, page numbering) to different parts of your book. Go to *Layout* > *Breaks* and choose the appropriate section break type (e.g., *Next Page*).
10. **Table of Contents:** If your book requires a table of contents, Word can automatically generate one. Use *Styles* (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to format your chapter titles and subheadings. Then, go to *References* > *Table of Contents* and choose an automatic table of contents style. Update the table of contents if you make any changes to your headings by right-clicking the table of contents and selecting ‘Update Field’. Choose ‘Update entire table’ to ensure all changes are reflected.
11. **Images and Illustrations:** If your book includes images, ensure they are high-resolution (300 DPI is recommended for print) and properly positioned within the text. Compressing images in Word can reduce file size but may also reduce image quality. Go to *Format Picture* > *Picture* > *Compress Pictures* and choose the appropriate compression setting.
12. **Page Numbering:** Start page numbering after the front matter (title page, copyright page, table of contents, etc.). To do this, you’ll use section breaks. Insert a section break at the end of your front matter. Then, in the first page of the main body of your book, go to *Insert* > *Page Number* > *Format Page Numbers*. In the ‘Page Number Format’ dialogue box, start numbering at 1. Then, insert the page number in the footer (or header) as described above.
13. **Widows and Orphans:** A *widow* is a short line of text at the end of a paragraph that appears at the top of a new page. An *orphan* is a short line of text at the beginning of a paragraph that appears at the bottom of a page. Avoid widows and orphans by adjusting paragraph spacing, line breaks, or page breaks. Word’s *Paragraph* settings (under the *Line and Page Breaks* tab) include options to control widow/orphan control. Check the box labeled ‘Widow/Orphan control’. Also, check ‘Keep with next’ to keep a heading with the paragraph that follows it and ‘Keep lines together’ to prevent a paragraph from being split across pages.
14. **Save Regularly:** Save your document frequently to avoid losing your work.
**Phase 2: Creating a Print-Ready PDF**
While you *can* print directly from Word, creating a PDF is highly recommended for several reasons:
* **Preserves Formatting:** PDFs ensure that your formatting remains consistent regardless of the printer or computer used.
* **Universal Compatibility:** PDFs can be opened and printed on virtually any device.
* **Professional Standard:** PDFs are the industry standard for print-ready documents.
1. **Convert to PDF:** In Word, go to *File* > *Save As*. Choose *PDF (*.pdf)* as the file format.
2. **PDF Options:** Click the *Options* button in the *Save As* dialog box. This is *crucial* for ensuring a high-quality PDF suitable for printing.
3. **Optimize for Printing:** In the *Options* dialog box, select the ‘Standard (publishing online and printing)’ option. This will ensure that images are properly embedded and the PDF is optimized for printing.
4. **Embed Fonts:** Make sure the option to ‘Embed fonts in the file’ is selected. This prevents font substitution issues when printing on a different computer.
5. **Print Range:** You typically want to print the entire document. However, you can specify a page range if needed.
6. **Save the PDF:** Click *OK* to close the *Options* dialog box, and then click *Save* to create the PDF.
**Phase 3: Printing Your Book**
1. **Choose Your Printer:** Select a printer that is capable of printing high-quality documents. Laser printers generally produce sharper text and images than inkjet printers, but inkjet technology has improved significantly.
2. **Print Settings:** Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (or a similar PDF viewer). Go to *File* > *Print*.
3. **Printer Properties:** Click the *Properties* button to access the printer’s settings. Configure the following settings:
* **Paper Size:** Select the same paper size you used when formatting your Word document (e.g., 5.5 x 8.5 inches, 6 x 9 inches).
* **Paper Type:** Choose the appropriate paper type. Options may include ‘Plain Paper’, ‘Glossy Paper’, or ‘Heavyweight Paper’. Experiment to find the best option for your desired print quality.
* **Print Quality:** Select the highest possible print quality setting (e.g., ‘Best’, ‘High’).
* **Color/Grayscale:** Choose ‘Color’ if your book includes color images or illustrations. Otherwise, select ‘Grayscale’ to save ink.
* **Duplex Printing (Two-Sided Printing):** This is essential for printing a book. Enable duplex printing. The printer driver may offer options like ‘Long Edge Binding’ (for portrait orientation) or ‘Short Edge Binding’ (for landscape orientation). Choose ‘Long Edge Binding’ for a standard book format.
4. **Page Scaling:** In the Acrobat Print dialog box, ensure that *Page Scaling* is set to *None* or *Actual Size*. This prevents the PDF from being resized, which could distort the formatting.
5. **Print a Test Page:** Before printing the entire book, print a test page to verify that the formatting, margins, and print quality are satisfactory. Pay close attention to the header and footer positions, page numbering, and image quality.
6. **Print the Book:** Once you are satisfied with the test page, print the entire book. Be prepared to monitor the printing process and address any issues that may arise.
7. **Assembling the Book:** After printing, collate the pages in the correct order. You can then bind the book using various methods, such as:
* **Comb Binding:** Uses plastic combs to hold the pages together. A relatively inexpensive option for short print runs.
* **Spiral Binding:** Uses a metal or plastic spiral to bind the pages. Another affordable option, especially for documents that need to lay flat.
* **Saddle Stitching:** Folds the pages in half and staples them together along the spine. Suitable for books with a low page count (typically less than 60 pages).
* **Perfect Binding:** Glues the pages together to create a square spine. Gives the book a more professional look, but is more expensive than other binding methods.
* **Case Binding (Hardcover):** The most durable and professional binding method, but also the most expensive.
**Tips for Achieving Professional Results**
* **Invest in Quality Paper:** Using high-quality paper can significantly improve the look and feel of your book. Consider using acid-free paper to prevent yellowing over time.
* **Professional Proofreading:** Even if you have proofread your manuscript multiple times, consider hiring a professional proofreader to catch any remaining errors.
* **Design a Compelling Cover:** The cover is the first thing potential readers will see, so make sure it is visually appealing and accurately reflects the content of your book. You can design a cover yourself using software like Canva or hire a professional graphic designer.
* **Consider a Print-on-Demand Service:** If you need a larger print run or want to make your book available for sale online, consider using a print-on-demand (POD) service like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or IngramSpark. These services allow you to print books as they are ordered, eliminating the need for a large upfront investment.
* **Calibrate Your Monitor:** Ensure your monitor is properly calibrated to accurately display colors and brightness levels. This will help you avoid surprises when you print your book.
* **Test Different Printers:** If possible, test print your book on different printers to see which one produces the best results.
* **Check Bleed:** If your book includes images or design elements that extend to the edge of the page, you will need to account for bleed. Bleed is the extra area that extends beyond the trim line to ensure that there are no white borders after the book is cut. Consult your printer’s specifications for bleed requirements.
**Troubleshooting Common Printing Issues**
* **Incorrect Margins:** Double-check your margin settings in Word and your printer settings. Make sure that page scaling is set to *None* in the print dialog box.
* **Missing Fonts:** Ensure that fonts are embedded in the PDF file.
* **Poor Image Quality:** Use high-resolution images (300 DPI) and avoid compressing them too much.
* **Incorrect Page Order:** Carefully collate the pages after printing.
* **Ink Smudging:** Use the correct paper type for your printer and allow the ink to dry completely before handling the pages.
**Conclusion**
Printing a book with Microsoft Word can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to bring your creative vision to life. By following these detailed steps and tips, you can create a professional-looking book that you can be proud of. While it may require more effort than using professional publishing services, the cost savings and creative control can make it a worthwhile endeavor, especially for small print runs or personal projects. Remember to take your time, pay attention to detail, and don’t be afraid to experiment to achieve the best possible results. Good luck, and happy printing!