The information found in this step is designed for those who wish to produce their own page layout. For complete information on having our professionals create your layout click here.
Page layout is a term which refers to the way in which text and images are situated on a page. The layout of your manuscript should be adjusted to look exactly the way you want to see it in print. Quite often people will look at previously bound books for their ideas. Sample family history or reunion memory book layouts are very helpful for showing how to set headers, position page numbers, set margin width, or choose a font style. In order for your book to have a professional look and feel, there are four basic principles to follow.
Contrast
In order for your page layout to be visually appealing and to keep the readers interest, you should have contrast on your pages. Use a contrasting type for headings, keeping the headings very different from the body type. Don't go overboard, use one type for the body copy and a different one for the headings. Consider a newspaper and how the headings are larger and bolder.
Alignment
Choose one justification and stick to it. As a rule, center justification will give the page layout a formal look. It is commonly used for poetry books. Left justification will give a more conservative professional look. Full justification is the most popular page style. With full justification, your headings could be either left, right, or centered on the page.
Repetition
Create a sense of unity to your book by adding a few visual elements that you like, and then repeating them throughout. Look through some of your favorite books to see what they have used on their pages, you may get some inspiration. Perhaps a decorative ornament under the heading of each chapter, or a decorative drop cap to start each chapter might be to your liking.
Margins, Header/Footers for Single Column or Double Column Layouts
The two page formats commonly used for family history books are single column and double column.
Single Column
When setting the margins for your single column pages, it is important to not set them less than ¾” to ensure that proper space between the printing and the edge of the page is maintained. We recommend that when choosing a margin setting for your page layout, you should allow 1/8” extra for the binding edge. For example, if you have selected a margin setting of ¾” for the top, bottom, and right hand side of the page, the left hand, or binding edge should be set at 7/8”. This makes the text appear balanced on the page when the book is bound. Microsoft Word uses a measurement which is referred to as a gutter. When using the gutter, margins should all be set at ¾" with a gutter measurement of .2". Care should also be taken when placing information in the headers or footers, such as chapter heading or page numbers, that sufficient room remains between the edge of the print and the edge of the page. A header/footer measurement of ½” is a common setting for a standard page layout.
Double Column
When setting the margins for a double column page, we recommend a margin width of 3/8" left and right, and 3/4" top and bottom. With the additional 1/8" at the binding edge, the actual binding edge measurement would be 1/2". When using Microsoft Word, the margins should all be set at 3/8" with a gutter measurement of .2". The space in between columns should be approximately 3/8". This reduction of the margin area (compared to the single column style) is necessary when fitting photographs into the columns. If using high level page layout software such as Adobe InDesign, you would be able to extend images from one column partly into another to allow for larger images on the page.
Setting Type
When typing your manuscript, the following are some basic layout tips:
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Only use one space after periods. |
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Indent paragraphs approximately 1/4" (or 6 mm). This is best done by setting your tabs. |
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Choose either a line space between paragraphs or an indent. Do not use both. |
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If you are choosing to indent your paragraphs, you need not indent the first paragraph of each chapter. |
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Watch for hyphenated words at the end of each line. If there are too many, you may want to adjust your kerning (space between letters). |
Fonts
Choosing font styles for your book is very important for both the appearance and for transferring files for printing. The most common fonts used for books are the Oldstyle fonts, as they are easily readable for large body copy. Among the most common are Times Roman, Goudy, Garamond, and Baskerville (with our preference being for Garamond because of its superior line spacing and charachter spacing). Remember to choose a contrasting font for your headings. A sans serif font such as Arial is a common choice. A sans serif font is one without the "hooks" at the ends of each letter. These "hooks" help to guide the eye from one letter to another making the text easily readable. This is why sans serif fonts such as Arial should never be used for the main body of the text.
In regard to printing, it is important to ensure that all fonts being used are resident in your Windows or Mac font folder. This includes both bold and italicized versions of each font. Simply using the bold or italicize commands on the toolbar may not necessarily ensure the font is available. For example, Microsoft Word will manufacture its own version of a font if it is not already installed on your computer. If this is done, the bold font will appear to be two images side by side when printed on a high quality digital press. The italicized versions may not print at all. The simple solution to font problems is to avoid unusual fonts such as Wing Dings and Symbol, and stay with more common book fonts such as Times New Roman and Garamond.
Copyright, ISBN
Copyright, ISBN information should be placed on the page directly after the title page. This page is commonly known as the copyright page. If you have decided to produce your own page layout, we will check to make sure all the necessary information is included on this page. For more information on copyright / ISBN please click here.
Page Numbers/Chapter Headings
For the best results, the chapter pages should always be placed on a right hand page. It may be necessary to leave a left hand page blank in order to start a chapter as a right hand page. Inserting a section break at the end of each chapter will automatically force the following chapter to begin in the proper right hand position.
When numbering the pages in your book, you should also keep in mind that right hand pages are always odd number pages while left hand pages are even numbers. It is also common to number the pages preceding the first chapter with roman numerals.
Scanning
In order for photographs to be added to your book, they must first be scanned. There are many brands of scanners available on the market. Even the most inexpensive scanner will be able to produce the high quality images needed for printing. Properly setting your resolution will determine whether your images will be blurry, or print crisp and clear. Print resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI). The more dots used to make up the image, the higher the quality of the image.
For best results, photographs should be scanned at high resolution (300 DPI) in either the TIFF or JPEG file format. If you are planning to enlarge the size of your photos to be printed, it would be advisable to scan your photos at 600 DPI. Some scanners automatically default to 72 DPI between uses so be careful. Photos scanned at 72 DPI would not be considered acceptable for printing.
NOTE: Higher resolution is not necessarily better. A resolution over 600 DPI will only increase your file size (sometimes dramatically) and cause your computer to run more slowly.
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