How can I tell what width & length I am using?

[Michael]

I have a book that I want to print. I have a Word document of the entire
thing yet it is a different font and page size than the book I already have
printed. I need to change the margin size and the font size so I can print
out he same identical book that I already have. The book is smaller than a
regular 8 1/2 by 11 notebook page. The text is in two columns and centered.

After I get this figured out I will send it off to the printer to get
printed. My biggest hang up is finding out what size of a page I will
actually be printing out right now. For example, if I take the first page of
this book and print it on my printer it comes out on a 8 1/2 by 11 notebook
page which is larger then the book itself. I want to set my margins in Word
so that when I print it out, it is identical on the 8 1/2 by 11 page as it is
on the smaller pages in this book. I don't understand how to read or use the
ruler in Word.

The current book has pages that are about 9and2/16 long and 6and8/16 wide.
The text is 3and6/16 wide and 7and15/16 long on the page. That is with a
center line that splits the two sides of the text.

Thanks, Michael

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ignore the size of the book pages for the moment (you can tell the printer
the desired trim size). Instead, use the text area (is it really 3.38" x
7.94", or is that the width of a column?). Set the document margins such
that they will allow the same text area (not counting any header or footer).
Set the header and footer margins to match any running head, page numbers at
the foot of the page, etc. Then change the font size and distance between
columns to match that in the book.