How do I print in book format?

[Donna]

I am new to book printing. How do I set up my options for my book to print
in the right page order?

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

I am new to book printing. How do I set up my options for my book to print
in the right page order?

You don't. You give it to the printer in the order you create the
document--page 1, page 2, page 3, etc.

The printer does whatever he needs to do to make it work out on his
system. That's his job.

You need to work with a printer first before doing ANYTHING, even doing
basic layout of the book. You can't just do it in a vacuum and expect
it to work once it leaves your hands.

 

[Mac]

Elmo is right.

Using something like the booklet layout (selected when starting a
publication) produces something called "printers pairs". On a 16 page
booklet it matches up page 16 and 1, 2 and 15, etc. The last page with the
first, second with the second from last, etc.

Then these sheets, after printing, are folded and stapled to produce a
booklet.

Unfortunately books often have hundreds of pages and the last thing you want
to do is match the last with the first! That simple act on your part will
either cause the file to be rejected or cost you hundreds of dollars more
because they will have to find a way top undo what you so helpfully tried to
do.

Also books are produced in many different ways. And each process can
require a different way of arranging pages. You should not be expected to
know this. .

The printer knows these ways and has invested (sometimes thousands and
thousands of dollars) in special software to arrange pages the right way for
the books they produce.

 

[Mike Koewler]

To echo what Elmo and Mac have said - each printer is completely
different. I've worked on two books. the first printer wanted files in
16 page signatures, that is, page 16 and 1 in one file, 2 and 15, etc.

The next printer wanted separate files for each page.

Mike