How To prepare camera-ready copy...
Everyone can have a local copy shop print and collate their pages in the correct size ready for us to bind.
Decide which size and cover you want, how many books you want bound, and send us the pages ready to bind, with your check or money order.
Or charge the amount to any major credit card (online only) on our respective web pages.
refer to:
"Hard Bind Your Own already Printed Pages"We printed the following instructions for those who want to learn to save money and control their printed pages.
If you have no time to devote to learning this, you can give your originals to a copy shop or local printer and let them prepare your pages to send us.You need to refer to this information while you do it.
Please do not call us and ask us to explain how to prepare your own printed pages.
"Camera-ready copy" means:
Copy that will be photo-reproduced exactly as you send. If you can't
prepare satisfying copy, you may want to use a typing or copy service.
Always Leave ½ " white margins all around the page 3/4" in the sewn side.
We don't prepare or correct your original pages.
HERE'S ALL YOU DO
To prepare your copy for us or any printer:
Remember, the camera magnifies imperfections.
Avoid strong shadows showing through your page.
Use your PC and printer with 24 lb. or heavier paper.
Or send us unbound pages from a previously printed book.
You can send 2-sided copy if the paper is reasonably opaque.
Typical size books in bookstores are:
8 ½" x 5½ " - standard 8 ½x 11 paper folded in half.
8 ½"x7" - standard 8 ½x 14 paper folded in half.
(our "printing" is not available in this size, only binding)
Large pages are standard 8 ½x 11."
It's best to send us camera-ready pages, all cut to the size your
book will be, all printed on one side of the page and numbered.
Blank pages get invisible numbers but they are also numbered as pages.
2.) Number pages at center bottom, inside the 7" print area margin.
a.) You need to count every page. If it's blank it has an invisible number.
b.) For 8 ½" x 5½ the total amount of pages needs to be evenly
divisible by 4.
(A book's total page numbers must divide evenly by 4. (32, 36, 40,44, 48,
etc.) One sheet of 8 ½x11" is folded in half and creates 4
pages whether blank or printed on).
3.) Tack original photos or art in place lightly (exact size, within 3x5")
with "rubber cement" ONLY, not glue, so they lay flat
and are removable if need be. Put the page number on back of
them (just in case they become dislodged).
They must be clear and contrasty, may not contain dense dark areas.
4.) Now cut all your pages to the finished size
8½ x 5½" (or 8½ x7)
Always Leave 3/4" white margins all around the page.
Photos, or line drawings must be sharp, clean, contrasty black and white or color. This picture is colorful but has no large
solid color area.
NOTE: dark, or dense areas of one color.
can get blotchy. (We can also convert and print your
color photos as black and white to save money if you
request it.)
There are extra ink and set-up charges for photos, drawings, and color.
The next instructions are only for you who want
to lay out pages so that when you print out
your 2-sided pages,
(and pile them one-on-top-of-another),
they're in perfect numerical order.
This is called (pagination).
How to lay out 8½" x 5½" or 8 ½"x7" pages
When piled one-on-top-of-another, cut in half or folded in half,
they create a perfectly numbered book.
Always Leave ½ " white margins all around the page 3/4" in the sewn side.
Example: For 8½" x 5½" pages type within 4" wide x 7"
high to allow 3/4" white margins all around.
Decide exactly how how many pages your book is.
Then divide by 4.
(A book's total page numbers must divide evenly by 4. (32, 36, 40,44, 48,
etc.) One sheet of 8 ½x11" is folded in half and creates 4
pages whether blank or printed on).
If you have 31 pages of copy, you'll need to add a blank page to equal 32,
so it can be evenly divided by 4.
That result tells you how many SHEETS OF PAPER you need to make a blank dummy book.
Books must divide evenly by 4. (32, 36, 40,44, 48, etc.)If yours doesn't, you need to add blank pages with invisible numbers on them.
A stack of 8 sheets of paper,
folded in half,
numbered on both sides of the page,
creates 32 pages.
32 pages of copy, divided evenly by 4, requires
8 sheets of paper that will be folded in half.
For a 32 page book, your centerfold falls where page 16 is on your left and 17 is on your right.
This changes when you have a different amount of pages.
You need to know the centerfold numbers or you won't
be able to collate correctly.
The centerfold left side page number is your
total pages divided by 2.
You need any software that has templates for 2-sided greeting cards or brochures. It will enable you to prepare landscaped
(sideways) pages.
( 8 ½x 11 or 8 ½x 14 paper sideways creates two pages per side)
where the last page of the book is on your left and the first page is on
your right.
1 sheet of 8 ½x11 or 8 ½x14" (when folded in half) creates 4
pages whether blank or printed on).8 ½" x 5½ or 8 ½" x 7"
That is why pages need to be evenly divisible by 4.
The even number is always placed on the left:
88
1
Flip over and an even number is still on the left.
2
87
TIP: FOR ECONOMICAL SELF-PRINTING
Buy a printer/stand-alone-copier with a document feeder and "duplexing" feature
(which means it prints 2 sides of each page simultaneously).
Our favorite is an HP #610 $398.00 at Office Depot or online at www.HP.com (It costs about $50.00 to print 400 pages full of full color graphics).
Put your original in the document feeder (up to 30 sheets of 8½x11" paper) . It hands you a duplicate set in a few minutes, full color or black & white .
If cut in half to 8½x5½", it creates a 120 page book.
(Illustrated below, is how to yield 120 pages 8½x5½" in correct numerical order
from 30 sheets of 8½x11" paper).
Use 60 sheets of paper makes a 240 page 8½x5½" book.
By placing your order you are agreeing to this
Terms of Use Statement
All Purchases are subject to our Terms of Use Statement
You understand and agree that the owners of this site shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or exemplary damages, including but not limited to, damages for loss of profits, data or other intangible losses (even if the owners of this site have been advised of the possibility of such damages),
resulting from the use or the inability to use the product (s) and / or service (s) or any misuse of the product (s) and or service (s) in a manner not in accordance with their intended use.
Due to cost of processing orders we will issue no refunds (except for exchange due to our error, reported within 5 days of receiving). Unauthorized returns will be charged a 30% fee re-added to entire price of order, plus all shipping incurred.
If you need to meet a deadline, e-mail us prior to ordering to see if it's feasible. We cannot help you once your order is in transit.
Mail Pages and remittance to...
J.Mark Press
BOX 24-3474,
Boynton Beach,FL 33424
For Cust. Service
Send Us Email Click Here
We will answer within
3 hours during business hours.
Weekdays, 10:30 to 5:30 Eastern Time
Closed Sat., Sun. Holidays
Outside USA SEND International Postal
Money Order and (Add .25 per book extra postage).
Before you know it you'll be holding a hard cover book with your family history (genealogy), poetry, juvenile fiction, recipes, reports, etc. in their permanent hard cover binder to sell, give, and share.PREVIOUS PAGE hard cover book printing, binding Next page Hard cover books in Larger quantities and pages