Need to Print a Few Books? Use Microsoft Word

Desktop publishing has become readily available to those who can use Microsoft Word. We know we can design letterhead, invitations, brochures and catalogs, etc.. With a little planning and instruction, you will be on your way to print your own books, too.

What to Expect: In this example, the finished book is 5.25" x 8.5" with 16 pages including covers. Each column in your document counts as a page. Divide 16 by 4, it will give you 4 as how many piece of paper you will need for each book. The reason to do so is because each paper will have four columns, two on each side.

Make Covers: Open a Word document, design your book covers on a letter size document, landscape orientation with two columns. Make back cover on the left and front cover on the right column. Save as cover. (You may make your book covers in full color!)

Make Inside Covers: In another document, design your inside front and back cover. Save as inside covers.

Make a Dummy Book: Now stack four pieces of paper together with landscape orientation, fold them in half, and staple on top left corner. You should have a book 5.5" x 8.5". Starting from the front cover, mark with a pen "Front Cover". Then start flipping the pages and number them from "Inside Cover", then page 1 to 12 through all the pages. The last ones will be marked "Inside Back Cover" and "Back Cover". Now we know the content of your book takes 3 pieces of paper with 4 columns on each.

Create Content: Have your book content typed in a Word document with landscape orientation. Set up two columns for each page, keeping in mind your content will go on six pages. Once content is done, print out the document and mark your page numbers. Each column counts as a page. Mark page 1 from the left column of the first page, page 2 for the right column of the page. Keep going till all pages are numbered, last one being 12.

Formatting: Now we are ready for the final layout of your finished book. Create 8 separate documents in Word. Go to page layout and set the orientation to landscape and the margins to 0.5" top and bottom and 1" left and right. Insert header, type in the name of your book. Insert page number at the bottom of the pages. Set up two columns.

Take the staple off the dummy book, unfold the papers and lay them on the table with covers facing up. You will have the front and back cover as your first document. Design and save as Book Covers and print.

Now flip over the paper with cover page, you will see inside front cover on the left and inside back cover on the right. Copy and paste from your cover designs. Save as Inside Book Covers and print.

Next you will see page 12 on the left and page 1 on the right. Copy and paste corresponding page content from your document made early. Go to the footer and type in your page number accordingly. Save as spread 1.

Flip over the page, now you will see page 2 on the left and 11 on the right. Copy and paste corresponding page content, typed in page numbers and save as spread 2. Now you get the idea. Next ones are 10 and 3 as spread 3, then 4 and 9 as spread 4, 8 and 5 as spread 5, 6 and 7 as spread 6.

Format and make sure all pages look ok. Print all 6 spreads out. Put the spreads back to back in sequence according to your dummy book. Fold them in half and make sure your book content is in the right order.

Now you are ready for the final print out. Take the final print out to Kinko's and ask them to make number of copies you need, double sided. Have the books saddle stitch the books and trimmed on the sides. Congratulations! You just created and printed your first book in Word. Not too bad!