What Formats Can I Upload on Lulu
How to Make a print-ready PDF
Writing and editing are hard enough. And then you have to format your file to run into printer expectations so you can cocky-publish. It's no easy task. I of the often unmentioned aspects is today's topic: what it means to generate a 'print-ready PDF.'
A Disclaimer: every print facility is going to have some specific requirements. We're going to focus on Lulu's Print-Set up file requirements here. They will Not friction match every book printer effectually the globe, so be sure to check with any printer you might apply to get their specifications before submitting your file.
What is a Print-Ready File?
The proper noun kind of says it all. A Print-Ready file is ane prepared for the printer's specifications.
Print-Ready files should e'er be a PDF file.
When y'all format your book, you lot create a file. Virtually probable a DOCX or Physician from Discussion or an INDD from InDesign. This file may be a beautiful representation of your book. Only it is not still a Impress-Ready file. In particular, your file format matters here. While software like InDesign and Discussion have impress capabilities, the file they really send to the printer (be it an at-dwelling printer or a large scale book manufacturer) is a PDF.
What is a PDF?
Introduced nearly 30 years nearly by Adobe, the Portable Document Format (or PDF) is a file format designed to ease the sharing and distribution of content. PDFs are the unmarried near versatile and simple to share a file, offering consistency beyond a range of writing, editing, and design platforms.
As well, a variety of PDF viewers and PDF readers make it like shooting fish in a barrel to share files.
No matter whatyour preferred book layout software, you lot'll need to adhere to the requirements for a PDF that Lulu'south printers tin can work with.
A Impress-Fix File is always a PDF, and a Impress-Ready PDF ever uses the printer-on-demand provider's specifications.
Print-Ready Requirements
Lulu has a prepare of rules we demand files to adhere to. Don't get stressed though! These aren't hard to apply to most files and the software you use to create your PDF will almost always embrace many of these elements for you. Simply not all of them. It's valuable to understand the recommendations and requirements for your book design and file.
1. Epitome Resolution
Expect for 300 dots per inch (dpi) for all your images. You'll too need to look at your software for the best mode to output a PDF that retains the image resolution. PDF and image compression is mutual for software like MS Word, so be on the lookout for anything that may shrink your file size.
Now, if the original image is less than 300 dpi, it may non be possible to achieve the image resolution nosotros require. That's okay. You can utilize lower resolution images, but the print quality may be off. Grainy or pixelated images are the virtually mutual issue you'll come across with lower resolution images.
I strongly recommend using high-resolution images in your file.
2. Color Space
Color Space defines the specific gear up of colors and how they are organized. Importantly, you want to be certain your file uses the same color space our printers utilise and then that we tin can be sure to the colors y'all see on your screen match the colors in the printed book.
For Lulu, we prefer sRGB and CMYK colour. If you're working in Word, yous'll need to exist sure your images are already using sRGB or CMYK for your images. Word volition only export at the given settings, so you won't have a lot of options to control the image quality one time you're in Word.
That's one of the principal reasons I tend to shy away from recommending Word for custom book designs that incorporate images. Software similar InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or even Scribus offers more control over a range of settings, including prototype quality and colour space.
3. Ingather Marks
Traditionally, crop marks indicate where the printers should trim the folio. Also called 'trim lines' the crops evidence up in the corners to allow the paper cutter to align and perform a direct cutting.
It's very important to annotation that Lulu does Non utilize crop marks. Our printers use a trimming process based on the book size you lot've selected. If crop marks are nowadays, in that location's a expert risk the marks will announced every bit nighttime lines in the corners of your pages.
Ingather marks are helpful when laying out your file. But be sure to plough them off before exporting your final PDF.
4. Bleed
The Drain is a slightly larger margin applied to the edge of every page to ensure the folio can be trimmed downwardly to the final size. For most common printers, bleed is 0.125" on all sides of the page.
Have note: all files created for printing have Bleed.
A half dozen×9" book would actually be printed at 6.25×9.25". Once the pages are printed out, the 0.125" on each side is trimmed down prior to bounden.
A book file NEEDS to include bleeds if yous take content (like images or background colour) that extends to the edge of the folio. A file that does not include that actress 0.125" will notwithstanding be printed with the bleed margin. The result can exist pages with a sparse white border.
I recommend you create your file with bleeds, no matter what kind of book you're creating. In Word, this means adjusting your page size and margins to allow for that extra 0.125". Other file layout programs, like InDesign, will allow yous to set your file for bleeds when y'all create the document.
The above prototype highlights the dangers of printing without drain. The cut border of the page is the black border, leaving the folio on the correct with white edges around the lite-blueish background. For those interested in farther reading near graphic design and bleed, I recommend this article from Stack Exchange.
five. Fonts
While there are many compelling reasons to use common fonts for your volume, you might want to use a unique font for some chapter titles. Or for the title and one-half-title pages. Or fifty-fifty the entire volume.
Only be aware that using uncommon or paid fonts can present a number of problems. The most pressing result is that the printer may not own or have the rights to use that font. Fortunately, there is a simple way to ensure your fonts return perfectly for printing.
You need to embed all fonts in your file.
The procedure for embedding fonts is unlike for all programs, but one time you lot have your PDF created, y'all can use Adobe Acrobat or Reader to view the PDF specifications and verify if the fonts are embedded.
Expect under File > Properties > Fonts
The text (Embedded Subset) indicates the font has been embedded properly.
Print-Ready Check
The nearly important part your print-on-demand company provides is the Print-Ready Check. You might even notice information technology happening; when you upload your PDF documents we exercise a thorough bank check to make sure our printers tin can impress your document.
I promise this helps demystify Impress-Fix files and how important information technology is for you to make sure your file is prepared for press before you send information technology to Lulu or your print-on-need service of selection.
Drib whatsoever specific questions in the comments and I'll exercise my best to elaborate!
Source: https://medium.com/lulu-press/how-to-make-a-print-ready-pdf-c369fe2e1144
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