The following specifications and guides are designed to give you precise layout measurements for use in your own layout software. Please note that for books that are not full bleed, there is a 1/4 inch white margin. To keep the page even and centered, this margin is in addition to the .1875 inch inside the binding. Each of these specs are available as Photoshop and Indesign documents here.

Photo Preparation
Before beginning your layout you will want to edit your photos in Photoshop, saving them as TIFF or no compression JPGS and using and embedding the color profile which can be found here. If you are doing all of your layout in Photoshop then save a version of each page as a flattened TIFF image. This will give the most accurate color reproduction. You can also save as a non-compressed PDF. For Indesign we accept PDF and packaged Indesign Files with all fonts and images. For all other applications, a PDF is the best way to send your files.

Books Layout Specficiations

11 x 8.5 Books
Book Size: 11.375 x 8.75 (Landscape) 8.875 x 11.25 (portrait style)
Paper size: 11 x 8.5
Margin: .25 on all sides
Inside edge: additional .25 (in the binding)
Full bleed: Bleed to 11.25 x 8.75. We trim to 11 x 8.5. Template still needs to account for .25 in the binding.

11 x 10 Books
Book Size: 11.3 x 10.3
Paper size: 11 x 10
Margin: .25 on all sides
Inside edge: additional .25 (in the binding)
Full bleed: Bleed to 11.25 x 10.25. We trim to 11 x 10. Template still needs to account for .25 in the binding.

13 x 12 books
Book Size: 13.25 x 12.3125
Paper size: 13.0625 x 12
Margin: .25 on all sides
Inside edge: additional .1875 (in the binding)
Full bleed: Full bleed is not yet available on this size.

Full Bleed
For full bleed when laying your photos out, make sure they go to the end of the document dimensions. The margin that you have created is where the page will be cut, so nothing important should be outside of that margin. Even if only a few pages of your book will actually have full bleed, you must lay the entire book out using these specs as we will not be able to print non full-bleed pages separately.

Setting up Spreads
We are often asked if it is possible to print spreads - meaning can an image or layout be spread across two facing pages and form one continuous image. The short answer is that this is possible but a few factors need to be considered whether we are doing the layouts or you are providing print ready files.

Thermal Binding: for small order quantities (1 to 20) our perfect binding process is the most economical and allows for the fastest turn around. However, this type of binding has a gutter of approximately 1/4 inch. This can cause some misregistration when doing spreads. Sometimes it is barely perceptible and other times it can be as much a an 1/8 of an inch. In most instances this does not look bad, but it is important not to put text, faces or other "lines" that would be most affected by the gutter and mis alignment.

Double notch/fan binding: This form of thermal binding has a very small gutter. Some misregistration can occur but it is very slight.

Smythe Sewing: This type of binding provides the most accurate spreads as there is no gutter and the book lays flat. Though misregistration can occur but is very minimal and very close to what you would find in a store bought book.

Flush mount binding: This elegant binding provides the cleanest spread as the layout is printed across a single sheet that is folded. There is no gutter and no misalignment.

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