If you’ll be supplying print-ready files for your cover and/or interior, you’ll need to ensure your files meet our requirements for printing. This page includes guidelines, resources, tips, and instructions for preparing and exporting your print-ready PDF files (What is a Print-Ready file?). This information does not include guides or tips on how to design your book, but rather how to provide files that will be sufficient for professional book printing.
Before getting started, we recommend reviewing our guide to Preparing Graphics Files for Book Printing
We also suggest you make use of our Help Section, which includes answers to commonly asked questions: https://support.bookbaby.com
You’ll upload your print-ready files to the Project Center in your bookbaby.com account. Here’s a handy guide that will help you access the Project Center, upload your files, and provide all necessary information: Project Center Guide.
Supplying your print-ready Cover file
We’ll need a cover file that conforms to the custom cover template specifications for your book and includes front cover, back cover, and spine (note that an additional file is required for books with dust jackets). You will need to download your custom cover template from the Project Center in your bookbaby.com account.
- Login at bookbaby.com/login
- Navigate to your Open Quotations
- Click the Continue Project button next to the appropriate project
- Click the green button (it will read either Get Started or Resume) under the heading Cover & Manuscript
- Choose the Upload Finished Artwork (PDFs) option and click the Save and Continue button
- Follow the instructions to Download the Latest Cover Template
Our Cover Template is a PDF file intended for use in a design program. Your finished cover PDF should match the template’s dimensions exactly. We have instructions for using the template in the Adobe suite of design programs. For other design software, please consult with the support provided by the software developer.
- How to create your cover design in Adobe InDesign
- How to create your cover design in Adobe Photoshop (Version CS and up)
- How to create your book cover design in Adobe Illustrator
For Hardcover books, please watch this short video on centering your cover: https://youtu.be/_EF323BaYu0
Supplying your print-ready Interior file
For your book’s interior, we’ll need all pages in a single PDF file, in the right order, and at the correct trim size for your book. Your interior file should be in single pages, not two-page spreads. If you have full bleed artwork, your file must include an additional .125” of bleed on all sides (What is bleed?).
You can find the Interior template for your book’s project in the Cover & Manuscript section of your project center.
- Login at bookbaby.com/login
- Navigate to your Open Quotations
- Click the Continue Project button next to the appropriate project
- Click the green button (it will read either Get Started or Resume) under the heading Cover & Manuscript
- Choose the Upload Finished Artwork (PDFs) option and click the Save and Continue button
- Follow the instructions to Download the Latest Manuscript Template
Our Interior Templates are Page Templates designed to ensure your book’s interior file is set up at the correct page size with proper margins and bleed. Apart from that, the layout and design of those pages is entirely up to the author and their designer.
Our manuscript templates can be used in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Google Docs, or Apple Pages.
You can find our available support articles on preparing your manuscript in the Preparing Print Files / Templates portion of our help section.
BookBaby does not provide support or guidance on the use of these programs but can offer basic support on using our templates. Any questions about how to use this software should be directed to the software manufacturer, or someone who specializes in offering training for them.
If you’re working in Adobe InDesign, you can find support articles and forums at https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/user-guide.html.
Microsoft Word users will find a great deal of information at support.office.com.