HOW DO I PREPARE THE BOOK FOR THE PRINTING HOUSE?

Page layout that a printing house can use must include headers and or footers, page numbers, and crop marks. 

Images in the book must be scanned at the correct resolution and size and, if necessary, enhanced using a computer program like Photoshop. 

In addition, the digital files that are sent to the printing house must be compatible with the systems at that printing house. Therefore, it is important to use a specialized page layout program like Pagemaker, QuarkXpress, or CorelVentura to prepare the pages.

If you are proficient at one of these page layout programs and also at image preparation, you will be able to prepare the pages yourself. However, you should check with the printing house before you begin to make sure that the files you will be preparing will work at the print shop.

If you are not proficient at page layout and image preparation, you should hire someone who is. A good layout person will create a professional-looking page design and will also prepare files that will be trouble-free at the printing house.