Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2020 18:14:02 GMT
After the disaster this year’s printing experience was, I want to make sure that my new Lulu template is correct and consistent with their requirements, and also will give me the proper attractive formatting results. I don’t use any bleeding, as I understand the term. I have no pictures nor text that extend to the edge of the page. I have a constant, distinct white margin around all pages. My 8½” x 11” full color book runs 360 – 400 or so pages. Lulu’s creation guide says it should have a 1” interior margin and they “add” 0.5”, at least I think that’s what it means. I'm assuming that I set my template size at 8½” x 11”. Does “trim” size = template size, i.e., 8½” x 11”? My current project for 2021 (to be printed at EOY) has these Word 2010 Page Set Up parameters. Are these correct? Paper 8 ½ x 11 in size From edgeHeader: 0.35” Footer: 0.5” MarginsTop: 0.75” Bottom: 1” Inside: 0.75” Outside: 0.75” Gutter: 0.5” PagesMirror margins OrientationPortrait My book for 2020 was printed with these parameters except that the gutter was 0.35”. It looks great! Thanks for your help! Make headers .5 from edge (both). Make margins same top and bottom. .75 minimum. Make left and right margins the same, .75. Gutter can be .3 or .5. Book size 8.75x11.25. That's it.
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wsc3
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Post by wsc3 on Dec 28, 2020 17:19:18 GMT
Do I set the Paper size as 8.5" x 11" or to 8.75" x 11.25"? Lulu's instructions indicated the former. I had it at 8.5 x 11 this year and it printed fine. What do you mean by "Book size is 8.75 x 11.25?" Do you mean that's the final printed size it ends up as? If so, I guess that means that's the size the cover must be, right?
Thanks!
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Dec 28, 2020 17:36:55 GMT
Do I set the Paper size as 8.5" x 11" or to 8.75" x 11.25"? Lulu's instructions indicated the former. I had it at 8.5 x 11 this year and it printed fine. What do you mean by "Book size is 8.75 x 11.25?" Do you mean that's the final printed size it ends up as? If so, I guess that means that's the size the cover must be, right? Thanks! Unless I'm mistaken the 8.75x11.25 is the size before the final product gets trimmed. 8.5x11 [with some nominal variation is the final trim size.
Whether it's the cover or the interior file trim is a consideration.
If the instructions say size the paper at 8.5x11 with X amount of space on top, bottom, and both sides, with a gutter of Y, set the size per instructions.
Same for the cover, if the instructions say keep important images or text within certain template boundaries follow the instructions.
Once everything is printed and the excess is trimmed off the nominal size may be slightly over or under 8.5x11 but not by much either way.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2020 19:35:19 GMT
Do I set the Paper size as 8.5" x 11" or to 8.75" x 11.25"? Lulu's instructions indicated the former. I had it at 8.5 x 11 this year and it printed fine. What do you mean by "Book size is 8.75 x 11.25?" Do you mean that's the final printed size it ends up as? If so, I guess that means that's the size the cover must be, right? Thanks! Your working manuscript and final PDF should be that size. It will end up as an 8.5x11 book. For the cover, download their template. Zoom in to check your cover reaches all their borders. Keep text away from edges. You can use a background of you can't move items. Start. It will be less daunting once you do. And don't hesitate to ask even what seems small and obvious. Not so to all.
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Post by benziger on Dec 28, 2020 20:26:12 GMT
I've already ordered it, but why does it take 9 - 11 days? Where are the books for Lulu now printed? Are they overseas or where? I noticed that there's no indication on the website how long production (printing) takes. I ordered during the first lockdown in late spring. It was shipped with the postal service from Poland, another parcel in late November took 2-3 weeks and was probably shipped in France, even the returning address was in Belgium. From this I conclude that printing takes place somewhere "nearby", which is probably within a radius of about 1000 km. Wherever there is free capacity or the price is a few centimes cheaper.
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wsc3
Junior Reader
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Post by wsc3 on Dec 28, 2020 20:42:18 GMT
Do I set the Paper size as 8.5" x 11" or to 8.75" x 11.25"? Lulu's instructions indicated the former. I had it at 8.5 x 11 this year and it printed fine. What do you mean by "Book size is 8.75 x 11.25?" Do you mean that's the final printed size it ends up as? If so, I guess that means that's the size the cover must be, right? Thanks! Your working manuscript and final PDF should be that size. It will end up as an 8.5x11 book. For the cover, download their template. Zoom in to check your cover reaches all their borders. Keep text away from edges. You can use a background of you can't move items. Start. It will be less daunting once you do. And don't hesitate to ask even what seems small and obvious. Not so to all. I'll work on the cover next, but I'm still confused on the page size which is currently set in Word 2016 at 8.5x11. By working manuscript, do you mean the page size setting in Word should be set to 8.75 x 11.25 and not 8.5 x 11? Page 12 of the Lulu Book Creation Guide says that a "US Letter" Trim Name = 8.5 x 11 in trim size. The Interior File Dimension (No Bleed) also = 8.5 x 11. Only the Interior File Dimensions with Bleed specify 8.75x11.25. I have no pages that bleed; all pages are surrounded by a blank margin. I'm assuming that the Trim Size should = page size. If it doesn't, these instructions are terrible. Clients need to know what the page parameters should be. Thanks.
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Dec 28, 2020 21:24:29 GMT
Your working manuscript and final PDF should be that size. It will end up as an 8.5x11 book. For the cover, download their template. Zoom in to check your cover reaches all their borders. Keep text away from edges. You can use a background of you can't move items. Start. It will be less daunting once you do. And don't hesitate to ask even what seems small and obvious. Not so to all. I'll work on the cover next, but I'm still confused on the page size which is currently set in Word 2016 at 8.5x11. By working manuscript, do you mean the page size setting in Word should be set to 8.75 x 11.25 and not 8.5 x 11? Page 12 of the Lulu Book Creation Guide says that a "US Letter" Trim Name = 8.5 x 11 in trim size. The Interior File Dimension (No Bleed) also = 8.5 x 11. Only the Interior File Dimensions with Bleed specify 8.75x11.25. I have no pages that bleed; all pages are surrounded by a blank margin. I'm assuming that the Trim Size should = page size. If it doesn't, these instructions are terrible. Clients need to know what the page parameters should be. Thanks. Simply put, if the instructions from Lulu Press say do a working MS for trim size 8.5x11 at 8.75x11.25, then your word doc page size needs to be set at 8.75x11.25. if the page size depends upon certain variables, let the variables be your guide.
For a file with bleed, that means art or graphics are part of the file, meaning 8.75x11.25 to trim down to a final 8.5x11. If you have no interior art or graphics, then it sounds like 8.5x11 page size is sufficient.
Publishing is like cooking and many other exercises -- following the instructions helps you avoid issues. The art of it [as in so many endeavors] is knowing when and where you can fudge it a bit and still have good results.
And yes, some of Lulu Press' instructions read like VCR instructions translated from English to Chinese to Japanese then back to English.
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wsc3
Junior Reader
Posts: 16
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Post by wsc3 on Dec 28, 2020 21:48:25 GMT
Yeah, I don’t get it. I'm a layman here and don’t care about trim size or bleed or other industry specific terms per se. I just need a clear understanding of what to set my page parameters to in Word. I'm guessing that’s all most people care about: page size, margins, layout from edge and gutter. This should not be confusing. In fact, I can’t even find a template for the interior; is there one? There used to be. And where is the template for the cover? I can’t seem to get to that without creating a project first. Really?
I will change the book size to 8.75 x 11.25 at your advice. The PDF I successfully uploaded and printed this year was 8.5 x 11, so I'm still confused. But thanks again!
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Dec 28, 2020 22:03:07 GMT
Yeah, I don’t get it. I'm a layman here and don’t care about trim size or bleed or other industry specific terms per se. I just need a clear understanding of what to set my page parameters to in Word. I'm guessing that’s all most people care about: page size, margins, layout from edge and gutter. This should not be confusing. In fact, I can’t even find a template for the interior; is there one? There used to be. And where is the template for the cover? I can’t seem to get to that without creating a project first. Really? I will change the book size to 8.75 x 11.25 at your advice. The PDF I successfully uploaded and printed this year was 8.5 x 11, so I'm still confused. But thanks again! My advice was and still is follow the instructions, confusing though they are.
If your project is all text and the instructions say 8.5x11 for page size, then do 8.5x11.
If your project is images or images and text, then the "Interior File Dimensions with Bleed specify 8.75x11.25" which you read on page 12 of the instructions.
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wsc3
Junior Reader
Posts: 16
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Post by wsc3 on Dec 28, 2020 22:35:02 GMT
My project has pictures but none are outside of the "margins." And, Lulu rejected my book this year until i reprinted it in an enlarged PDF size. So, i must have done it wrong. Your logic makes sense. The previous Lulu template called for a page size of 8.25 x 10.75. So, I'll move this new doc back to 8.5 x 11.... Agreed?
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Post by Retread-Retired-Cameron on Dec 28, 2020 23:51:00 GMT
My project has pictures but none are outside of the "margins." And, Lulu rejected my book this year until i reprinted it in an enlarged PDF size. So, i must have done it wrong. Your logic makes sense. The previous Lulu template called for a page size of 8.25 x 10.75. So, I'll move this new doc back to 8.5 x 11.... Agreed? It's been a while since I last did a print book at Lulu Press, and the picture of my ugly mug at the back was small and a non-issue.
If your images don't need full bleed then try 8.5x11 and see how it works.
It doesn't matter if I agree or not, I'm not the publisher in this instance. I will say I hope it works, as Lulu Press has been aggravating a lot of people this year.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2020 0:32:15 GMT
Yeah, I don’t get it. I'm a layman here and don’t care about trim size or bleed or other industry specific terms per se. You have to bleed (i.e. extend) the background colour and\or any images that you use that go right up to the edges of the Cover for a simple reason. Print Tolerance. If you don't then you better cross your fingers and pray that the machine used to print your publication is 100% accurate (ha!) and will reproduce exactly what you have sent it. Because if it isn't (and it won't be) and you haven't extended your background to allow for this then it may print your Cover slightly offset leaving you with a white line or lines right at the edge. It's white because that's the colour of the paper is hasn't printed on. Depending on the Tolerances of the machine used that could be anything from a teeny tiny hardly visible strip to something that stands out a mile.
Even if it prints accurately the guillotine may be slightly off that day when it comes time to cut your book to size. You get the same result either way.
So, don't extend your graphics into the bleed area and take a chance or - and these are graphics that you know will likely be chopped off anyway - do it and be safe. Or use an all white Cover.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2020 11:36:03 GMT
Yeah, I don’t get it. I'm a layman here and don’t care about trim size or bleed or other industry specific terms per se. I just need a clear understanding of what to set my page parameters to in Word. I'm guessing that’s all most people care about: page size, margins, layout from edge and gutter. This should not be confusing. In fact, I can’t even find a template for the interior; is there one? There used to be. And where is the template for the cover? I can’t seem to get to that without creating a project first. Really? I will change the book size to 8.75 x 11.25 at your advice. The PDF I successfully uploaded and printed this year was 8.5 x 11, so I'm still confused. But thanks again! Don't think about it. Just make doc and PDF 8.75x11.25
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2020 11:42:15 GMT
Yeah, I don’t get it. I'm a layman here and don’t care about trim size or bleed or other industry specific terms per se. You have to bleed (i.e. extend) the background colour and\or any images that you use that go right up to the edges of the Cover for a simple reason. Print Tolerance. If you don't then you better cross your fingers and pray that the machine used to print your publication is 100% accurate (ha!) and will reproduce exactly what you have sent it. Because if it isn't (and it won't be) and you haven't extended your background to allow for this then it may print your Cover slightly offset leaving you with a white line or lines right at the edge. It's white because that's the colour of the paper is hasn't printed on. Depending on the Tolerances of the machine used that could be anything from a teeny tiny hardly visible strip to something that stands out a mile.
Even if it prints accurately the guillotine may be slightly off that day when it comes time to cut your book to size. You get the same result either way.
So, don't extend your graphics into the bleed area and take a chance or - and these are graphics that you know will likely be chopped off anyway - do it and be safe. Or use an all white Cover. All my colouring books have a white cover except two for two reasons. Lulu covers scratch and age easily. The colour rubs off. And number two: so many friggin cover errors. Their template was different from the actual book size. Oops, the book isn't actually 8.5x11. What!? Or, in British English, excuse me?! Why not tell people ahead of time. Why do I have to dig to find that out?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2020 11:47:27 GMT
My project has pictures but none are outside of the "margins." And, Lulu rejected my book this year until i reprinted it in an enlarged PDF size. So, i must have done it wrong. Your logic makes sense. The previous Lulu template called for a page size of 8.25 x 10.75. So, I'll move this new doc back to 8.5 x 11.... Agreed? To be safe, make it 8.75x11.25. You might need to move it to another printer one day. Letter is a standard size. Save your files.
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