How to Arrange Pages for Booklet Printing

Arranging pages for booklet printing might be daunting at first, but with a clear understanding and the right tools, it can be a rewarding process. Regardless of the project in question, whether it’s a brochure or creating multiple copies of a short book, mastering the skill of page arrangement is essential.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore various methods and tips on how to arrange pages for booklet printing, ensuring that your final product is both professional and appealing. Following the instructions laid out below will ensure that when you open the booklet, each page is lined up perfectly. 

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How to Create a Booklet

Before we explain how to arrange pages in a booklet, we will first shed some light on how to create a booklet. We usually create booklets in Word. The process is simple; we first access the ‘Page Setup’ by opening ‘Layout’. 

We then navigate to the ‘Margin’ section, where we change the setting from ‘Multiple Page’ to ‘Book Fold’. With this, Word automatically switches to the landscape. Our next goal is to reserve space on the inside for binding. We achieve this by increasing the value of the gutter. 

The final step involves addressing paper size. We access the ‘Paper’ tab and select ‘A4’ from the dropdown menu. To confirm our decision, we click ‘OK’, and the document is converted automatically. 

How to Arrange Pages for Booklet Printing 

Creating a booklet involves more than just printing pages in order. It's crucial to understand the concept of printer spreads and how pages are assembled in a booklet. 

The pages in a booklet are printed on large sheets of paper, which are then folded and cut to form the booklet. This means that the order of pages in your document will differ from the order in which they appear in the final booklet.

To ensure proper arrangement, you must consider the total page count of your booklet. The page count should ideally be a multiple of four, as each sheet of paper will contain four booklet pages (two on each side). 

When arranging the pages, entities such as page numbers and content should be placed considering the final fold. For instance, the first and last pages of your booklet will be on the same sheet, as will the second and second-to-last pages, and so on. 

If this sounds too confusing or time-consuming, we recommend consulting with experienced commercial printing solutions providers who will do the work for you. 

How to arrange pages for booklet printing in Publisher 

When we're preparing a booklet for printing in Microsoft Publisher, arranging the pages is a key step to ensure your final product looks professional and reads correctly. 

After we've unleashed our creativity in designing the booklet, it's time for us to focus on the arrangement for printing. This means ensuring that your pages will appear in the correct order once printed, folded, and bound.

In Publisher, we make this process simpler by using the booklet layout options. We go to the ‘Page Design’ tab and select ‘Page Setup’. Here, you can choose a booklet layout that suits your project, like a saddle stitch or perfect bound layout. 

The publisher then automatically adjusts the pages for us, making sure they are in the right order for printing – for example, ensuring that the first and last pages are on the same sheet. This automation takes the guesswork out of manual page arrangement, making it easy for you to create a professionally arranged booklet. 

We always recommend that you review your page arrangement in the print preview to make sure everything looks as you expect before you proceed to print or save it as a PDF for professional printing.

How to arrange pages for booklet printing InDesign

The ‘Print Booklet’ feature in InDesign is designed for creating printer spreads suitable for professional printing. For instance, when we're working on an eight-page booklet, the pages are displayed in sequential order in the layout window. But when it comes to printer spreads, the page arrangement is different; for example, page 2 is placed next to page 7.

This layout ensures that when these pages are printed on the same sheet and then folded and collated, they end up in the correct order. This process is crucial for the final assembly of the booklet to ensure that the pages follow the correct sequence. 

When using the InDesign tool, we can choose between three types of preset impositions, each catering to different printing and binding needs. 

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2-up Saddle Stitch

We consider this type of side-by-side printer spread to be an ideal choice for printing double-sided, collating, folding, and stapling. We usually prefer it for smaller booklets. When the document is set from Right to Left Binding, InDesign automatically adjusts the imposition accordingly. An example is a 24-page newsletter, which would result in 12 spreads using this style.

When using this option, the software also adds blank pages at the end when necessary. However, options like ‘Space Between Pages’, ‘Bleed Between Pages’, and ‘Signature Size’ are not available in this mode. 

2-up Perfect Bound 

This style also creates side-by-side printer spreads but is tailored for books that are bound with adhesive. We utilize this setup for projects where pages are printed on both sides, then cut and glued to a cover. However, what we like most about it is its versatility. 

For instance, We can use it to create separate impositions for a booklet with a color cover and a black-and-white interior. Different page ranges for color and black-and-white sections are available, ensuring efficient and organized printing. We should note that when the total page count isn’t divided evenly, InDesign adds blank pages to meet the specified signature size. 

Consecutive

This type is designed for fold-out booklets or brochures, creating two-, three-, or four-page panels. We find that it’s best suited for trifold brochures. However, this method differs from the traditional trifold setup. It simplifies the layout process as it allows us to create each panel as an individual page. 

For example, a six-panel tri-fold brochure would be set up as 3-up Consecutive, with each panel designed separately for accurate imposition. We should note that options such as ‘Bleed Between Pages’, ‘Creep’, and ‘Signature Size’ are not active in this mode. 

How to arrange pages for booklet printing Mac

Mac users have a couple of different options to choose from when it comes to creating a booklet. However, for the purpose of this article, we decided to explain the most straightforward way of arranging a booklet on a Mac. 

Arranging booklet pages manually on a Mac can be both confusing and time-consuming when using the built-in ‘Preview’ and ‘Pages’ apps on your Mac. This is why we decided to let you in on a secret that can make the booklet arrangement process simpler and easier. 

That’s why we like to use the Create Booklet 2, which arranges the pages on its own. All that you need to do is insert the file into the app and watch as the app arranges the pages in the right order. 

This app offers plenty of customization options and allows us to edit the booklet before printing. Although convenient, the Create Booklet 2 app does come with a price. Visiting the Mac App Store, you will find that the app has a £19.99 ($25.33) price tag. 

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Conclusion 

The two most important aspects of learning how to arrange pages for booklet printing include meticulous planning and attention to detail. Whether you're using Publisher, InDesign, or Pages on a Mac, understanding the layout, page order, and the printing process is key. 

Following the guidelines outlined above can help you create a booklet that both looks professional and effectively conveys the intended message. We should also emphasize that arranging the booklet accordingly is just as important as the content it holds.