How do I format a print book for the first time?
- Print formatting starts with a chosen trim size.
- Print needs mirrored margins and a gutter for the binding.
- Page count drives the spine width on your cover file.
- Front and back matter follow standard ordering and page placement.
- Always order a physical proof before approving for sale.
Begin with your platform's print specifications: pick a trim size (6x9 is common for fiction), then set mirrored interior margins with extra gutter space so text does not vanish into the binding. Build a clean interior — consistent chapter openings, correct front and back matter, embedded fonts — and export to PDF. Your final page count sets the spine width on the cover. Before publishing, order a physical proof and check it in hand.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Print is unforgiving in ways ebooks are not: a too-narrow gutter swallows text into the spine, a wrong trim size rejects the file, and a miscalculated spine ruins the cover. First-timers who skip the proof discover these only after readers do. Following the platform's specs and ordering a proof catches the physical problems that no on-screen check can reveal, so the first copies a reader holds look professional.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A trim size appropriate to your genre.
- Mirrored margins with adequate gutter for binding.
- A clean, consistent interior and embedded fonts.
- Correctly ordered front and back matter.
- A spine width calculated from final page count.
- A physical proof copy reviewed before approval.
Chapter iii·Example
A first-time author sets her novel at 6x9 with mirrored margins and a 0.5-inch gutter, exports a print-ready PDF, and lets the final page count set her spine width. She orders a single proof, spots that her chapter openings start on inconsistent pages, fixes them, and only then approves the book for sale.
WriteLoom's Sell studio keeps your formatting checklist and proof steps in the workflow, so your first print book ships clean.
See the Sell studio