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Technical Information

Desk-top Publishing (DTP): How we do it professionally

Books that are professionally produced are normally supplied to us in Microsoft Word, with a printout. The printout is marked with the hierarchy of headings and any special features (e.g. where photographs should go). The manuscript is, if required, copy-edited and any queries addressed with the author(s). The Word file is imported into the program we use to create page layout. Software programs used to style and design pages are QuarkXPress, Pagemaker and InDesign.

A template file is produced that includes all the different styles and elements to be incorporated in the book. These styles will include: the line length, margins, position of page numbers, fonts to be used in the main text and in headings, use of any running headers or footers. We can also include contents style and picture positioning. These styles are all included in one template file. This ensures design consistency throughout the book.

The text from the Word file is flowed (chapter by chapter) into the template and styled page by page. The first proof set is prepared, printed and checked in-house, and sent to the author(s). The author(s) checks it page by page and marks any amendments on the proofs.

If a professional proofreader is required, we can arrange this. He or she will mark amendments and raise any queries with the author(s). Once the proofreaders changes are agreed, YPS collates the author’s copy and the proofreader’s copy, so we work from one set of proofs to make the changes electronically. If a book is all text this is a relatively simple procedure, but if the book is complex with photograph illustrations, tint boxes and tables, etc., this can be time consuming and consequently more expensive.

We create a PDF file, which is checked by both the author(s) and YPS. Once final approval is given, the file is sent to print.

Formatting your Book Yourself

If you do not have, or are not experienced in the use of, QuarkXPress, PageMaker or InDesign., you may want to format your book in Microsoft Word or another word-processing package. This is possible and done on a regular basis. There can, however, be a problem when using these programs. Information, fonts and settings stored on one computer may not be the same on another computer. The information is not passed on in the file and this can cause numerous problems. The problems we regularly experience are pages reflowing, fonts, margins and line lengths changing, and embedded photographs and figures not displaying properly. This can be a particular problem when figures are created in other programs, such as Excel. The proofs that you receive need to be carefully checked if the book has been formatted in Microsoft Word (or another word-processing package).

Supplying Text Files Ready for Printing

If you are supplying your book to us ready for printing you must format your book exactly as you want it to look,. the book must be carefully edited and all the final corrections made. The page size, the margins and the typeface must all be set in the correct style. Great attention to consistency should be made throughout the book.

Standard Book Sizes

There are a number of standard sizes that you are likely to see on the bookshelf. Book sizes have evolved from the economical use of standard paper sizes. Over the years some of these paper sizes have become unavailable. Not all standard book sizes are economical for every type of paper. The choice is yours, but we will advise you if the size can be changed slightly to make it more economical. Books can be portrait or landscape format.

A Format: 178 mm x 111 mm
Penguin: 181 mm x 111 mm
B Format: 198 mm x 126 mm
Royal Octavo: 234 mm x 156 mm
Royal Octavo Wide: 234 mm x 170 mm
A5: 210 mm x 148 mm
American: 279 mm x 210 mm
American Narrow: 279 mm x 200 mm
A4: 297 mm x 210 mm

Please contact David Mercer, our Print Director, with any queries.

Supplying your Files for Printing

Your files can be supplied to us on floppy disk, CD or Zip disk or by email. The best way to supply files to us for direct printing is as PDF files, or as Postscript files. If you do the latter, we have little additional work to do to the files and therefore there is no additional charge. The files can be printed out as a double-sided proof, perfect bound in a plain cover and trimmed to size, so that you can have a final check through the book in its almost finished state. If you have some minor corrections at this stage we can remove a page from a PDF file and replace it with a corrected version. We will be happy to do this free of charge for up to ten pages, after which we will advise you of the cost before we carry out the extra work.

PDF Files

To make a PDF file from the program you have used to set your book, you should use Adobe Acrobat. This program will produce consistent print-quality PDFs, allow you to make limited editing changes, extract and replace pages, and lots more. There are several programs that can be downloaded from the Internet which create PDF files. Some of these can be problematic, but one program we have tested with good results is available as a free download from: http://www.pdf995.com

When making PDFs, the fonts must always be embedded and the resolution should be set to print quality. When a PDF file is created, it compresses the file. It also collects all the information and settings from your computer and locks it into the file, when we put the file on our computers it should be just the same. This is not always the case if the files are in the original application program.

Always open the PDF file and check it page by page to make sure nothing has changed before sending it to us.

Postscript Files

You can supply your ready to print file as a Postscript file; this is a halfway house to a PDF file. We will take your file and change it into a PDF and send it back to you for checking. You need to check this PDF on your computer before we output the proofs. You will need Acrobat Reader, most computers now have this already installed.

If you do not have it you can download it free from the Adobe website:

Acrobat Reader only allows you to view PDF files. You can create a Postscript file by going into the windows Start menu and select the Settings option. Click on the Printers icon and select add a new printer.

Choose Local Printer. If you have Windows 95/98 or an Agfa Accuset printer, click on Linotronic 330. For later versions of Windows follow the instructions on the screen and make Linotronic/Accuset the default printer on LPTI. Do not attempt to print a test page. When loaded, right click on the printer icon. Select the General tab, then Printing Preferences, click on Advanced and change the TrueType font option Download as Softfont; also change the Postscript output option to Optimize for Portability.

You will then need to look through the pages in your file to check if any pages have reflowed, as this is possible when the default printer is changed. If there are changes, you will have to make the corrections. Select Print from the File menu on the toolbar, and tick the Print to file box. Click on OK, a new file will now be produced with the extension .prn.

A Postscript file will be a lot larger than the original file, as it now contains a lot more information about the settings on your computer. Postscript files are not compressed. You will probably need to write it to a CD but we can also accept the file on a Zip disk. You will not be able to view the Postscript file.

Microsoft Word Files

Although this is not a preferred method, you may supply us with the files for your book styled in Microsoft Word, along with a hard-copy print out. We will change it into a print-quality PDF and send it back to you for checking. Depending on how the file has been set up, there may be a large amount of reflowing of the text, etc., which would need to be amended before the final proof stage. If this is necessary, we will inform you of the cost.