How should I set up my file for a bound book?

Set your book up as a single, print-ready PDF with the pages in reading order. Getting the file right the first time is what keeps a bound book on schedule and free of surprises at trim.

• One PDF, sequential pages: export the whole book as a single file with pages in the exact order they should read.
• Bleed: add 0.125 inch of bleed on all sides for any element that runs to the edge.
• Spine safety: for perfect-bound books, keep text at least 0.5 inch from the spine edge so nothing disappears into the binding.
• Color and resolution: use CMYK at 300 DPI so colors and images reproduce accurately.

Before you submit, do a final read-through of the page order and check that no live text sits inside the bleed or trim zones.