<p>Browse your local bookstore and have a look at the most popular formats for hardcover books, mass market and trade paperbacks before you decide (if you are looking to publish and sell your book).</p>
<p>When it comes to copies for your own use, pick the format that is most comfortable to your eye / reading style (and your wallet, of course, some formats are more expensive to produce).</p>
<p>Most decent desktop publishing software have a selection of standard/ popular layouts for book and booklet printing you can use, even MS Publisher has some that are not too bad.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-13T21:19:16.803Z
2020-11-13T21:19:16.803Z
Gwyn
<p>I have a 600 pages e-book (PDF format). The size of its pages is 155 mm x 235 mm, and the left and right margins are of equal size (see the following image).</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ORMxI.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ORMxI.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>I want to print it (on A4 paper and in actual size) for hardcover binding or perhaps paperback binding for my own use.</p>
<p>When printing, should I add some extra white space to the left of the odd numbered pages and to the right of the even numbered pages, such that the output looks exactly like the Amazon or Springer pub. books? And how should I print them? For example: top-left of A4 paper for odd pages numbers and top right of A4 paper for even pages number? If so, is it 1/4 inch?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-13T14:26:10.360Z
Can you give examples of the Amazon and Springer pub. books? And why do you mention the top-left and top-right, is that for page numbering?
Joachim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-13T17:25:40.580Z
Unfortunately I have a paperback old springer book and it seems that it has no extra white space for middle (the place sheets joint, that I forget its name).
C.F.G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-13T17:26:55.393Z
I mentioned top-left and top-right, for simplicity that requires just 2 cut while the center print needs 4 cut I think.
C.F.G
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-13T18:38:42.167Z
You should add space to the side of the page that will be bound. Add as much space as the book binding will consume, then center the book page in the remaining space. How will you bind the book? That will determine how much space to add. If possible, do a test run with blank pages, and measure the size of the page remaining outside the binding.
csk
<book-binding><printing>
Printing a PDF for proper book binding
C.F.G
# Printing a PDF for proper book binding

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-13)

I have a 600 pages e-book (PDF format). The size of its pages is 155 mm x 235 mm, and the left and right margins are of equal size (see the following image).

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ORMxI.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ORMxI.png)

I want to print it (on A4 paper and in actual size) for hardcover binding or perhaps paperback binding for my own use.

When printing, should I add some extra white space to the left of the odd numbered pages and to the right of the even numbered pages, such that the output looks exactly like the Amazon or Springer pub. books? And how should I print them? For example: top-left of A4 paper for odd pages numbers and top right of A4 paper for even pages number? If so, is it 1/4 inch?

**Tags:** book-binding, printing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you give examples of the Amazon and Springer pub. books? And why do you mention the top-left and top-right, is that for page numbering?  
> **username_0**: Unfortunately I have a paperback old springer book and it seems that it has no extra white space for middle (the place sheets joint, that I forget its name).  
> **username_0**: I mentioned top-left and top-right, for simplicity that requires just 2 cut while the center print needs 4 cut I think.  
> **username_2**: You should add space to the side of the page that will be bound. Add as much space as the book binding will consume, then center the book page in the remaining space. How will you bind the book? That will determine how much space to add. If possible, do a test run with blank pages, and measure the size of the page remaining outside the binding.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-11-13. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Browse your local bookstore and have a look at the most popular formats for hardcover books, mass market and trade paperbacks before you decide (if you are looking to publish and sell your book).

When it comes to copies for your own use, pick the format that is most comfortable to your eye / reading style (and your wallet, of course, some formats are more expensive to produce).

Most decent desktop publishing software have a selection of standard/ popular layouts for book and booklet printing you can use, even MS Publisher has some that are not too bad.


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