Will Lulu lay out or edit my book for me?
No. When you contact the LIMP rep he/she will tell you what to
do, you must provide a finish ready book to us. Following all
the guidelines in these section. If necessary, you can employ
our services by clicking HERE.
You can also peruse the Lulu Support Forums.
Lulu's expert users can provide you with many tips and tricks
for preparing your manuscript for publishing on Lulu. Please be
sure to search all of the help documentation for the answers to
your questions before posting to the forums.
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Will Lulu insert a copyright page in my
book for me?
No. You must design each page exactly as you would like it to
appear in your book. Lulu will print what you upload.
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What types of files can I upload?
Lulu sends each book to its printer as a PDF (Portable Document
Format). Lulu also distributes ebooks as PDF. You may either upload
your book as a PDF or upload your manuscript in another format
and have Lulu convert it to a PDF.
Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) is like a picture of your
document. PDF files preserve the look and integrity of your original
documents; they allow you the greatest control over the final
appearance of your book, whether printed or distributed via download.
PDFs are platform independent, which means they look and behave
the same, regardless of hardware and software platforms on which
they're displayed. Mac, Windows, and Linux users will all see
your document the way you intended!
If, like most authors, you want total control over how your book
is going to look, convert your manuscript to PDF before uploading
it. This will make for a bit more work on your part but will result
in a published version of your book that looks exactly as you
intended.
IMPORTANT: Lulu does not accept locked PDF files (those with
edit or print access restricted). This is because our printers
need full access to your file in order to print it correctly.
Your unlocked PDF is secure: it is not available online.
If you have your document formatted as you want it but cannot
generate PDFs, upload a file and have Lulu convert it to a PDF
for you. We accept many file formats; they are listed below. If
you are uploading your document that is not a PDF, the Lulu converter
opens your document and generates a PDF.
You can upload a file in any of these formats:
- Microsoft Word
- Rich Text Format
If you plan to upload your document for conversion to PDF, embed
any separate images in your document before uploading. That is,
save them with the document file. Do not include or link to them
by reference.
The Lulu PDF generator and conversion process accepts the following
image formats:
- JPEG File Interchange Format (JPG, JPEG, JFIF,
JPE)
- Portable Network Graphics (PNG)
- Windows Bitmap (BMP, DBC, RLE, BMZ)
- Graphics Interchange Format (GIF, GFA)
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How do I create a PDF?
Converting your book to a PDF requires the use of Adobe Acrobat,
which can be purchased from Adobe (http://www.adobe.com/) or any software retailer.
If you do not want to buy the software, try these options:
- Adobe offers an online subscription service that allows you
to pay a fee to turn a set number documents into PDF files (http://createpdf.adobe.com/).
- CutePDF (http://www.cutepdf.com/) is a free PDF-creation program
- PDF Creator is installed as a printer driver. To create
a PDF, open your document, then print to the PDF Creator "printer."
The result is a PDF file.
For further information, read this FAQ compiled by Lulu PowerPoster
Don Campbell:
http://www.athleticaid.com/other/PDF-FAQ-1E.html.
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How do I lay out my book?
Whether you plan to create your own PDF or have Lulu convert your
document to a PDF for you, it is important that your source document
is properly formatted. Many modern word processing programs, such
as Microsoft Word and Open Office have powerful tools that can
help speed your work. Read the following resources to learn about
style use:
| Manuscript Templates |
| 6" x 9" |
DOC |
|
| 8.5" x 11" |
DOC |
|
| Comic, 6.625" x 10.25" |
DOC |
|
| Landscape, 9" x 7" |
DOC |
|
| Square, 7.5" x 7.5" |
DOC |
|
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How do I change the page setup in my word
processor?
- Microsoft Word: Choose Page Setup from the File menu,
then use the Paper Size tab.
- Microsoft Works: Choose Page Setup from the File menu,
then use the Source, Size & Orientation tab.
- Open Office: Choose Page from the Format menu.
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How big should my margins be?
Leave at least .5" margins on all your pages. Most books will
require a gutter of .2" to .3". A gutter provides a little
bit of extra margin on the spine edge of your pages, making your
book easier to read without putting too much stress on the spine.
For coil-bound books, the coils bite about 5/16" (8mm) on the
spine edge, but we would suggest a gutter of 3/8" (9mm). Follow
these directions to set your margins:
- Microsoft Word: Choose Page Setup from the File menu,
then use the Margins tab. When adding a gutter, make sure to
select Mirror Margins. Apply your settings to the whole document.
- Microsoft Works: Choose Page Setup from the File menu,
then use the Margins tab. Works has no provision for a gutter.
- Open Office: Choose Page from the Format menu. To create
a gutter, add the desired gutter to the inside margin dimension.
Then select Mirrored under the Layout Settings, Page Layout
choices.
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How do I make my content stretch all the
way to the edge of the page (full bleed)?
- Upload your book as a single PDF. (It has to be one PDF or
it will not bypass our converter. Our converters size content
to the exact cutting dimension, so there will often be a thin
sliver of white if you upload a document that needs conversion.)
- Make the leading edge bleed .25" (75 pixels at 300dpi). The
leading edge is the outside edge non-bound or loose.
- Make the top and bottom bleeds .125" (37 or 38 pixels at 300dpi).
Total combined bleed for top and bottom edges will be .25" (75
pixels at 300dpi).
NOTE: Bear in mind that anything within the bleed area is likely
to be cut off, so don't have any critical text or artwork within
a half inch (.5") of the edges. Use this chart to figure out dimensions
for your final PDF document.
| Final PDF Dimensions for
Full Bleed |
| Book Size |
Size of PDF to Upload |
Size in Pixels |
| 6" x 9" |
6.25" x 9.25" |
1875 x 2275 |
| 8.5" x 11" |
8.75" x 11.25" |
2625 x 3375 |
| Comic, 6.625" x 10.25" |
6.875" x 10.5" |
2062 x 3150 |
| Landscape, 9" x 7" |
9.25" x 7.25" |
2775 x 2175 |
| Square, 7.5" x 7.5" |
7.75" x 7.75" |
2325 x 2325 |
When you publish a full bleed PDF, the size that shows up on
the site will round up, so a 6x9 book using a 6.25" x 9.25" source
PDF will show as 6.3" x 9.3". Don't worry about this; it will
print as 6x9 and trim the bleeds correctly.
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I need help with page numbering.
When creating your book, make sure that your title page falls
on an odd-numbered page (on the right-hand side of your book)
and the copyright page falls on an even-numbered page (on the
left-hand side of your book).
Here are some helpful resources for perfecting your page numbers
in Microsoft Word:
If you are working in Open Office, try
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=51691
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How do I create a table of contents?
The ease with which you'll create a table of contents will be
directly related to how well you know the intricacies of your
word processing program. Microsoft Word, Works, Word Perfect and
Open Office all have the capacity to create tables of contents,
but some writers still find it more expedient to create them manually.
Two rules apply to tables of contents, regardless of which software
you use. First, you should give its page the title "Contents."
Second, your table of contents page should be located after the
copyright page, dedication and preface.
Using Open Office
In Open Office, go to the Help section and read these topics:
Creating a Table of Contents, Defining Index or Table of Contents
Entries, and Formatting an Index or Table of Contents. You may
also check out the great tutorial at http://www.tutorialsforopenoffice.org/tutorial/TOC.html
Using Microsoft Works
Microsoft Works doesn't provide the sophisticated automation that
other programs offer. You may simplify your task, though, by using
tables. For instructions, go to Help, Tables: Creating Blank Tables
for New Data. Note that there are a couple of choices for two-column
tables. Just leave the table headings blank. An online tutorial
is found at http://www.complitpress.com/w4w_sample/w4w036.html
Using WordPerfect
To create a table of contents in WordPerfect, follow the instructions
in your Help guide or at this website: http://www.aec.msu.edu/agecon/computer/wptableofcontents.htm
Using Microsoft Word
MS Word offers nine different heading styles, apparently complicating
our task, but a couple of tutorials can be found at http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6270-1052207.html and http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6270-1043709.html
Word also allows you to create your table of contents manually,
without using the more sophisticated styles settings. Use the
Mark Table of Contents box to insert TOC fields into your document.
Follow these steps.
- Highlight the first line of text that you want to include
in your table of contents and press ALT+SHIFT+O.
- In the Level box, select the level and click Mark. (Mark 1
is left-aligned, Mark 2 is indented, Mark 3 is indented even
more – you get the picture.)
- To mark additional entries, select the text, click in the
Entry box and click Mark. When you're through adding entries,
click Close.
- Click where you want to insert the table of contents.
- On the Insert menu, point to Reference, and click Index and
Tables.
- Click the Table of Contents tab.
- Click the Options button.
- In the Table of Contents Options box, click to select the
Table entry fields check box.
- Clear the Styles and Outline levels check boxes.
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What fonts can I use in my document?
If you are planning to upload your own PDF, you may use any fonts
you like, but you must embed the fonts
in the PDF before uploading to Lulu. If you are planning to have
Lulu convert your document to a PDF, be sure to choose fonts from
the following list. If you use a font that is not on this list,
the Lulu converter will substitute one of these fonts in its place.
This may adversely affect your formatting.
- Arial
- Book Antiqua
- Bookman Old Style
- Century
- Courier
- Garamond
- Palatino
- Tahoma
- Times New Roman
- Verdana
- Symbols
Follow these general guidelines when choosing your fonts:
- Serif fonts are best for printed documents. Use serif fonts
like Garamond, Times New Roman and Palatino for blocks of body
text.
- Sans serif fonts are best for online documents and for display
text. Use sans serif fonts like Arial and Verdana if you intend
your book to be viewed online.
- Use bold sans serif fonts for title text or headings.
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How do I embed fonts in a PDF?
If you are planning to upload your own PDF, you may use any fonts
you like, but you must embed the fonts in the PDF before uploading
to Lulu. If you are using Acrobat Distiller to create your PDF
file, edit the job options to embed your fonts.
- Open Acrobat Distiller.
- Select Job Options from the Settings menu.
- Click the Fonts tab and select Embed All Fonts.
If you are using the CreatePDF service from Adobe (
http://createpdf.adobe.com/):
- Click Preferences.
- Under Document Options, select Press or Print
from the dropdown menu in the Optimization Settings field.
- Click the edit settings link next to the Optimization
Settings field and ensure that Embed All Fonts and Subset Embedded
Fonts are checked.
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How do I insert images into my document?
There are many ways to insert images into your documents. An easy
way to ensure that your image stays where you want it is to create
a paragraph in your word processing document to hold the image,
then insert it. To insert an image in a Microsoft Word document:
- Move the insertion point to the end of the paragraph that
introduces your image. Press Enter.
- With the insertion point in the new paragraph, select Picture
> From File from the Insert menu. (You can also paste an
image from the clipboard.)
- Browse to select the file, then click Insert.
- Adjust the sizing and placement of the image:
- Resize the image so that it fits in the text
boundaries.
- Use the cropping tools to remove extra white
space from the image.
- Select Paragraph from the Format menu and
change spacing above and below to add padding around the
image.
- Use paragraph alignment to center- or left-align
the image.
- Select Reference > Caption from the Insert
menu to add a figure caption to the image.
- Save your document.
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What resolution (DPI) should my images
have to achieve optimum print quality?
We've tested print quality at various resolutions and found that
300dpi is the optimum resolution. 600dpi is our limit at this
time, but any improvement in print quality over 300dpi is not
noticeable, and the file size is huge.
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Should I use CMYK, RGB or Grayscale images?
Use RGB for both color and black & white books. We've had
people report that when you save your image files for printing
in a black & white book, saving in Grayscale causes them to
pixellate upon printing. We therefore recommend setting the color
mode of all graphics to RGB.
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How can I make sure my images will print
exactly as I want them to?
When you include illustrations, photographs and other images in
your book, most times they will print correctly. There are a few
things you can do to ensure the picture quality is what you expect.
- Before uploading, print your source document and review how
the images print.
- If you are uploading a PDF, print the PDF and review how the
images translated into the PDF.
- After Lulu converts your file, you must view and approve the
conversion. Click View, then use your browser's print function
to print a review copy.
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Should I include my cover in the same file
as the rest of my book?
No. Your cover should be completely separate from your main document.
You will upload your cover file(s) in a separate step of the publishing
process. For more information, see the Book Covers FAQ.
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Here are a few final things to keep in mind when
creating your own PDF
- Our print on demand process currently supports only black
and white or color printing. If your document is a black
and white book, make sure the print settings on Acrobat Distiller
(the output driver on Acrobat) are set for black and white.
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