Espresso Book Machine Document Formatting Information

The The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is a cost effective way of producing paperback books from pdf files. If the files are formatted correctly, the turnaround time from file submission to the finished product can be very fast, possibly the same day. Included on this webpage are some tips on how to format your files in order to achieve the best results for your book and minimise turnaround time.

The machine prints black and white pages on 80-90gsm paper, covers are in colour, the maximum length of a book is about 700 pages, the minimum is about 60.

The EBM only accepts Portable Document Files (.pdf) - this is in order to maintain the fonts, margins and internal formatting of your document. The PDF is a stable file format that ensures your book will look exactly as it does when you format it on your home computer. Sending Microsoft Word documents (.doc files) or any other file type is unacceptable, as fonts, spacing, margins and other elements that make up the look of your pages will be changed in the transfer from your computer to the EBM.

For more information on PDF files, please click here.

Step 1: Setting up your page size and margins

To begin with, the EBM CANNOT PRINT A4 SIZE BOOKS. The machine uses A3 pages as a wraparound cover - A3 is twice the size of A4, therefore, you cannot accommodate 2 A4 pages (the front and back of the book) and a spine with one A3 sheet. If you have produced a document in A4 size you will need to reformat the document to a smaller size.

The EBM can produce a book of any size within the following dimensions: 4.5 x 5 inches (or 11.43cm x 12.07cm) to 6.5 inches wide x 10.25 inches high (or 16.51cm x 26.00 cm). Any size between these values should be possible. If you are confused over what size to use take a look at your favourite paperback and simply measure the dimensions. Provided that they are within these limits the EBM can copy them faithfully.

Once you have decided on your page size, you must set-up your file size to those dimensions because the default page size for most word processing programs is A4. In Microsoft Word, this can be done using the FILE menu and selecting the PAGE SETUP option in that menu. In OpenOffice (which is a free program, and actually preferable), the page size can be set by clicking the FORMAT menu and selecting the PAGE... option.

If you are changing something that you have already written in an A4 document, making the page smaller will alter much of the formatting you have done - chapter headings may not be at the top of pages and so on. If this occurs you will have to go through your document and adjust it accordingly.

Once your page size is correct the image you see on screen will be what is produced in the final product. The EBM will not add or remove margins, change font or text size. In short, the machine does not think. As such, the margins you set will be what will appear on the printed page. Conventional margin sizes are between 15mm and 20mm. Sometimes guttering is added so that the inside margins of each page (the side of the page that is glued into the spine of the book) are wider than the outside. This is tricky to do at home as even pages need to be different from odd pages and is only advisable if you are getting your book professionally typeset by a designer.

Once your file is the right size and looks appropriate on screen you are ready to export it as a pdf. Users of OpenOffice need only go to FILE then EXPORT AS PDF.

Users of Microsoft Word will have to go to Print, Save as PDF, or get OpenOffice. There is a step-by-step video guide to downloading, installing and creating a pdf with this software here.

Of course if you look at your saved document and it doesn't say .pdf at the end, it is not a pdf file.

Remember to select an easily readable text such as Arial or Times New Roman and a 10pt or 11pt type for the main body of work.

Step 2: Covers

We can produce very basic covers with basic title and author information for you if you do not wish to go through the process of making one yourself.

Covers also need to be submitted in pdf format and in a very specific way. You can view an example of a perfect cover submission here that was able to be printed the same day. It was produced using Adobe InDesign by a professional designer, however simpler covers can be produced and exported by OpenOffice Draw application.

The image, which includes front cover, spine and back cover, must be positioned in the center of an A3 size page. In OpenOffice you will use the same page set-up menu as you did to change the size of your internal text but instead of changing the page size from A4 to a smaller size, you will take it up to the larger preset A3 size. The image must be the correct size for the book - imagine that you chose a paperback from your bookshelf and copied the dimensions for your own book. The file that you create for the cover could be printed out using an A3 printer - the cover image could be cut out of the A3 sheet with scissors and will be the correct size to wrap around the original paperback.

Remember the spine of the book must be in the dead center of the page.

Calculating Spine Width:

Use the number of pages in your book's interior to figure the width of the spine of your book. Keep in mind that there should be no text on the spine if your book has fewer than 100 pages.

Typical spine widths are:

• 50 pages = .125"
• 100 pages = .25"
• 200 pages = .5"
• 400 pages = 1"

Trim & Bleed:

Your book's cover background image or colour must extend 1/4 (.25)" beyond trim size on all four sides to allow for cutting/trimming tolerance. This is the "bleed."

Tips for Trims & Bleeds:

Be sure to adjust your bleed and trim lines in or out as necessary to allow for your spine width. It's better to allow more cushion in your design than to crowd the margins. All books are trimmed and bound individually and slight variations are not uncommon.

Text & Design Considerations

• Background colour or graphic should extend all the way to the edge of the bleed area
• All images used in your design must be 300dpi or higher for best results
• Avoid hard vertical lines separating the front or back panel from the spine
• Allow at least 1/8" cushion on either side of the text on your spine. For example, the text should be no more than 3/4" high on a 1" spine

ISBN & Bar Code:

If you have your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and barcode, then remember to put it on the back cover of your book.

Photos & Illustrations:

You must own the rights to any photos or illustrations used on your book cover. Scan photographs or other illustrations at 300 dpi and scale to the appropriate size you plan to use.

This example is for a book with a page size of approximately 12cm x 17.5cm.

Step 3: What To Do Next

Email your two files to us at blackwellebm@googlemail.com. We will double-check them and proceed with printing if the formatting is correct. Alternatively, put them on CD or flash drive and come and visit us at 100 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0JG.

Step 4: Cost

The cost for a self published book is £35. This is to set the book up and includes a test copy. For further books the cost is 5p a page, with a minimum of £5 a book.

If you have any questions or enquires regarding the Espresso Book Machine or document formatting, please email us at blackwellebm@googlemail.com.