You’ve spent a long time writing your book, and we recommend you spend a little more time looking it over before sending it to print. Most printers will pre-flight check for common file problems before you print. If you print with us, we can correct some at no charge. However, there may be some corrections that we can’t fix on our end. The three most common problems are wrong page size, text justification, and low-resolution graphics.
If your text is also typed using the default setting on your word processing application, it may also be left-justified. This will make the text edges look uneven when printed. Left-justified text will be uneven on the outside of the page on even pages (right-hand side) of the book, but it will be uneven on the inside of the page on odd pages (left-hand side). To make sure the text looks even and easy-to-read, use middle justification. This will ensure the text edges are even on both sides of the page.
If your images in your book and on your cover are low resolution, they will print blurry or pixilated in your finished copy. There’s no way to add resolution to images, so you will want to make sure your pictures are all at least 300 dpi or greater. If a 300dpi image is not available, you will either have to remove the image, or accept a low resolution image in your book.
Aside from these three common file problems, there are many
other things to look for:
Cover:
-Bleed allowance
-Text placement too close to trim
-Correct color profile of cover images
-Fonts embedded if submitting PDF
-Margin size
