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General Design Links:
Digital | Elements | Font | Footnote | Header/Footer | Indexing | Insert Items | Watermark - Ghosting | Foldout | Layout | Margins| Book Size | Page Numbers | Photos | POD Options | Title | Packaging and Shipping in future
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Layout your work

Basic layout formats include a single block/column and two columns of the same width for book pages: Traditionally books no larger than 8.5x11" don't have more than two columns because it is rarely economical. Depending on your content and format selections, the question of economics for one and two column may change. Click here for examples in PDF of simple one column and equal two column formats.

Basic design elements that may be on nearly every page:

• length of page - click for ideas how to get more in less space

• margins

• header

• footer

• page numbers (usually in header or footer)

• font style(s)

• font size(s)

• photos or embedded graphic items - quality, content, and captions

At the earliest, as you complete your manuscript you should begin thinking about what editions you will be publishing in. Estimated page count, target usage, and type of binding may dictate different maximum page margins for traditionally printed books. Depending on the software options (index, end/foot note, etc.) used to produce your work separate manuscript files for each edition may be needed. Preliminary work for electronic edition may be done in a word processing application followed by a straight conversion (such as PDF) or export for more work in a program geared to produce electronic publication manuscripts.

Out of the ordinary ideas:

Take a page from school textbooks - consider a 2 column layout of 2 different sized columns. A large column on the inside of the page with a skinny column on the outside of the page. The skinny column could accommodate footnotes, definitions, memories, quotes, artwork/photos, pedigree, anecdotal notes, factoids/historical "trivia", and "flavor of life" things such as census, documents, newspaper items (both news and advertisements), maps, academic history, slang of the time, "on this date....", etc. This layout idea is easily accomplished in programs such as Microsoft Publisher, but a bit more advanced in word processors such as MS Word.

For wide format information - columnar transcriptions, tables, etc. You might consider making some of the pages landscape to give you more layout room.

For more suggestions on this subject and more, order our book:
G550-$20.00 WRITING Family History Or Genealogy For Pleasure and Profit Complete Edition, by Gregath Company, Inc., *updated* 2015. ISBN: 978-0-944619-00-1, 8½x11", softbound book, 132 pages, suggestions & examples of all facets of your project for the typist and/or computer user. Note: All G prefix books 100 pages or more, this one included, that are SB can be special ordered in hard cover edition - contact for details. Also available on disk. | Click here for more information.

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Page Last Updated: January 09, 2019