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BookBaby How To Convert My Book Layout To PDF
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How to create a PDF from your layout file

Adobe InDesign

1. From the top menu, select "File > Adobe PDF Presets > [PDF/X-4:2008]". Making this selection will launch the Export window.

2. Within the Export window, enter (or review) your file name, select a location on your computer, and click the "Save" button. Clicking this button will bring up the Export Adobe PDF window.

3. Within the Export Adobe PDF window, click the "Export" button. This will generate the PDF and save it to the location you have selected. Upload this PDF to our website.

QuarkXPress

1. From the top menu, select "File > Export > Layout As PDF". Making this selection will launch the Export As PDF window.

2. Within the Export As PDF window, enter (or review) your file name and select a location on your computer, select "[PDF/X-1a:2001]" as your PDF Style, then click the "Save" button. This will generate the PDF and save it to the location you have selected. Upload this PDF to our website.

3. Within the Export Adobe PDF window, click the "Export" button. This will generate the PDF and save it to the location you have selected. Upload this PDF to our website.

Microsoft Word for Mac

(For this instruction, we are using Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac.)

1. From the top menu, select File, then scroll down to Save As. This will launch the Save As window.

2. Within the Save As Window, enter or review your file name and location.

3. Click the Format tab, and select PDF from the sub-menu.

4. Then, click the Save button.

5. Once you have saved your PDF, we recommend that you open it and check your pages for accuracy prior to upload.

The Mac version of Microsoft Word 2008 and above will automatically embed your fonts, ensuring that the end user can view the font just as the author has intended, without font substitution. We do not recommend using versions earlier than Word 2008 for Mac, as they do not support font embedding, resulting in font substitutions on your final product.

Microsoft Word for Windows

For this instruction, we are using Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows.

Before you save your file, you'll need to make sure that your fonts will be embedded in your document. Embedding your fonts ensures that the end user can view the font just as the author has intended, without font substitution. To embed your fonts in Word 2007 and beyond on a PC, follow these simple steps:

  1. First, click the Office Button. This is the round button located at the top-left corner of your screen. Clicking this button will bring up the Office Window.
  2. At the bottom of the Office Window, click the button labeled Word Options. This will launch a new window.
  3. On the left-side of this window, click the Save tab.
  4. Near the bottom of the window, activate the checkbox next to where it says Embed Fonts In The File. You'll also want to activate the checkbox next to Embed only the characters used in the document, and make sure that the checkbox next to Do Not Embed Common System Fonts is deactivated.
  5. Once you have done this, click the OK button. This will close the Office Window.
  6. Now you are ready to save your file as a PDF. To save your file, click the Office Button, then scroll down to Save As.
  7. From the sub-menu, select PDF or XPS. This will launch the Publish Window.
  8. Within the Publish Window, enter or review your file name and location, select PDF as your file type, and optimize as Standard for publishing online and printing.
  9. Before clicking the Publish Button, click the Options Button.
  10. PDF Options, activate the PDF-A checkbox, and make sure that the Bitmap Text option is deactivated.
  11. When you are finished, click the OK button. This will bring you back to the Publish Window.
  12. Click the Publish Button to save your PDF.
  13. Once you have saved your PDF, we recommend that you open it and check your pages for accuracy prior to upload.

We do not recommend using versions earlier than Word 2007 for PC, as they do not offer native PDF support, which may result in font substitutions on your final product. We also advise against using 3rd-party applications to create your PDF, as this may also result in font substitutions or other unexpected results on your final product.