Page setup for 5.5" X 8.5" manuals

P

PAK

We have several manuals that we use printed double sided on 5.5 X 8.5
paper. I need to create revisions for these. Looking for ideas on how
best to setup.
Would I try to setup a custom page size and then use letter paper cut
in half to print? Is this paper size becoming more standard?
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

If the booklets are actually printed on "statement"-sized paper, then yes,
you could set up a custom page size, though it may be difficult to print
unless your printer has a defined size for it. If the booklets are to be
commercially printed, then set up the half-page on a full sheet and let the
commercial printer deal with it. If the booklets are folded (saddle
stapled), then see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/BookletPrinting.htm
 
K

Krataal

It may depend on how they will be printed, in-house or sent out. At my
last employer we used that size for service manuals, user guides, and
newsletters for over twenty years.We did our duplication in our own
copy centers. Best to talk to whomever will do copy work.

Masters that I created used regular 8.5 X 11 paper in landscape.
Margins depends on your printer but roughly:

Top - .75
Bottom - .5
Inside - 6.25
Outside - .5
Gutter - 0
Header - .3
Footer - .3
MIRRORED

Depending on your style first page maybe set as different and odd/even
may be set as different.

Originally we would print the master then rotate paper and print again
so when copied and cut produced two. Later when copiers got fancier we
only printed master once and copy center could take care of filling in
other half.

Biggest problem we ran into was when some body tried to make us go to
8.5 X 7, extra work. More expensive binders. A waste because the
corporate standard had 2 inch margin so space worked out the same
available space. Nobody had good space to put odd-sized manuals. 8.5 X
5.5 works great.

Hope this helps, again talk to the people that will copy/print final
run.

Greg Davis
 
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