This video explains how to use Microsoft Word to format chapbook pages. Many people ask about this. In order to print a chapbook from a MS Word file, you must use the book layout, and set the appropriate margins as well as page size. Please be aware that Word files will look somewhat different from computer to computer, so it is advisable that you create the chapbook on the same computer you plan to print from.
Setting up a chapbook in Microsoft Word
Word has a book-fold layout built in that does the hard part for you: it arranges your pages so they print in the right spots to fold into a booklet. Here is how to set it up.
- Open a new document and go to Layout, then the small arrow by Page Setup.
- Under Pages, set Multiple pages to “Book fold.” Word switches to landscape and pairs your pages automatically.
- Set Sheets per booklet to All, unless you’re making a very thick book.
- Set your margins. Give the inside (gutter) margin a little extra, around 0.6 to 0.75 inch, so text doesn’t vanish into the fold.
- Type or paste your poems, one per page. Use a page break to start each new poem cleanly.
- Keep your total page count on a multiple of four. Add a blank page or two at the end if you need to.
When you print, choose two-sided printing and flip on the short edge. Run one test copy on scrap paper first and fold it to check the order before you print the whole run. As the video notes, a Word file can shift between computers, so lay out and print from the same machine when you can.
For sizes, margins, and page-count math, see the chapbook format guide. The full path from manuscript to finished booklet is in how to make a chapbook.