A few key terms before you start:
- Trim size. Your printed book’s width and height. The most common trim size for paperbacks in the U.S. is 6″ x 9″ (15.24 x 22.86 cm), but you have several other options . In Word, you set your trim size with the Page Size option.
- Bleed. Bleed is a printing term that refers to when printed objects on a page, such as images, background color, or graphics, extend past where the publication will be trimmed. This ensures your printed objects reach all the way to the edge of the page. When a book is printed, all pages are trimmed to the selected trim size by cutting 0.125” (3.2 mm) from the top, bottom, and outside edges. In order for objects on your page to reach all the way to the edge of the page, those objects must extend past where the page will be trimmed by 0.125” (3.2 mm). Accounting for bleed is important because it prevents a white border from appearing at the edge of the page when the book is trimmed.
- Margins. Every page has three outside margins (top, bottom, and side) and one inside margin (also called the gutter). Margins ensure your text isn’t cut off during manufacturing. Set your page size before you set your margins. Why? Margin size depends on page count and on whether you have elements that bleed.