A PDF is not a manuscript printed to file. It is a typeset page, and the difference is everything a reader feels without noticing: margin size, line length, the space above a chapter title, whether the page numbers sit at the outer edge. Exported from Word with default settings, a book looks like a report. Typeset, it looks like a book.
What you receive
- A typeset PDF with a deliberate text block: 60–75 characters per line, proportional margins, and running heads that change by chapter.
- Two variants — a screen version with a single-page layout and bookmarks, and a print version with bleed, crop marks and mirrored margins.
- Front matter set properly: half title, title page, copyright, contents with real page numbers.
- Embedded, subset fonts so the file renders identically everywhere and passes print preflight.
- Chapter openers that start on the recto, with the first paragraph unindented and a drop or a space above, per convention.
How the pages are built
- Choose the trim size — 6×9 for most fiction and non-fiction, A5 for some markets, 5.5×8.5 for a shorter book.
- Set the grid: margins, baseline, leading, and the paragraph indent that follows from them.
- Flow the text and fix the awkward breaks: a chapter title stranded at a page foot, a widow on its own line, a listed item split across pages.
- Export and preflight, checking fonts, image resolution and page count against the printer’s requirements.
Reading on screen is a different layout
Most PDFs are downloaded and read on a laptop or a tablet, not printed. A print layout with mirrored margins and a large outer edge looks unbalanced on a single-page screen, so the screen version uses even margins, slightly larger type and clickable bookmarks. Both come from the same source, so corrections apply to both without a second job.
Selling a PDF directly
A PDF sold from your own site needs three extra things: a title page that does not depend on a cover image, a link back to your list or shop, and a file size small enough to email or download quickly — usually under 10 MB. We set those deliberately, because a 40 MB workbook is a refund waiting to happen on a phone connection.
Figures, tables and code
Non-fiction breaks PDF layouts where fiction does not. Tables overflow the text block, code blocks lose their indentation, diagrams sit at the wrong resolution for print. We set figures to the column width, keep captions attached to their image, and check every table at the final trim size — because a table that fits on screen and breaks across two pages in print is worse than no table at all, and it is only visible in the print variant.
Pricing
| Tier | Scope | Price | Was | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 ebook | $50 | $50 | |
| Professional | 3 ebooks | $130 | $140 | |
| Bulk / Authority | 5 ebooks | $200 | $200 |
Frequent questions
Can you typeset a workbook with forms?
Yes, including fillable fields, though those need testing in Adobe Reader rather than a browser preview.
Do you supply the source file?
Yes — the layout file is included so future corrections do not require a rebuild.
Will the PDF pass KDP Print?
The print variant is built to KDP’s specifications: correct trim, bleed where required, and fonts embedded.
Typeset my PDF — send the manuscript and tell us whether it is for screen, print or both.