Typesetting

Choosing fonts for your self-published book? Learn what's legal, what glyphs you actually need, and which free font pairings will make your interior look professionally typeset—plus the one font you should never, ever use.

Formatting your own print book interior is doable if you know what decisions to make. This guide walks self-publishing authors through trim size, text block placement, gutter margins, running heads, folios, font selection, leading, chapter openers, and PDF file specs — everything needed to produce a press-ready interior file.

Your typeset book should go unnoticed. If the reader notices it, you did it wrong. Here's what to know before your manuscript hits the page.