Bookbinder JS

A Javascript-based app for formatting PDFs for bookbinding-- a process called imposition. For more information, feature requests, or to contribute, view the project's Github repository. If you have issues with this version, you can try the old version instead, which only supports folio layouts.
current version: 1.6.1

File Info

While some PDF viewers display the first two pages as a spread, be aware the first page, which is odd, will be on the right when printed. The first printed spread are pages 2 & 3 of your PDF document. Evens always on the left, odds always on the right.

Source Manipulation


For books that read like a standard novel
no rotation of pages applied

Printer

x (in Points) ℹ️ ℹ️ ℹ️ NOTE: Not currently working for folios, sorry! Use the old version for now.

Page Layout

Folding instructions for quarto/octavo

Folding these two layouts is slightly more complex than the simple single-fold folio. Both of these have been designed so that the first fold is parallel to the short edge of the paper - eg, if you hold the page in portrait orientation, you will be folding the top edge to the bottom. One side of the page will have consecutive numbers across this fold (ie, 3 and 30 on the top row, 2 and 31). Fold inward across this line (so that 3 has been folded to lay against 2, and 30 against 31). The next fold is along the other paper axis (parallel to the original long edge). For quarto, you want to find the side with the numbers closest together, and fold inwards to match them (this will be consecutive on the innermost sheet). For octavo, look at the bottom-most row and find the consecutive pair, then fold inward. Octavo has one last fold, for which you want to find the pair remaning that are closest, and fold them together.

Or, if you want to just memorize the order, once you find the first fold side, the order is:
quarto - top to bottom, fold points away from you, left to right, fold points towards you.
octavo - top to bottom, fold points away from you, left to right, fold points away from you, top to bottom, fold points towards you.

White Space Manipulation. All values are in points, relative to original document.

1 point = 1/72 inch
Fore-Edge Margin: pt
Binding Margin: pt
Top Margin: pt
Bottom Margin: pt
spine
Paper/Layout Dimensions layout:
max page size:

PDF Dimensions
source:
on page:
scaling:
offset:

rotated:

(all dimensions are in Points)

PDF Markup

(does not currently work with Wacky Small Layouts -- soon!)
Detailed settings for sewing
Look at the image below.
sewing image - use tape width of 0pt to make a single dot (overlapping marks)

Signature Format

- length ℹ️ ℹ️
A note on calculating signature lengths

In this code, the length of a signature is the number of full-sized sheets of paper per signature. For a folio book, this means that the number of folds you punch through when sewing together a signature is the same as the number of sheets in the signature, as each sheet has one fold. For quarto, this will be two folds for each sheet - octavo, four; sextodecimo, eight. Calculate your signature lengths accordingly (in particular, you almost certainly don't want more than one sheet for sextodecimo).

Wacky Small Layouts

These layouts contain one or more signature per printed page. They use only the "File Info" and "Printer" settings. The names are arbitrary and hold no standardized meaning. Fore-Edge Padding:
pt
Instructions

Cut along the lines or cut just extra bit off the top (along exposed "top" of page) and then fold up along the dotted lines (if trimming, you can just trim off the cruft at the bottom-- tops need to be even for leveling purposes however). Outer margins intentionally under-marked so you can trim wherever feels right after folding & assembly.

Not the most paper efficient of layouts, but it's optimized for organization (if a signature is just one page, harder to botch the ordering) and many, smaller signatures make for rounder backs and large swell in my [six's] opinion (which helps w/ nice shoulders, if you're into that sort of thing)

Instructions

Cut the vertical center line. You can also cut the horizontal lines if you like, or just fold it up as detailed above.

Instructions

The classic no-cut, single page zine! Just fold it up right and you've got yourself a mutant non-standard folio making an 8 page little fellow-- all extra pages beyond 8 are discarded. For better folding instructions than I could possibly write, see: https://www.quarantinepubliclibrary.com/tutorial

Instructions

THIS IS A LANDSCAPE LAYOUT. IT MUST BE PRINTED AND "flipped on the short side" (the non-typical flipping)
Remember to do a single-sheet test print if it's your first time to make sure duplex/mirroring is correct!

Cut out the rows. Fold up the folios like a zig-zag (two per face). Then fold the center of the text (smoosh the two matching page numbers together).

Note that when folding, it's important for the center of the folios to line up. That's what I measure against (less so fretting about folding exactly at the edge). Remember! Printer skew is a real thing!

Instructions

Cut along the cut lines. Fold up the 3 folio signatures, then the 4 folio.

Instructions

THIS IS A LANDSCAPE LAYOUT. IT MUST BE PRINTED AND "flipped on the short side" (the non-typical flipping)
Remember to do a single-sheet test print if it's your first time to make sure duplex/mirroring is correct!

Cut out the rows. Fold up the folios like a zig-zag (two per face). Then fold the center of the text (smoosh the two matching page numbers together).

Note that when folding, it's important for the center of the folios to line up. That's what I measure against (less so fretting about folding exactly at the edge). Remember! Printer skew is a real thing!

Instructions

THIS IS A LANDSCAPE LAYOUT. IT MUST BE PRINTED AND "flipped on the short side" (the non-typical flipping)
Thankfully most small layouts fit on one page-- easy enough to do a test print and make sure you're duplexing correctly (if that's your route)

Cut out the rows. Fold up the folios like a big zig-zag (two per face). Then fold the first 2 folios into a signature and the last 3 folios into a signature. I often cut them apart only when I'm stitching things together.

Note that when folding, it's important for the center of the folios to line up. That's what I measure against (less so fretting about folding exactly at the edge). Remember! Printer skew is a real thing!

Flyleafs

ℹ️

Signature Info

Total Pages: Original PDF Pages:
Total Sheets: Number of Signatures:
Signature Arrangement: