Layflat photo books: File set up guideline

To ensure a great print product, it's important to prepare your document properly. Here are some important guidelines and tips to help you achieve high-quality prints:

File set up and sizes

Your content should be the same size as the book size.

For example, if creating an A4 book, your content should measure 210 x 297 mm.

Layflat book sizes and specs

• Use a resolution of 300dpi.
• Set the color profile to RGB.
• Embed all fonts in your document and flatten any transparencies.
  
  * For more information about all our available products and sizes, please visit our website: peecho.com/products

Spine 

The Spine feature is only available to users with a Peecho Merchant account. Upload & Order does not support this feature.

We use an automated system to calculate the spine size of our layflat books.
The calculation is based on: 

• The number of pages in your PDF 
• The type of paper used 
• The destination country of your order (depending on the destination, different facilities can be selected)

Due to this automated process, specific spine size information is not available in this article.
For more information, please access How do I add the spine?

Cover and content 

• Our lay-flat books range from 18-122 pages. Your book has to contain an even number of pages.  If you submit an odd number of pages, the back cover will be white.
• Save your print file as one PDF document containing front cover, content, and back cover, as single pages and in this order.
  
• Do not add bleed or cut marks, as our system will automatically generate these.
  
  

Layflat safety margins

The following diagram illustrates the safety margins required for the cover and content pages of your Layflat Book. Please note that this diagram is for illustrative purposes only.

Cover: For the first (Image 1) and last (Image 2) pages of your pdf, your artwork should fill the artboard, but please keep all critical elements, such as text, logos, and key visuals, within the safe area—at least 10mm from the edge of the page to avoid trimming.

Content pages: Starting on page 2 of your pdf (Image 3) (which will be printed on the first right-hand page in the book), use the full page and include a 10 mm safety margin at the top, bottom, and right side (outside edge). The left side (inside edge) does not require a margin.

You can design double-page spreads starting from pages 3 & 4 and continue throughout (until the second-to-last page of your PDF).

• All spreads must be saved as individual single pages (e.g. page 3 and page 4 should be separate pages in the PDF).
• For odd-numbered pages (left side of spreads), maintain a 10mm margin on the top, bottom, and left side (outside edge).
• For even-numbered pages (right side of spreads), maintain a 10mm margin on the top, bottom, and right side (outside edge).

Layout

The following diagram illustrates how your lay-flat book will appear once printed. The numbered text below corresponds to the numbers displayed on the image. Please note that this diagram is for illustrative purposes only.

1. Front cover: The first page of your PDF.

2. The inside cover will be blank, cannot be printed on.
3. Page two of your PDF: It will appear on the right-hand side of the book.

4. This is page three of your PDF.
5. This is page four of your PDF.

6. The second-to-last page of your PDF.

7. Inside of back cover: A blank (white) page cannot be printed on.

8. Back cover: The last page of your PDF will become the back cover of your book.

Saving your PDF

We recommend exporting your file with a PDF / X-4 Profile (coated  FOGRA 39) check on your file. Please ensure that all fonts are embedded and any transparencies are flattened.