Gutter Margins For Books

An example of a perfect bound book gutter can be seen below.

Gutter margins for books. In page layout the gutter is a slightly larger margin added to the inside edge of the page. Adjust margins font size and columns to produce 65 70 characters per line including spaces. For 8 5 x11 documents bound or unbound use 1 inch margins. I will go back and edit the article you pointed out and my thanks for that.

But in addition to that margin you also want a gutter. For most books an additional 0 2 or 0 3 inches on the inside edge of the page is plenty to create a gutter. Margins ensure your text isn t cut off during. On books intended for offset it depends on the number of pages longer books need more gutter margins and kind of binding perfect binding creates tighter spines than notch or smythe sewn bindings.

At first glance the gutter as a technical term appears to be a rather humdrum and dull word something so basic to be almost beneath notice. The outside margin is the right hand margin on a right hand page. So yes you have a half inch margin on the left and the right to have white space to keep your book easy to read. Vice versa for left hand pages.

So nothing is lost when the book is held open. Gutter margin margins are the blank spaces around the type area on a book page but the inside margin has the special name gutter and it is always the margin on the bound edge of the book page. Gutter width can take up 1 4 to 1 2 from the page therefore there must be an extra 1 4 1 2 of safety margin space on the side of the page where the gutter spine will be. Whether it s choosing to a flat laying binding style such as saddle stitch booklets wire o booklets or spiral bound booklet or including the gutter margin when you start designing your perfect bound book or hard cover book.

Adjacent inner margins of facing pages when book is open. When you re looking at a book page spread you ll have two gutters together doubling the apparent space. Imagine a novel with text disappearing into the binding. The video and step by step instructions explain how to set page size and margins for books with and without bleed.

Now that you understand what the gutter margin is you can take the proper steps to prevent this potential issue. The gutter is the amount of the book that you lose to the binding process. Every page has three outside margins top bottom and side and one inside margin also called the gutter. I hope that gives you some guidance.

For more information on bleed see our print options help page. For bound books 6 x 9 or smaller use 0 5 margins on the top outside and bottom of books and a 0 75 inside margin.