As an experienced book printing manufacturer, I often get asked how regular folks can self-publish quality books without breaking the bank. One of the most common questions I receive is, “How can I print a children’s book at home?” It’s a great question.
After all, printing professional-looking children’s books at home opens up a world of possibilities – from preserving your little one’s imaginative storytelling to creating customized gifts and beyond.
The good news? Thanks to recent advancements in consumer printing technology and design software, printing a children’s book at home is entirely possible, even for beginners. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to DIY print a children’s book at home that looks legitimately published. Let’s dive in.
How to Design and Format a Children’s Book for Home Printing
Before discussing printers and printing, the first step is properly formatting your book’s interior pages.
Trust me, amateurish design will undermine your printing efforts, no matter how fancy your printer is. So it pays to do this part right.
Here are my top tips for designing pages that’ll make any home-printed children’s book look fantastically professional:
Use Desktop Publishing Software
Start by using desktop publishing software like Adobe InDesign. Unlike word processors, these programs are made specifically for page layout and design.
InDesign has preloaded templates, tools, and features tailor-made for children’s book formatting and layouts. Unlike any word processor, it’ll make your illustrations pop.
If you don’t want to buy InDesign (it’s pretty pricey), open-source software Scribus is a solid free alternative for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
It’s not as full-featured, but Scribus gets the job done wonderfully.
Mind the Margins
You need sufficient margins between content/images and the page edges when laying out pages. This prevents anything important from getting cut off or obscured during binding.
I recommend keeping margins at 0.6 inches (15 mm) minimum for home printing. Err on the higher side for safe measure.
Add Bleeds
Speaking of getting cut off, bleeds are extra image bits that spill over the page edge. When you trim pages later, a bleed ensures no unsightly white lines appear along the edges.
Generally, home printing needs 0.125-inch (3 mm) bleeds. But I personally go a bit higher with 0.2 inches (5 mm) for peace of mind.
How to Pick the Right Home Printer for Children’s Books
Printing via professional book printers ensures phenomenal print quality. But their MOQs and shipping costs make home use near-impossible.
Thankfully, today’s consumer printers let you self-publish children’s books affordably. As for how to choose one, consider these key factors:
Print Quality
Laser printers outperform inkjets in terms of crisp, professional text. Their toner formulation allows sharp, vibrant color prints without bleeding or smudging.
So if print quality is paramount, laser is the way for your home children’s book project.
Print Size
Common printer paper sizes are Letter (8.5” x 11”) and A4 (8.27” x 11.7”), but children’s books use all kinds of custom dimensions.
Choose large-format printers that support banners if you intend to print custom sizes. Their flexibility allows printing books of any reasonable trim size.
All-in-ones with scanning/copying also help digitize hand-drawn artwork easily.
Cost Per Page
Calculate cost per page to determine overall expenses.
For example, a laser toner cartridge usually prints around 1,500-3,000 pages. Dividing the cartridge price by the maximum number of pages gives the cost per print. Do this for ink costs, too.
Then factor in paper, power consumption, etc. to estimate the total cost of printing your book.
Print Speed
Finally, higher print speed means greater productivity. Pages per minute (PPM) indicates print speed.
I recommend getting the fastest printer you can afford here. Trust me, every minute saved adds up with book printing!
How to Print a Children’s Book at Home: Step-by-Step
Did you get your formatting done and printer prepped? Awesome! Now let’s get down to actually printing.
Here’s how I’d home-print children’s books from start to finish:
Step 1: Set Up Document Layout
Open up your desktop publisher software and create a new file. Then configure margins, bleeds, page sizes, etc. according to earlier guidance.
You may also create guides and master pages to ease layouts across multiple pages.
Step 2: Add Cover Art and Content
Next, design eye-catching front and back covers based on your book’s genre, target audience age group and visual themes.
For instance, a preschool counting book can feature colorful numeric characters against a solid backdrop. This cover can even extend to the back minus any text.
Then create and populate the inside pages – copyright, title, author bio, dedications, illustrations, body content, etc.
Step 3: Create Printer-Ready PDF
When layouts and content are 100% complete, export the file as a high-quality print PDF.
Under quality settings, choose options geared towards commercial/professional printing for best reproduction. Click export and voila!
Step 4: Print Using Laser Printer
Load premium cardstock and specialty paper stocks into your home laser printer.
I like using offset text or cover weights of 60-100 GSM for interior pages and heavier stocks like 200-300 GSM cardstock for covers that need durability.
Then, simply print the finished PDF while applying the highest quality settings. Allow extra drying time for toner adhesions on thick paper.
Step 5: Trim and Fold Pages
Use an accurate paper trimmer, metal ruler, or craft knife over a cutting mat to evenly trim printed pages to the required finish dimensions. Mind those bleeds!
Then gently score or fold pages along centers or gutters if your children’s book needs multiple page signatures rather than one continual page sequence.
Step 6: Bind and Finish
Assemble trimmed and folded printouts into your children’s book body. Secure pages together through binding techniques like stapling, stitching or gluing.
Finally, glue both covers onto front and back page stacks to complete your home-printed book.
And there you have it – a DIY children’s book fresh from your laser printer!
Quality and care during the printing, trimming, binding, and finishing stages all contribute greatly to the hand-feel and visual polish of any home-printed book. But when done properly, the results can equal or exceed those of real published works.
The effort is totally worth it if you want to preserve your kid’s imaginative ramblings or surprise custom creations for loved ones.
Not to mention the massive savings compared to professional printing quotes (or children’s book pricing in stores)!
Frequently Asked Questions About Printing Children’s Books at Home
I get lots of common questions from parents, teachers and hobbyists about home children’s book printing. So before I sign off, let’s tackle some popular queries:
What’s the Cheapest Way to Print a Children’s Book at Home?
If cost is critical, inkjet printers and standard copy paper offer maximum value. Despite quality tradeoffs, results remain perfectly usable for home applications.
Can You Print a Children’s Book at Home on Regular Paper?
Absolutely! Though I recommend upgrading to premium inkjet sheets or cardstock later for durability and style. The choice ultimately depends on your budget versus quality needs.
How Do You Print a Full Book at Home?
Follow the 6-step process outlined earlier. Those steps cover formatting pages in publishing software, setting up printer and paper, actual printing routine, post-print cutting and folding, binding options and finally encasing everything between covers.
What Printers Do Self-Published Authors Use?
Established indie authors generally use laser or professional-grade inkjet printers for better reproduction. But beginners on a shoestring budget can get by decently with affordable inkjet consumer models.
Can You Really Make Money Self-Publishing Children’s Books?
You definitely can! Numerous authors, including myself, consistently earn passive income from self-publishing. The profit margins become especially attractive once you print bulk orders of your books for distribution.
Just ensure captivating stories, memorable characters and snazzy designs tailored to your young readership! Quality and consistency are key, so keep raising the bar with every new book.
Ready to Print Eye-Catching Children’s Books at Home?
And there you have it, folks – everything you need for how to print a children’s book at home using ordinary consumer printers!
As you discovered, modern printing hardware and design software make self-publishing high-grade children’s books incredibly easy and affordable.
Whether you’re an imaginative parent or skilled teacher, I hope my guide will help you create that special custom storybook, coloring book, or memory journal for the incredible kids in your life.
Maybe you’ll even inspire the next generational novelist!
Here’s raising a toast to all the wonderful realms we can explore when unleashing our creative spirits through home publishing.
Cheers to happy printing ahead!