Making booklets can be a fun craft activity on a rainy day, or it can be part of your professional experience. However, there are several methods for creating a booklet, either working on a computer or by hand.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Booklet By Hand
Step 1. Fold in half a quarto-sized sheet of paper in half
One sheet of paper will be used as the front cover and the other will be used as the back cover for the booklet. The two strands will form part of the pages in the booklet. Folding horizontally means folding hamburger style.
Step 2. Cut a fold in one sheet of paper to make a gap
Make sure you cut it at the top and bottom. The pieces should be about 3 cm in size.
Step 3. Fold the other half of the sheet vertically
Don't make sharp creases on this sheet, just press it shut, as the sheet only needs to be folded so you can make holes along the folds. If you fold it sharply, the pages in your booklet fold.
This folding style is called the hotdog style
Step 4. Cut along the fold about 3 cm on both sides
You will need to make a hole along the crease that will be the place to slip the other sheet (the one with the gap). The holes should be about 3 cm apart on one side of the fold and 3 cm on the other.
Step 5. Slide the first sheet into the hole
The most important thing is to make sure the gap fits snugly into the hole as it will hold the page in the booklet. The more snugly it is, the tidier your booklet will look.
It helps if you gently bend the sheet with the gap so that it doesn't bend or tear as you slide it into the hole. You need to bend it vertically so that the corners come together
Step 6. Add more pages, if desired
The booklet described above has eight pages, counting the front and back covers. You can add as many pages as you need (reasonably; you don't want to put too much pressure on the center hole as this could tear it).
- Fold a sheet of paper in a hamburger style. Cut a gap of about 3 cm in the crease on both sides.
- Take the previously created booklet and look for the page with the holes open (the location depends on the number of pages in it).
- Slide the new page into the hole, rolling it slightly so that it slides in easily.
- Do this until you have as many pages as needed.
Method 2 of 3: Creating a Booklet Using Microsoft Word
Step 1. Open the Page Setup menu
You need to change the settings in Word before you can create a booklet. You can turn a document you've created into a booklet, but it's better to create an arrangement of the booklets first, then enter their contents.
Look for the Page Layout tab. It's usually located on the icon in the corner of Page Setup
Step 2. Turn the pages into a Book fold
This option is located in Page Setup under the Margins option. Look at the dropdown tab, which has the Normal option. Change it to Book fold..
Step 3. Change the Gutter settings
Although you don't have to. It's a good idea to change the Gutter from 0 to 1 to keep the words looking organized when bound.
Step 4. Click OK when you're done making adjustments
You can see an overview of what the booklet will look like based on the format. After that, you can simply add content (or make sure the content looks the way you want it, if you've already entered it).
You can change anything that doesn't look right and add anything you need to the booklet (like page numbers)
Step 5. Print your document
You will need to print on both sides of the paper, otherwise there will be a lot of blank pages on your booklet, which you definitely don't want. You can set the printer to print it that way automatically, or manually (which requires you to stand near the printer and load paper into it).
If you are loading paper manually in the printer, make sure you are orienting the paper correctly. You don't want to have flipped pages in your booklet
Step 6. Fold the page
Make sure you put the booklet together according to the page. This is why having page numbers is a good thing. When you fold, it's best to start by folding each page individually, then putting them together.
You can staple along the crease after folding the page
Step 7. Download a good design template
The method above is the most basic way to create a booklet in Microsoft Word, but you can find lots of great design templates online or in Word if you want something a little more creative or engaging.
Method 3 of 3: Make Your Booklet Look Professional
Step 1. Style your booklet according to its purpose
For booklets, especially professional booklets, you need to make sure to only show a brief overview of the subject. You need to inform readers, educate, and engage them in a concise manner.
- A booklet about a city should include general historical information, a map of the city with markings on famous buildings, and telephone numbers for things like taxis or visitor information centres.
- The booklet can also be something given at the end of the meeting to remind the participants what they have heard, or it can also provide information in response to some kind of question (if you have a specific product, it will explain the basics of the product to potential buyers).
- There are also types of booklets made to be picked up and read while people are standing in line. A booklet like this has to be eye-catching to grab people's attention.
Step 2. Use good pictures
People love pictures, no one can argue with that. When deciding what kind of images to include in your booklet, keep a few things in mind: Images have to stand out, because you want to grab people's attention. Images also need to relate to the purpose of your booklet.
- For example: You want to create a booklet with information about your white water rafting company in Alaska. On the front, you'll want to place a color photo showing the best your company has to offer (some travelers on a raft looking at bears, for example).
- If you can't print in color (which is usually better) make sure your image looks good in black and white.
Step 3. Keep the information short and concise
You need to create very basic information for your readers, be it travelers in your city, potential customers, or business associates. A page full of blocks and text won't captivate its readers.
Divide the information into headings and subheadings. Information is easier to digest when it is broken down into smaller sets of information with appropriate labels
Step 4. Make sure the odd page numbers are on the page on the right
This may seem like a trivial thing, but it will make a difference to the quality of your booklet. Numbering starts from the first page on the right, not the left.
Step 5. Invite the reader to open the booklet
The purpose of creating a booklet in a professional style is to attract readers. You definitely want what you are trying to convey to get readers
The front cover should have a strong selling message so that potential buyers and readers want to see more of the information in the booklet
Tips
- If you are creating a booklet to sell a product or service, make sure your contact information is clearly displayed.
- Check your booklet before sharing it with the general public. Always check for errors, or odd line layouts in the text.
