A personal or review copy
Hold your own work, read it away from a screen, or share a review copy. Start with a specification that lets you evaluate the text and layout.
eBook to print · File preparationMade for a screen.
Made for a screen.
Ready for a shelf.
Give your digital work a printed edition. Move from adjustable screen text to a deliberate page layout, then choose the paper, cover and binding that make it feel like a book.
01 / DIGITALYour eBook
Text flows to fit a screen.
02 / PRINTFinal PDF
Every page has a fixed place.
A new format deserves a fresh proof.
01 / Know your starting point
A digital edition is the beginning, not the print layout.
Digital reading lets people change font sizes and screen dimensions. A printed book needs a fixed page size, a final page count and deliberate placement of every element.
Have an editable manuscript?
- Work from the original document or layout file where possible.
- Choose the intended printed size before making final page breaks.
- Export a fixed-page PDF after checking fonts, images and page order.
Have an eBook or an existing PDF?
- Identify whether the file has fixed pages or reflowing text.
- Review conversion and layout needs before placing a print order.
- Share a sample with the team if you are unsure it is print-ready.
File conversion, typesetting and design are separate tasks from printing. Confirm any assistance you need and its scope before assuming it is included.
02 / Rebuild the reading experience
What changes when the screen becomes a page?
| In a digital edition | For the printed edition |
|---|---|
| Text adjusts to the device | Choose a comfortable type size, line spacing and page size. Check a printed sample rather than scaling everything to fit. |
| Navigation may use links | Review the table of contents and page references. Give readers a usable printed route through chapters and sections. |
| Images may expand on tap | Make images, captions and diagrams legible at their actual printed size. Look closely at small labels and fine detail. |
| Screen edges have no binding | Leave appropriate inside margins so words and pictures do not disappear toward the bound edge. Confirm the production requirements. |
| Pages may not have a fixed order | Check front matter, chapter starts, blank pages, page numbers and the final sequence in the exported PDF. |
03 / Give it a physical cover
A front-cover image is only part of the design.
Plan the front, back and spine together.
An eBook cover is often a single image. A printed cover may also need a back cover and a spine, with dimensions determined by the final book size and interior specification.
Wait until the interior page count and paper are agreed before finalising the spine. Ask the team for the required artwork dimensions and any bleed or safe-area requirements for the selected binding.
Review the title, author name and back-cover text at their printed size. If the cover includes small text or a barcode, check its clarity in the final artwork and proof.
BACKBlurb & details
SPINE
FRONTTitle & artwork
04 / Review the printed edition
Read it once as a physical book.
A proof helps you notice things that a glowing screen can hide: uncomfortable text size, dark images, cramped margins or unexpected blank pages.
Read the interior
- Compare the contents with the chapter pages.
- Check headers, footers and page numbering.
- Read small text, captions and footnotes.
- Inspect diagrams and images for clarity.
- Check that intentional blank pages remain intentional.
Handle the finished copy
- Open the book and check the inside margin.
- Review the front, back and spine alignment.
- Judge the paper and cover together.
- Record corrections against the file version.
- Approve the revised files before a larger run.
05 / Choose the edition’s purpose01 02 03
One digital work. Different reasons to print.
Your intended use helps determine the quantity and finish.
A launch or event edition
Plan a batch for readers, signings or an event. Work backwards from the required date and allow time for proofing and any corrections.
An ongoing printed edition
If readers will order over time, discuss how the approved files can support future orders through print on demand.
Before you upload
Print work you own or are authorised to reproduce.
If you created the eBook, check that any third-party images or other included material can also be used in the printed edition. If the file belongs to someone else, arrange the necessary permission before submitting it. Send2Print’s printing service does not provide a licence to reproduce other people’s work.
eBook-to-print questions
From file format to final copy.
Can I upload an EPUB or Kindle file as-is?
Do not assume a reflowable eBook is a print-ready file. Ask the team about the accepted input and any conversion work; review a fixed-page PDF before approving the printed layout.
Will the printed page count match the eBook?
Not necessarily. Page size, font size, spacing, images and chapter layout affect the printed page count. Use the final print PDF when requesting an accurate specification and quote.
Can you print a PDF I already have?
Share or review the PDF at the intended finished size. Check its page order, margins, fonts and image quality, and confirm that the team can produce it with your selected binding.
Can the same cover image be used?
It may be part of the artwork, but a printed edition can need a back cover and spine as well. Confirm the complete cover requirements after settling the interior.
Do I need to redesign the whole book?
That depends on the starting file. A carefully prepared fixed-layout file may need fewer changes; a reflowable eBook may require more work on pagination and typography. Review a sample before deciding.
Can I order just a proof first?
Discuss an initial printed copy with the team and confirm its price and timing. Use that copy to approve the layout and specification before ordering more.
Your next step
Bring your digital edition into the real world.
Have your source format, sample file, intended book size and quantity ready. Tell us whether the file is already laid out for print.