How to print a booklet in Word
In Word, use Layout, Margins, Custom Margins, Multiple pages, Book fold. Or save your document as a PDF and let the booklet maker put the pages in order.
Option 1: Book fold in Word
- Open the Layout tab, click Margins, then Custom Margins.
- Set Multiple pages to Book fold. The paper turns to landscape.
- Choose Sheets per booklet: All for a thin booklet, or a number such as 8 for a thicker one made of several folded stacks.
- Add a little Gutter if the pages are close to the fold.
- Choose File, then Print. Select Print on both sides and Flip pages on short edge.
- Fold the stack in half and staple the fold.
Option 2: Save as PDF and use the booklet maker
- In Word choose File, Save As, and set the type to PDF. Use normal portrait pages, not Book fold.
- Add the PDF to the booklet maker. You see the pages in booklet order before you print.
- Download the booklet PDF and print it two-sided, flip on short edge, at actual size.
This way is more predictable, because the PDF looks the same on every computer and printer. Fonts, spacing and page breaks can’t move at the last minute.
Typical mistakes
- Printing at “Fit to page”. The pages shrink and the margins stop matching the fold.
- Book fold and a booklet PDF together. Do one or the other. If you reorder pages twice, they end up in the wrong order.
- Tiny text. A Letter or A4 sheet makes a half-size booklet, so 12 pt text becomes smaller after scaling. Try 11 to 12 pt body text in your document, and check the preview.
Questions
Does Word have a booklet option?
Yes. Under Layout, Margins, Custom Margins, set “Multiple pages” to “Book fold”. Word then lays out the document as a booklet on landscape paper. It works well for documents you are still writing.
When should I use a PDF instead of Book fold?
Use a PDF when the document is finished, when you want to check the page order before printing, or when it was not written in Word. The booklet maker reorders any PDF and shows a preview.
How many pages should the Word document have?
A multiple of 4 gives a full booklet, because each sheet holds four pages. If you have fewer, Word and the booklet maker both leave the last pages blank.
Which print options matter?
Print on both sides, flip pages on short edge, and actual size. Don’t choose “Scale to paper size”.
More guides
- How to print a booklet: Two-sided printing, flip edge and scale: the settings that make the pages come out in order.
- Print a booklet on a Mac: Preview has no booklet option. Here is the quick way around it.
- Make a booklet from Google Docs: Google Docs cannot do it alone. Export a PDF and let the booklet maker order the pages.
- Zine maker: fold a mini zine from one sheet of paper.