Print size for MLWM?

[memolith]

I admit it, I'm a cheapskate. I purchased the pdf of MLWM, to save a couple of bucks. Now I'm wishing I'd just bought the printed copy.
Anyhow, I found this article on cheap and easy bookbinding, and decided to print out MLWM.
http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2006/03/fun-and-easy-how-to-guide-to-binding-your-own-paperback-books-at-homefast/

Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit on half of an 8.5 x 11 sheet, so I'm just wondering what the intended page dimensions are.

[Thomas Lawrence]

My copy is printed so that each page takes up half a side of A$, landscape. THe pages are printed on both sides to save on paper, and the resulting thing is folded down the middle to create a paperback-ish size booklet.

[Paul Czege]

Hi,

Yep, the reason I provide all those different pdfs is so folks can do exactly this. So I think it's pretty cool when someone takes advantage of it.

The pdfs correspond exactly to the page dimensions of the print edition, which is 7 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall. This size is exactly half of standard U.S. legal sized paper. So you could print the pages two-up on legal sized paper, do a saddle-stitch binding, and end up with a book that's very close to the print edition. If you want perfect edges though you'll have to print two-up on larger paper, stitch/staple and fold the binding and find someone with a guillotine paper cutter to crop it down to 7 x 8.5.

The cover file is sized for 17 inch by 11 inch paper, and includes crop marks so you can take it down to standard U.S. legal paper (14 inches by 8.5 inches). So if you print the pages two-up on 17 by 11 sheets and stitch/staple carefully to a cover printed on 17 by 11 stock, you should be able to use the marks on the cover to crop down and produce a book that's indistinguishable from the print edition.

Paul

edited: fixed page dimensions in third paragraph

[memolith]

Awesome!

It makes perfect sense now. That's a pretty cool paper size, by the way. Almost square, but not quite. It's quirky.

Thanks Paul.

*runs off to buy legal paper.

~Chris