Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, Guatemala

Monday, April 23, 2012

Typesetting a Book

I don't know how to do typesetting but I appreciate those who do. It takes a certain kind of highly detail-oriented perfectionist to be a good typesetter.

Typesetting is key in making a print book. It comes after the editing and before the printing. It has to do with fonts, spacing, white space, chapter headings and things you don't really notice when picking up a book but that add to the enjoyment of the reading experience.

When the typesetter is done, the publisher will get a print-ready proof to look over, to send to the author for final review, and then, when all corrections are made, to submit to the printer.

Book is printed, voila! Another book is launched out into the world of happy readers.

Hooray for the skilled typesetter!

22 comments:

  1. Hooray indeed! Type-setting is not for the faint of heart!

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  2. I love your new pic for your blog header!! Yay!

    Hooorah for typesetters! I love all these amazing stages well before a print book is launched!!

    Take care
    x

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  3. Elaine, What a nice comment to wake up to! I'm glad you the Challenge was a good experience for you. This year's event was the best one yet imho, and it was an honor to be part of the hosting team.

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  4. Typesetting is a bit like the phrase 'nobody notices what I do until I don't do it.' We all notice if it isn't right but we don't notice when it is right. Thank you to all the very patient typesetters out there.

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  5. Yes, I know the joys of making a print ready book. And I am a perfectionist!

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  6. Karen, I love your new picture!

    There are so many phases to the bookmaking that I never understood before going through the process. Book design and typse setting is one of the most complex, I think. And yes -- details, details. I don't think most of us think about it, but even the choice of a font is an important decision!

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  7. I agree. Hooray for typesetters as well. After a writer has written, edited and revised their story about a gabillion times, a skilled typesetter is definitely a plus.

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  8. And we like to keep the writers happy!

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  9. Type setting sounds like an adventure all by itself. ;)

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  10. Hello.
    Visiting from A-Z Challenge.

    Thank goodness for the typesetter. I am sure I will appreciate them more once I have had the pleasure of cradling one of my books in my hand (smile).
    LOVE your header photo! Thanks for sharing.

    As a first-time participant, I also want to say a big "thank you" to you and all the other co-hosts for bringing the A-Z Challenge to us. I'm really enjoying myself & hope to join in again next year.

    Day 20 (23): Tearful Maiden

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  11. This is very interesting. When I was sick this winter, I started reading The Pale King, by David Foster Wallace. About half-way through, I was getting so tired. Not of the story, but I realized that first - I was sick, second - the paragraphs were sooo long and so were the chapters. I decided that was a book to be read when healthy and put it aside. Since then I pay attention and I have determined that I like medium long paragraphs and chapters. This was probably a whole lot more information than .....But that's what happens when a post gets you thinking.

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  12. I wouldn't trust myself to the task! I admire those who do .

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  13. I love the movies "The Hours" and each time I watch Virginia Wolfe's husband do the type setting the OLD way I wonder how a book ever got published back then. What a tedious and important job, indeed.

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  14. I appreciate anyone who does tedious jobs of this sort. I wasn't made for that kind of thing!

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  15. Like what Sally said, typesetting is something most of us don't notice unless it's done poorly.

    {ami}
    http://sundrysumthins.wordpress.com/

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  16. One of those behind-the-scenes jobs that makes all the difference. I'll leave it to the professionals.

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  17. The look of a book can make a huge difference. You don't notice the work they do, until you see a badly-printed book, then you appreciate all the hardwork of the good ones!

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  18. This is why we don't use two spaces after a period, too, right?

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    1. Matthew, Right, and why we don't put in all kinds of fancy formatting, fonts, design to make our manuscript look like a book, because the typesetter has to remove all that before he can do his work.

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  19. Hi Karen .. typesetting - I'd love to do a course on it - so I get a gist of how it works - to a point I can understand it ... but to actually see it done and have a go would be interesting ..and eye opening ..

    Cheers Hilary

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