For most print-book interiors, export consecutive single pages unless the actual printer explicitly asks for another format. Design with facing pages if that helps you compose the book, but the final interior PDF should normally contain page 1, page 2, page 3, and so on as separate PDF pages. Do not rearrange them into booklet order. The cover is a different file and commonly uses one template-based spread containing the back, spine, and front.
Four formats people often confuse
The word spread can refer to several different things. That is where many file handoffs go wrong.
Facing pages in the source document
InDesign, Affinity Publisher, and similar layout tools can display a left page and right page together. This view is useful for balancing an illustration, checking the gutter, and planning page turns. It is a design view. It does not decide how the final PDF must be delivered.
Reader spreads
A reader spread shows the two pages visible when the printed book is open. Page 2 may sit beside page 3, then page 4 beside page 5. A screen preview can show these pairs even when the PDF itself contains separate pages.
Printer spreads or imposition
Printer spreads rearrange pages for a particular press sheet, fold, signature, binding, and trimming sequence. The order may look wrong to a reader because it is built for production. When the printer asks for a single-page PDF, do not create this arrangement yourself.
The cover spread
A full cover is commonly one wide file. Depending on the binding, it may contain the back cover, spine, front cover, bleed, fold areas, hinges, or wrap. It is not part of the interior page sequence.
Short version: compose the interior in facing pages if useful, export it as single pages, and build the cover separately from the current production template.
How to order the interior PDF
Start with the first interior page and continue in normal reading order. The PDF page thumbnails should read:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...
Do not place page 32 beside page 1, page 2 beside page 31, or use another booklet-style arrangement unless the printer supplied written instructions for that exact job.
The current guidance from Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and Lulu all points in the same direction:
- KDP requires single-page manuscript files rather than spreads or 2-up pages.
- IngramSpark tells users to create the final interior PDF in single-page format with spreads turned off.
- Lulu requires a single-page interior layout and does not accept two-page spreads.
Those rules belong to those providers. Another printer may have a different prepress workflow, so use the written specification for the actual order. Still, a normal single-page PDF is the safer starting point than self-imposed booklet order.
Where does the first page appear?
In a conventional left-to-right book, the first interior PDF page is usually a right-hand page. Lulu states this directly and maps odd-numbered pages to the right and even-numbered pages to the left.
This matters even when a page has no visible number. A title page, copyright page, dedication, or blank page still occupies a position in the sequence. If one page is inserted or removed, every later left-right pairing can change.
Review the PDF twice: once as individual pages for size and bleed, then as facing pairs for story flow. The first review catches technical inconsistencies. The second catches a character looking off the wrong edge, a reveal appearing too early, or an illustration crossing the wrong pair.
How to handle artwork that crosses two pages
A double-page illustration can remain one visual scene while the PDF contains two separate pages. In the source layout, design the scene across the left and right pages. At export, each half becomes its own PDF page in sequence.
Lulu’s current instructions say a landscape image intended to cross two pages must be split into the corresponding pages. IngramSpark and KDP likewise ask for single-page interior files. You do not need to combine the finished left and right pages into one oversized PDF page to preserve the idea of a spread.
Protect the center of the scene
The binding affects how much of the center remains easy to see. A perfect-bound paperback, case-bound hardcover, layflat photo book, and board book do not open in the same way. Keep faces, small text, eyes, and other precise focal details away from the center unless the printer has approved the construction and placement.
Background color, sky, water, or a large continuous shape can often cross the gutter more gracefully than a face or a short line of text. Print a reduced mockup or full-size test spread and fold it at the center. That simple check reveals more than a zoomed-out screen preview.
Bleed belongs to each page
If artwork reaches the trimmed edge, prepare each PDF page to the bleed size required by the actual printer. Do not add one broad outside bleed around a combined two-page interior file when the printer expects separate pages. The bind edge may use different treatment from the three outer trim edges, so follow the current template rather than guessing.
Why the cover is a separate spread
The interior and cover solve different production problems. Interior pages repeat one trimmed page size. The cover wraps around a finished book block.
Lulu tells users to supply a one-piece cover PDF containing the back, spine, and front. IngramSpark requires a complete cover file separate from the interior. KDP also separates the manuscript and cover stages.
The cover should be built after the interior specification is stable because its dimensions can depend on:
- finished trim width and height;
- final page count;
- paper and resulting spine width;
- binding and cover construction;
- bleed, wrap, hinge, and safe areas in the current template.
Do not take two interior pages and treat them as a cover. Do not reuse a paperback cover spread for a hardcover. Download or request the template for the exact production route after the interior page count is final.
Common export mistakes
| Mistake | What can go wrong | Better handoff |
|---|---|---|
| Exporting the interior as paired spreads | The upload system reads each wide pair as one page, changing size and pagination | Export consecutive single pages when the specification asks for 1-up pages |
| Building booklet order | The page sequence no longer follows normal reading order | Keep pages in ordinary sequence and let the selected workflow handle production arrangement |
| Putting the cover inside the interior PDF | The cover can be counted as interior pages or fail separate-file checks | Submit one interior PDF and one cover file when the printer requests them separately |
| Deleting intentional blank pages | Later scenes move to the opposite side of the spread | Keep every intentional blank page in the sequence |
| Centering a face on the gutter | The binding can hide or distort the focal detail | Move precise details away from the center or obtain construction-specific approval |
A single-page export is not proof that the file is fully print-ready. Page dimensions, bleed, safe content, embedded fonts, image resolution, color settings, and the final cover still need to match the actual job.
Interior PDF preflight
- Confirm the printer wants single pages, not reader spreads or imposed pages.
- Export every interior page at the same dimensions and orientation.
- Keep pages in ordinary reading order from the first interior page to the last.
- Include intentional blank pages.
- Check that odd and even pages appear on the intended sides.
- Inspect every double-page illustration across the correct facing pair.
- Protect important content near trim and the binding.
- Keep the cover separate and use the current template.
- Review the exported PDF, not only the source layout.
For the wider path from a finished illustrated file to a physical copy, read the one-copy children’s book guide. The current file guide explains what to send for an initial review.
Frequently asked questions
Should I export my book PDF as pages or spreads?
For the KDP, IngramSpark, and Lulu guidance reviewed here, export the interior as consecutive single pages. Follow another format only when the actual printer gives written instructions for it.
Can I design the book with facing pages turned on?
Yes. Facing pages help with composition and page turns. They can remain enabled in the editable source document while the final PDF export uses individual pages.
How do I export a two-page illustration?
Design it across the facing pages, then export the left and right halves as their respective single PDF pages. Check the correct pair together and keep precise focal details away from the binding.
Should page 1 be on the right?
In a conventional left-to-right book, yes. Lulu explicitly says the first interior PDF page appears on the right, with odd pages on the right and even pages on the left. Confirm the reading direction and construction for the actual job.
Do I include the front and back cover in the interior PDF?
Normally no. The providers reviewed here handle the cover as a separate file. A complete cover is commonly one spread built from a job-specific template.
Can YourBookBound check my page order?
Submit the complete interior for a free initial file check. A cover is optional at the first stage, and no payment is required at upload.
Interior finished, export uncertain
Check the PDF before rebuilding the page order.
Send the complete interior for a free initial review. No payment is required at upload, and there is no obligation to order.
Official references
- Amazon KDP: Save Your Manuscript File
- Amazon KDP: Title Setup, Book Details, Content, and Pricing
- IngramSpark: File Creation Guide
- IngramSpark: File Requirements for Print Books
- IngramSpark: PDF File Checklist
- Lulu: PDF Creation Settings
- Lulu: Tips for Formatting Documents
- Lulu: How to Create a Print Book