Computer question for mac users
 

I'll be the first to admit that I am computer challenged and I need some help. I have to produce a booklet that will be 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" (like you would fold a sheet of paper in half.) The only way I know to do it is to type it out page by page on regular paper and then have a printer shrink it to the right size. Then cut and paste to put the small pages in the right order. Would that even work? Is there a computer program that will set the page up in the size I need and print it out that way?

I don't know if I am being very clear. I welcome any help. I have an iBook G4 with Mac OS X (please don't ask me what that means.)

Do you have Word? What's your word processor?

I think that your word processor should be able to set the page boundaries to either type in booklet format or to at least shrink your page area to a half-sheet size.

/not a frequent Mac user, but I've used them.

You want a desktop publishing program. There are quite a few of them that work with Macs - InDesign, Quark Xpress, PageMaker (though PageMaker isn't used much anymore having been replaced with InDesign.) You can get by with Word but it's more confusing/time consuming. Unfortunately, programs such as InDesign or Quark are $$$.

What is your booklet for? Are you printing it yourself, having a place like Kinkos print and assemble it for you or having a commercial printer print it? That can also make a difference in what program you use.

Not sure what kind of copier you have, but the one at my old job would make the brochures for you from full sheets of paper. You just put them in order (it took a couple tries to get it right), then it will print them double sided even, and fold. I think it would even do booklet stapling.

Or you may be able to get a free download from CNet.com for a desktop publishing program, if you are time constrained.

If you do have MSWord, I don't know how it functions on a Mac, but on a PC, if you go to File -> New, and get the options taskbar on the right, you can search for "booklet template" in Microsoft online, a 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 template popped right up that I could download.

So again, don't know if that's how it functions on a Mac too, but it's worth a try.

Thanks, folks! This gives me some good places to try.

I'm using a local print shop around the corner, but I need to have it ready to be copied in order to save time and money.