If you have an existing InDesign document that was not created with the Blurb InDesign plug-in, we'll show you how to use our plug-in to open it and upload the document with the correct settings to ensure the best print results with Blurb.
If you want to edit an existing file you created with the Blurb plug-in please see this article.
Be sure to download and install the Blurb Book Creator plug-in for InDesign first.
1. Create a duplicate of your original file so that you can preserve the original as a backup.
2. Open the duplicate file in InDesign and determine the page count. Remember that all Blurb-printed publications must have an even number of pages. Also, Trade format and Magazine format publications must be in multiples of 4.
3. Create a new project with the Blurb Book Creator plug-in.
- Be sure the new Blurb Book Creator plugin document has the same page count as your existing InDesign document.
- Create a blank pages template.
- Go to File > Document Setup.
- Take a screenshot of, or write down, the width, height and bleed entries, as in the sample below.
- Save that file with a unique name as you'll need to reopen it soon.
4. Open your existing InDesign document and go to File > Document Setup.
a. Enter the width, height and bleed entries you copied from the new Blurb Book Creator document. Your existing document should now have the dimensions of the new project you created in step 3.
b. Review the document to ensure that all elements are in the correct location after this change.
c. The position of your text margins and bleed edges may shift if you resize your document, so check everything carefully.
d. Save this resized document with a new name and note where you saved it.
e. Close the resized document.
5. Link to your file
a. Open the Blurb Book Creator. In Your Recent Projects, select the name of the file you created in step 3.
b. Click the link icon next to the pages row.
c. Navigate to the newly saved document that you re-sized in step 4.
d. Select that file and click Open. You may now continue editing your pages file.
6. Design the cover
Once you're finished with the pages, create a new cover template and copy and paste the elements from your original document.
8. Upload the file
Upload your newly created Blurb book. Be sure to preview it carefully when prompted.