Help:Books/PediaPress PDF rendering

This page explains how to create a print-on-demand (PoD) book via the PediaPress PDF rendering and print ordering service for Wikipedia books.

Why two different systems?

• Books designed using by Wikipedia's Book Creator are available for online browsing as article lists, as well as for pulling by other rendering services.
• The PediaPress editions, on the other hand, are rendered to PDF on the PediaPress web site and are optimized for quality and for professional book printing in a fixed (approximately A5) format. This high-quality rendering is a commercial service under the control of PediaPress and so must be hosted on their web site.

Preparing a book for PediaPress publishing

In general, a book created using Book Creator will be compatible with PediaPress. However, especially when editing the raw wikitext for the book layout, there are some points that need to be right:

• PediaPress ignores the {{saved book}} template.
• In particular, PediaPress uses the subtitle from the main Contents list and ignores any subtitle added to {{saved book}}. However, you can also edit the subtitle once the book has been uploaded.
• If you rename a section from its article title, put all the new name in the link. Any text outside the link will cause the article to be dropped from the Table of Contents:

  [[Article for inclusion|Name used for book section]] Text out here will bork the Table of Contents

Sending a book to be rendered by PediaPress

When you edit a book, a link to PediaPress appears in the main dialog.

Click the link and you will be taken to the PediaPress website upload page.

What happens next?

On the PediaPress web site the content is converted to a pdf file for printing as a book in 8.5 inches (22 cm) x 5.5 inches (14 cm) (approximately A5) format. This can take a short while.

You can specify the cover details and change any defaults set in the pdf, for:

• Editor name
• Book title
• Subtitle
• Background colour
• Cover image (if any, selectable from those used in the articles)
• Addition of a short introduction, preface or foreword

At this point you can preview key parts of the book to check layout, table of contents, etc. It is now ready for printing on demand.

You can order hardback or paperback copies, in either black-and-white or full colour. The country of delivery and the payment currency can also be selected. The book will then be printed via a print-on-demand supplier and sent to you.

You can also choose whether to keep the book private or to add it to the PediaPress publicly available catalogue.

Buying an existing book

If somebody has uploaded a book and made it publicly available, it will appear in the PediaPress Catalogue. You can browse the catalogue and order print copies. eBook formats are not available.

Problems?

• Report problems with book design, such as chapters not headed or ordered properly, at Help:Books/Feedback.

• Report problems with the rendering and ordering service via the PediaPress web site.