Children's Book Layout Design
By following the next steps, a children's book layout can be effectively planned, designed, and prepared for printing, ensuring a polished and professional final product for the young audience.
Manuscript Finalization:
- Story Manuscript: Ensure the manuscript is fully edited and finalized.
- Determine Book Size: Decide on the book dimensions (e.g., 8.5” x 11”).
- Illustration Briefs: Provide detailed briefs for each illustration. The number and types of illustrations start evolving from here and can change during the project because it's all a creative process
- Story Manuscript: Ensure the manuscript is fully edited and finalized.
- Determine Book Size: Decide on the book dimensions (e.g., 8.5” x 11”).
- Illustration Briefs: Provide detailed briefs for each illustration. The number and types of illustrations start evolving from here and can change during the project because it's all a creative process
Pagination
- Dividing Text: Splitting the manuscript into page spreads. This step determines where the text will go on each page and helps in planning the illustrations.
- Dividing Text: Splitting the manuscript into page spreads. This step determines where the text will go on each page and helps in planning the illustrations.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/5d7576aa-7a1c-4e79-835b-6d28f63d1e09_rw_1920.jpg?h=14edf9fdc9192c843b943ac935db704b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/a7055b62-97c5-40a6-809c-314460e6915d_rw_1920.jpg?h=df2741d824193ae1694bbfd4d88087ae)
Storyboard and Character Design
- Characters: The Manuscript provides basic information on characters. Additional Character Biography written just for the illustrator ensures unique character design, accentuating their personalities
- Creating Thumbnails: Sketch small, rough thumbnails of each page or spread to plan the flow of text and illustrations.
- Page Count: Confirm the total number of pages, including front matter (front and back covers, title page, copyright page) and back matter (acknowledgments, author bio).
- Creating Thumbnails: Sketch small, rough thumbnails of each page or spread to plan the flow of text and illustrations.
- Page Count: Confirm the total number of pages, including front matter (front and back covers, title page, copyright page) and back matter (acknowledgments, author bio).
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/42029b98-309e-4e4c-9add-e763ada5b517_rw_1920.jpg?h=8d67678d17f49c80edd718e4ade9a238)
Dummy Book and Layout
Dummy Book
- Creating a Mock-Up: When all previous work is defined and approved, we'll make a digital dummy book to visualize the layout. This helps in refining the flow and ensuring a balanced distribution of text and illustrations. Due to copyright, I can't share the book dummies of my past work.
- Creating a Mock-Up: When all previous work is defined and approved, we'll make a digital dummy book to visualize the layout. This helps in refining the flow and ensuring a balanced distribution of text and illustrations. Due to copyright, I can't share the book dummies of my past work.
Layout Design
- Choosing Fonts and Styles: Selecting typography that complements the book’s theme and is readable for the target age group.
- Designing Page Layouts: The basic layout for each page, placing text boxes and placeholders for illustrations.
- Choosing Fonts and Styles: Selecting typography that complements the book’s theme and is readable for the target age group.
- Designing Page Layouts: The basic layout for each page, placing text boxes and placeholders for illustrations.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/20356e89-c89f-4a68-916f-fbd09c904f70_rw_1920.jpg?h=3169f457a1d2def8c5a2612df417a225)
Illustration
- Sketch and color phase: Defining sketches from the Storyboard
- Illustration Review: Reviewing sketches and final illustrations to ensure they align with the text and layout.
- Illustration Review: Reviewing sketches and final illustrations to ensure they align with the text and layout.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/6a0fa8b0-c6a4-412a-98a0-188de56d388b_rw_1920.jpg?h=100c869ebc4ff5f54320a781543c06b4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/f7df2430-01bc-4fe8-a6bd-f4c8ac9debaf_rw_1920.jpg?h=fbe244a69a1367f8952f8bff082995d2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/8577b905-8bef-4dc1-9e9f-f9c55b3b941b_rw_1920.jpg?h=a8069d0b747b49a875033a4a818ff604)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/9032a1dd-b53a-4a05-a199-47e226e75276/739b20ab-1c87-4b70-8f90-41b5868d016a_rw_1920.jpg?h=8b3098a3a974ab93febe48b3f90fd212)
Passing the work to a Book designer
My focus is primarily on illustrating, and approved illustrations are later passed to a Book Designer. They'll have all the guides about the font, illustration placement and other specs, and I'll gladly help review the progress.
Here are the following steps to publishing:
- Text Placement: flow text, balance text and images
- Illustration Integration: insert illustrations, check overlaps
- Proofreading: review for errors, consistency check
- Feedback and Revisions: client/editor review, implementing changes
- Final Layout Approval: final proof, approval
- Pre-Press Preparation: prepare print files, bleed and margins
Here are the following steps to publishing:
- Text Placement: flow text, balance text and images
- Illustration Integration: insert illustrations, check overlaps
- Proofreading: review for errors, consistency check
- Feedback and Revisions: client/editor review, implementing changes
- Final Layout Approval: final proof, approval
- Pre-Press Preparation: prepare print files, bleed and margins