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Community Expert
February 3, 2023
Answered

3 book/ebook templates for FrameMaker

  • February 3, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 483 views

I have designed 3 book/ebook templates for Adobe FrameMaker in the three classic paper sizes, US Trade, Digest and Pocketbook.


Most ebook publishing seems to have move to KDP, Lulu and and other similar places where Word is the manuscript standard. FrameMaker can do it as well, however and for mysterious reasons Adobe has never provided templates. But here you go 🙂


https://framemaker.dk/en/shop/product/47-3-paperback-templates

 

Reviewers?
If theres anybody here who would like to give them a try and give me some feedback, I would be very happy. Write me offlist and I shall send the template to you.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Bob_Niland

    For the PDF/lulu project, I actually did the cover layout in FM (11.778×8.75in overall).

    The annoying thing about it is that the spine width, and thus total width, element locations, and maximum spine font size, vary with book page count, so it's impossible to provide a single covers.fm file that needs no further customization.

    You'd ideally provide an app/script that generates the template, FM page size & PDF joboptions. As it was, it took a spreadsheet to manage all the dimensions, as the page count dithered around nearing pub date.

    Today's authors, of course, just want to author their content, have the pub workflows happen automagically to HTML, eBook & PDF … plus of course print as an afterthought. This is years away.


    PDF, eBook and HTML book editions typically need covers, but these are the same size as the interior pages, so just different Master Pages at most. Their content can be the authoring content source, and serve as Text Inset exports to the print cover layout (which is what I do).

    Doing print covers is a pain no matter how done, due to the publisher-to-publisher specs, and the spine width being page-count dependent. A template kit would really need to include access to a web app to generate numerous iterations of several types of templates.

    If full-bleed wrap-around art is needed, the thing really needs to be done in an art app: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.

    But even for a plain white cover, that just needs text and maybe an icon on the spine, it's troublesome in FM, due to the spine's rotated text frame. Do the spine elements (TITLE, Edition, Author, icon) as a Table, and it gets even harder, because working with a tables in a rotated appears nearly impossible - and FM has no real concept of vertical centering for text … plus the max point sizes keep changing with the page count. The actual spine text probably needs to be drawn from a Reference Page or Variables so it can at least be typed in & revised.

    Dust cover layout too? Yikes.

    1 reply

    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 3, 2023

    The specification: FrameMaker version Version 2022 (17) could be limiting. Unless known to not work in earlier versions, give some thought to providing MIFs. STS might be an issue there, as FM2020 .sts files won't work in FM2019 and earlier.

    Does the package include an oversize cover layout with binder spine? For print pub, that would be needed, and usually needs some unique elements (spine content) in addition to the full-bleed graphics, but a lot could be imported by reference from the eBook/PDF covers.

    The UPC/ISBN keep-out region on the Digest back cover does not appear correct for lulu, but I haven't checked their spec in a couple of years.

    For a project flowing to PDF & lulu, I ended up having two separate template.fm files from which to import page layouts (5.0×8.5in & 5.5×8.5in). Print editions {usually} need wider inside margins.

    Community Expert
    February 3, 2023

    Great input @Bob_Niland ! There is no cover layout with spine and the whole ISBN/ barcode thing is not something I have paid a lot of attention to. Mostly because it is stuff which will involve layouts in InDesign/Illustrator and I would rather avoid involving more programs. But... you have made me contemplate whether it is a poor decision.

    There ARE Mif files though and an STS file for FM2022. You are right about STS and backward compatibility. I ended up giving up on that because it is a major issue actually. Older STS  files will produce other outputs and especially HTML5 is quite different in older versions.

    Bjørn Smalbro - FrameMaker.dk
    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 3, 2023

    For the PDF/lulu project, I actually did the cover layout in FM (11.778×8.75in overall).

    The annoying thing about it is that the spine width, and thus total width, element locations, and maximum spine font size, vary with book page count, so it's impossible to provide a single covers.fm file that needs no further customization.

    You'd ideally provide an app/script that generates the template, FM page size & PDF joboptions. As it was, it took a spreadsheet to manage all the dimensions, as the page count dithered around nearing pub date.

    Today's authors, of course, just want to author their content, have the pub workflows happen automagically to HTML, eBook & PDF … plus of course print as an afterthought. This is years away.