How to mass produce your own 16-page mini-book

Suppose you want to make your own mini-comic out of standard 8"x11" sheets. Each sheet will be divided into 8 mini-pages. You can cut them and staple them together to form a mini-book with 16 pages (including front and back pages). So what is hard about that?

Not at all, until you decide you like to mass produce your comics to give to your classmates, your grandparents and cousins. Also, you may be thinking of selling them in neighborhood stores. How can you mass produce your mini-book?

You want to make two MASTER SHEETS (for the front and back of the mini-pages) and xerox them onto lots of sheets. Then you want to fold each of these sheets, staple them, and cut them to produce mini-books. To do this efficiently and correctly, you need to know how to arrange the mini-pages on the master sheet.

These instructions show a very convenient way to do this.

INSTRUCTIONS

• You will need four 8"x11" sheets to begin. (You only use one side of these four sheets).
• Divide each sheet into 8 mini-pages: first divide the sheet into two columns by drawing a middle line down the length of the paper. Then divide each column into 4 equal parts.
• On two of the sheets, draw your comic in sequence: page 1=title page, page 2=copyright page, page 3=start of comic, ..., page 15, page 15=back page).
• Cut up your drawings into individual mini-pages and glue them to the other two sheets in the order shown in the illustration below.

• These two sheets are your Master copies.
• Be sure to paste your pictures so that the top of each minipage faces the horizontal line through the middle of the master copy. The following image gives a better sense of the orientation:

  

• Now xerox your Master copies into both sides of as many sheets as you like (this is the mass production part!).
• Make sure that page 2 (copyright page) is behind page 1 (title page).
• Now fold each sheet as follows: always keep the title page in front view as you fold.
  1. First fold along the middle line.
  2. Now fold the result in half (still with the title page in view).
  3. Now staple the result along the line between pages 8 and 9.
  4. Finally fold the result into half again.
• Now, use scissors to cut along the edges of those pages that are still stuck together.