Today, I’m showing you how to make a ledger size lined paper template for bookbinding. This is a great size for anyone looking to make a book that’s just slightly smaller than an A5. You see, A5 books are technically 8.3″ x 5.8″ in size. But, if you shave off 3/10 of an inch in each direction, you could easily make a book 8.0″ x 5.5.” Since 11×17 paper is easier to find and generally less expensive than it’s larger counterpart (12×18), it’s a much more affordable option for most binders.

Side note: if you’re brand new, have never sewn a signature in your life and are a little nervous, try my 8-1/2″ x 11″ tutorial and template. It’s better to get practice with a size as accessible as 8-1/2″ x 11″ than to never start at all, especially if you only have access to this size paper.

Two signatures from one sheet

Here’s the good news: ledger size paper will yield two 8.0″ x 5.5″ signatures from just one sheet! This means there is only one inch worth of unused paper to recycle and minimal cutting. In fact, this particular template only requires two cuts! Let’s get started.

Instructions

I used Adobe InDesign to create the template because InDesign is used to organize text and other content for catalogs, books, portfolios and more. It’s very straight-forward and intended for this type of work.

Before sitting down in front of a computer, I will sketch the page on a sheet of paper beforehand. It’s not pretty, but it allows me to visualize the end result. This is important for me because I am visual/kinesthetic.

lined paper template letter size bookbinding
This is an example of a sketch I created for a different template, but you get the idea.

11×17 Page layout

Page height: 17.0”
Page width: 11”

11×17 Page settings (for two 8.0″ x 5.5″ signatures)

  • Margin-top: 0”
  • Margin-bottom: 1.0”
  • Margin-inside: 0.25”
  • Margin-outside: 0.25”
  • Columns: 2 (each column is a page)
  • Gutter: 0.5”

11×17 Table settings

  • Table Setup:
    • Border: 0pt (I’m removing any border around the entire table)
    • Space before/after: 0
  • Row Strokes:
    • First Rows: 0 (the header is technically the first “row”, so I skip the program’s idea of a first row with a zero)
    • Next: 27 rows / 0.25pt
    • Skip: 0
lined paper bookbinding layout template

Creating the lined pages

After creating the table style, it’s time to create the table itself. To do this, you’ll go to Table > Create table and enter the number of columns, rows, headers and footers necessary.

Each table just needs one column, one header and 27 rows. No footer.

Once the table is “drawn”, you’ll start to see the page coming together.

ledger size lined paper template 11x17 first table drawn
First table is drawn in the top right location.

Creating the page title

Next, I set the height of the header row to be 1/2.” This gave the top of the page enough room for a date, entry title or anything else I might want to write before journaling. Since it’s a “header” row, the line is darker by default.

The main body of lines were set to a height equal to 0.27″ each. This is a great height for print or cursive handwriting.

Finally, I gave the last row of the table a height of 1/2″ to add balance.

Rinse and repeat

Once the first table is created, it’s as simple as copy/paste! I copied the table four times – top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right.

lined paper template ledger size paper four tables drawn
The page with two tables drawn (right) and the page with all four tables drawn (left)

Printing

This can be easily printed at home, but If you don’t have a printer, export your template as a PDF, load it on a thumb drive and take it to any big box office supply store (Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, etc.). Just be aware – most of these places charge anywhere from 25 to 39 cents per sheet for double-sided printing.

If you’re printing at home, turn the sheet over and run it through again to print on the other side. This makes one signature with 4 total pages. If you have a printer with double-sided print capability, this won’t be an issue (lucky you!!).

printing a lined paper template in ledger tabloid size
Printing 11×17 ledger/tabloid size lined paper for bookbinding

My preferred paper & printer

I print my lined paper on a Canon Pixma Pro-100 Inkjet printer using some of my preferred paper. I choose paper that is 100% recycled, environmentally-friendly and compatible with nearly all printers.

Hope you found this helpful!

More bookbinding goodness

✨ What tools do I need to get started bookbinding?

🌟 Looking for a simple way to start making books? 

Try a Complete Book Materials Kit. Each one has everything you need (+ tutorials & videos) to make a beautiful book without all the fuss.

Thank you for taking me along on your book making journey!

Misty