Frequently Asked Questions

DocToPrint supports four standard trim sizes: 5×8, 5.5×8.5, 6×9, and 8.5×11. These cover the most common paperback and trade formats used by KDP and IngramSpark. The default is 6×9.

You can choose trim size, paper color (white or cream), body font, heading font, chapter heading style (classic, modern, minimal, ornate), section divider style, font size, line spacing, drop caps, chapter number style (none, Arabic, Roman, spelled out), page number position, body text alignment (justified or left), running header style (title+chapter, author+title, author+chapter, or none), subheading alignment, whether to indent the first paragraph of each chapter, and whether chapters should begin on right-hand pages. Subheading alignment covers the headings inside a chapter — subchapter headings and the smaller headings below them. Leave it on “As set in the editor” and each heading keeps the alignment you gave it in the Sections editor; choose Left or Centered and every in-chapter heading in the book follows that choice at once, except any heading you aligned explicitly in the editor, which keeps its own alignment.

Yes. On the formatting step you can choose from four running header styles: Title + Chapter (book title on the left, chapter title on the right — the book-standard layout), Author + Title, Author + Chapter, or None (no running header). The running header appears at the top of each body page; front matter and chapter-opening pages are automatically left blank.

DocToPrint offers thirteen body font options including EB Garamond, Crimson Text, Georgia, Palatino, Times New Roman, Lora, Merriweather, Libre Baskerville, and Source Serif 4, plus four sans-serif choices (Open Sans, Lato, Raleway, PT Sans). For headings you can choose from Playfair Display, Cormorant Garamond, Cinzel, Spectral, Montserrat, Oswald, and Raleway, among others — or match your heading font to your body font. Body and heading fonts are set independently on the formatting step.

Yes. On the upload step you can upload a front cover image (PNG, JPG, or WEBP up to 10MB) and DocToPrint will generate a matching text-only title page using similar fonts. You can choose between a color or black-and-white title page, and regenerate it as many times as you like. Leave this option off to use a standard text-based title page instead.

DocToPrint preserves standard inline formatting from your Word document: bold and italic text, bulleted and numbered lists, and the text of hyperlinks all carry through to the final PDF. Paragraph spacing from Word does not carry through: body text is set the way traditionally published books are, with the first line of each paragraph indented and no blank line between paragraphs. Footnotes are also preserved — they appear at the bottom of the relevant page in the formatted print PDF, with proper superscript numbering. Simple tables and charts appear in the print interior PDF. Section headings recognised during the manuscript structure step become chapter titles with your chosen heading style. Text boxes and embedded objects may not render as expected — for best results, keep your manuscript in standard body text with Word heading styles used consistently for chapter titles. For a closer look at how PDF bookmarks and clickable navigation behave when moving from Word to PDF, see our guide to printing PDFs with bookmarks.

Both are standard print-book layout. DocToPrint sets body text with the first line of each paragraph indented and no extra space between paragraphs, whatever spacing your Word file used; the Line spacing choice on the Format step changes the space between lines, not between paragraphs, and there is currently no setting that adds a blank line between paragraphs. Blank pages come from the "Start chapters on right-hand page" setting on the Format step, which is On by default: when a chapter ends on a right-hand page, the left-hand page after it is left blank so the next chapter can open on the right. If you would rather not have those blank pages, set it to Off (chapters then start on the next page), and regenerate your watermarked preview, which is free.

Yes. Tables and basic charts from your Word manuscript are included in the print interior PDF. For best results, keep table formatting straightforward — merged cells, shading, and complex custom borders may not carry through perfectly, but the table content will appear. Text boxes and floating objects are not supported; convert those to inline paragraphs or simple tables before uploading.

Yes. If your Word document has blank lines with an underline or ruled border (common in journal, notebook, or workbook-style manuscripts, including exports from tools like BookBud), DocToPrint preserves those ruled lines in your formatted print PDF instead of dropping them.

Yes. Paragraphs that start with a typed bullet symbol such as •, ✓, or ➤ are printed with the same hanging indent as Word list items, so wrapped lines stay aligned beside the bullet. If a Word list item also has a typed symbol, only one bullet is printed instead of two.

Yes. DocToPrint extracts footnotes from your Word manuscript and places them at the bottom of the correct page in the formatted print interior PDF, with proper superscript numbering. Endnotes are treated as regular section content. For best results, use Word's built-in footnote tool rather than manually typed reference numbers.

Yes. Lists made with Word's bullet and numbering tools print with their bullets and numbers, including lettered, Roman-numeral, and nested sub-lists, and numbering restarts where Word restarts it. Each list item gets a hanging indent so wrapped lines stay aligned beside the marker. Generate a free preview to check your lists before using a credit.

When supported language metadata is available, DocToPrint uses it for the generated Contents heading and standard copyright page. English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese are supported; the manuscript text itself remains as written. Books imported from SelfPublishing.pro supply their stored language automatically, while projects without language metadata default to English.

DocToPrint creates a standard copyright page automatically. When language and publishing details are available for the project, the page uses that supported language and includes publisher and ISBN information; connected SelfPublishing.pro books can list separate paperback, hardcover, and ebook ISBNs. If your manuscript already contains a copyright page, DocToPrint preserves your content instead.

DocToPrint is a self-serve formatting service that turns a Word .DOCX manuscript into a clean, print-ready PDF interior for KDP, IngramSpark, or a commercial printer. Upload your manuscript, review its sections, choose the layout, and generate a free watermarked preview before using a credit to unlock the clean PDF and formatted Word source.

DocToPrint works well for over 95% of books that start as Word documents. It is focused on clean, professional interior formatting for standard layouts. If your project needs unusual layout work, heavy custom design, or a hands-on touch, a professional book designer is a better fit than a self-serve formatting tool.

Yes. DocToPrint participates in the Archieboy affiliate program, which covers all Archieboy family sites. You can sign up at archieboy.com/affiliate to earn a commission on purchases you refer. Affiliate payouts and tracking are managed through that portal.

Yes. Our Sample Output gallery shows real formatted print interior pages — front matter, a chapter opener, and a page with tables and running headers — so you can judge the quality before signing up. These samples come from a synthetic demonstration manuscript, never from a customer's book. Once you upload your own manuscript, you also get a free watermarked preview of your actual formatted interior.

Direct manuscript uploads accept .DOCX files up to 100 MB; legacy .DOC files must be resaved as .DOCX. PDF files are also accepted, but they go through a separate paid PDF-to-Word conversion before formatting; the required conversion credits are shown before you confirm.

Yes. Every project generates a free watermarked preview of the fully formatted interior PDF — no payment or credit required. Each page will carry a DocToPrint.com watermark. You only spend a credit when you choose to generate the clean, print-ready file.

Yes, but PDF files must be converted to Word before formatting. DocToPrint sends the file to the conversion service, shows the required conversion credits before confirmation, then returns the converted .DOCX to your project automatically. For the simplest workflow, upload a .DOCX whenever possible.

Use Word's built-in heading styles: Heading 1 for chapter titles, Heading 2 for sub-sections, and Heading 3 for sub-sub-sections. DocToPrint uses these styles to detect chapters, build the table of contents, and lay everything out correctly. If no heading styles are used, the parser has to guess at the structure.

Yes. Word (.DOCX) manuscripts can be up to 100 MB — most books fall well under this. Cover images uploaded for AI title page generation must be 10 MB or smaller. If your DOCX is unusually large, try removing embedded fonts or compressing images in Word before uploading.

DocToPrint is designed for text-focused interiors — novels, narrative nonfiction, memoir, business books, and similar manuscript formats where chapters of prose are the primary content. Books that require precise image placement on every page, full-page illustrations, or complex per-page visual layouts are not a good fit for this service. For illustrated or image-heavy books, a professional book designer or dedicated layout tool is recommended.

Yes. DocToPrint supports Google Sign-In as well as traditional email and password registration. On the login page, click the Google button to authenticate with your Google account — no separate password is needed.

Yes. If you use SelfPublishing.pro or BookBud, you can launch a DocToPrint project directly from those platforms. Your book title, author name, and cover image are pre-filled automatically, and projects started from SelfPublishing.pro also bring your Word manuscript along, so you can go straight to reviewing sections. Use the same email address on all platforms so DocToPrint can link your accounts.

Yes. Your projects are saved to your account, not to a specific device. Sign in with the same email address (or Google account) from any browser or device and all your projects, settings, and download links will be there in your dashboard.

Each credit lets you format one book. You purchase credits upfront and use them whenever you are ready — there is no subscription. Credits never expire. Plans: Single Book (1 credit, $19), 10-Book Pack (10 credits, $139 / $13.90 each), 25-Book Pack (25 credits, $237 / $9.48 each).

Formatting costs $19 for one book, $139 for a 10-book pack, or $237 for a 25-book pack. Credits never expire, so you can buy a pack now and use them whenever you need them.

No. Credits never expire. You can buy a 10-Book Pack or 25-Book Pack today and use the credits months or years later — one project at a time.

Using one credit generates the clean, watermark-free interior PDF and unlocks the formatted Word source download for that project. You can continue regenerating the same book with different settings without spending another credit.

DocToPrint accepts all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) processed securely through Stripe. No PayPal or bank transfer options are available at this time.

Yes. On the checkout screen, there is a coupon code field above the payment button. Enter a valid code to apply a discount before completing your purchase. Codes are one-time use per customer.

No. One credit covers repeated PDF generations for the same manuscript in that project, so you can adjust formatting settings and regenerate without another charge. After the credit is spent, a revised or different manuscript requires a new project and credit.

No. A credit is only used once you have a finished, working file. If a generation fails for any reason, the credit is automatically returned to your account so you can try again at no extra cost.

After you generate a preview, you can submit one included technical correction request for that book if a specific issue in the PDF needs fixing. Describe the page or section, what is wrong, and the result you expected; the team reviews the request and emails you when updated files are ready. Human Fix covers DocToPrint formatting errors, not writing, editing, proofreading, or custom design.

Professional Interior QA is an optional $79 add-on where a human reviews your generated interior for chapter starts, headers, page numbers, tables, images, and other production-layout issues. Technical DocToPrint formatting corrections found during the review are included, but editing, proofreading, manuscript changes, and custom page design are not. It is separate from the one included Human Fix request for a specific DocToPrint formatting error.

Yes. Click the chat bubble on any page to talk (or speak) with Riley, our support assistant, for quick questions about uploading, formatting, or your account. For a specific formatting defect in a generated PDF, submit a Human Fix request instead so our team can review the actual file.

Structure detection works best when chapter titles are on their own line and formatted consistently — either as Word Heading styles or as clearly standalone lines like "Chapter 1" or "PART TWO". If detection is incomplete, update your Word document, re-upload it to the same project, and the structure will be re-detected automatically. The Sections step lets you add, rename, reorder, or remove any section before generating your PDF.

When you upload your Word file, DocToPrint uses AI to automatically detect your chapters, front matter, and back matter sections — including manuscripts where chapter titles use custom heading styles. You then review and confirm this structure before the PDF is generated. If chapter headings are not clearly marked in the Word file, detection may be incomplete. In that case, apply Word's built-in Heading 1 style to your chapter titles, re-upload the file, and the structure will be re-detected automatically.

Yes. DocToPrint recognizes Part-structured manuscripts — books where "Part 1", "Part 2", or similar labels divide the book into sections, with chapters nested inside each Part. The AI parser detects this hierarchy automatically and preserves it in the correct order in your formatted interior. If detection is incomplete, use Word Heading 1 for Part headings and Heading 2 for chapter titles, then re-upload.

Once a print PDF has been generated for a project, the title is locked to protect the integrity of the files already produced. You can still edit the author name and subtitle — useful for fixing typos or updating a pen name. If you need to use a different title, start a new project and it will use one credit.

After uploading your manuscript, DocToPrint automatically detects chapters, front matter, and back matter (usually within 5–10 seconds). On the Sections step you can review, reorder, rename, add, or edit any section before moving on to formatting. You can also choose which sections appear in the table of contents, and, while the Format step starts chapters on right-hand pages, untick "Start on right page" on any section that should simply start on the next page.

When your PDF is ready, the result page shows a download link. This link is a secure, time-limited URL that expires after 24 hours. If the link has expired, simply return to the project's result page and a fresh download link will be generated automatically.

Yes. When you generate a clean print PDF using a credit, the result page also shows a Word source download — the formatted manuscript file used to produce your PDF. The Word source download is not available for free watermarked previews; it unlocks automatically with a paid PDF generation. Like the PDF link, the download URL expires after 24 hours and is refreshed automatically when you revisit the result page.

No — your projects are stored permanently in your account. You can return to any project at any time to re-download files, adjust formatting options, and regenerate your PDF without spending another credit. The only thing that expires is the secure download link (after 24 hours), but revisiting the result page automatically generates a fresh one.

Yes. On the Book Details step you can connect to a SelfPublishing.pro book that matches your account email. This imports the title, author, and other metadata and can also pull in the DOCX manuscript source automatically, saving you the manual upload step.

Yes. On the Book Details step, use the ISBN or Amazon URL import tabs to automatically pull in your title, author, ISBN, and cover image from public listings. This can save you from retyping everything by hand — you will still need to upload your Word manuscript on the next step. Amazon lookup is a fallback and can occasionally fail if Amazon blocks automated requests; ISBN lookup is generally more reliable.

Import only brings in a book you already have on SelfPublishing.pro under the same email: start typing its title and pick it from the list that appears, then click Import. You don't need it to use your own file. On the Book details step, type the title and author name, click Save Book Details, and the next step is Upload Your Word Manuscript, where you choose or drag in your .DOCX file (up to 100 MB).

From the result page you can upload the finished print interior directly to your SelfPublishing.pro book record with one click. You can also hand off your project to BookCovers.pro — DocToPrint passes your title, author, trim size, page count, and front cover so you can create a matching print-ready cover without re-entering details.

On the Organize Sections step, open any section and change its type to "Ignore". Ignored sections are skipped entirely in the final PDF — they won't appear in the table of contents or the formatted output. This is useful for blank pages, Word-generated tables of contents, or any other content you do not want carried through to your print interior.

Yes. On the Organize Sections step you can open any detected section to edit its content in a built-in text editor, change the section type (chapter, foreword, appendix, etc.), rename it, or set whether it appears in the table of contents. Whether chapters open on a right-hand page is set for the whole book by the "Start chapters on right-hand page" choice on the Format step. When that is On, you can untick "Start on right page" on an individual section to have just that section start on the next page, with no blank page before it. You can also add brand-new sections, remove sections you do not need, and drag them into a different order — all before the PDF is generated.

No. DocToPrint automatically recognises and skips Word-generated tables of contents, so those entries will not appear as false chapters in the section review step. Your actual chapter headings will still be detected normally. If your document uses a hand-typed or unusual TOC style, removing it before uploading is the safest fix.

DocToPrint compares the total word count in your manuscript against the content captured in the detected sections. If the sections account for significantly fewer words than the original file, a warning banner appears. This can happen when headings lack Word heading styles, when a document contains complex appendix structures, or when sections use unusual formatting. Review the section list carefully, and consider re-uploading a revised DOCX with clear Heading 1 chapter titles, or add missing sections manually using the Add Section button.

DocToPrint checks for headings that repeat back-to-back inside the same chapter, which is usually a section heading that got pasted in twice by accident. Open the flagged chapter on the Sections step, remove or edit the duplicate, and it will print correctly. If your file simply repeats a subheading as plain text on the very next line, as some exported manuscripts do, DocToPrint now drops that repeat automatically when you upload.

Yes, before the project uses a credit. Re-uploading a new .DOCX replaces the previous file and reruns structure detection; legacy .DOC files must be saved as .DOCX first. After a credit is spent, the project is tied to that manuscript, so a revised or different manuscript needs a new project; re-uploading the identical file and regenerating with different formatting settings remain included.

Most PDFs are ready within one to three minutes. Generation runs in the background — the page will update automatically when your file is ready. If a job appears stuck for more than ten minutes, contact support with your project ID.

Yes. DocToPrint sends brief reminder emails at key steps — after you upload your manuscript, when your formatted preview is ready, and when your final files are available to download. These helpful nudges make it easy to pick up where you left off. Reply to any reminder if you need assistance.

Yes. Once your interior PDF is ready, the result page shows a "Create Your Print-Ready Covers" button. One click sends your title, author, trim size, page count, and any back-cover description to BookCovers.pro — our sister site for print cover design. The spine width is calculated automatically from your page count. A BookCovers.pro account is created for you if you do not already have one, and you will receive a welcome email with a link to set your password. Re-clicking the button reopens your existing cover project rather than creating a duplicate.

Not right now — EPUB generation is not currently offered in the DocToPrint self-serve workflow. DocToPrint is focused on print-ready PDF interiors for KDP, IngramSpark, and commercial printers. If you need an EPUB ebook file, visit EbookConvert.pro to convert your manuscript.

Yes, if you also use SelfPublishing.pro. When your print interior is ready, the result page checks whether your account has a matching book on SelfPublishing.pro. If a match is found, an upload card appears — one click sends your formatted PDF straight to that book record with no manual re-uploading. The card only appears when a matching book is detected; it is not visible to other users.

Open My Projects (your dashboard) and click the project title or its Continue button. DocToPrint reopens the project at the furthest step you reached, such as your latest result, the Format step, or the upload step. To change the title, subtitle, or author, click the pencil icon next to the title to open Book Details.

Images that flow within the text (inserted as inline paragraph objects) in your Word document carry through correctly in the print PDF. Text-wrapped or floating images may not render as expected — for best results, insert images as inline paragraph elements in Word before uploading.