Gutter for Book Printing

In book layout, gutter can mean two different spaces:

• The space between the content areas of two facing pages

• The gap between text columns on the same page

They are set differently, so it helps to know which one you are talking about.

Gutter Between Facing Pages

The spine-side gutter is the space between the left-page and right-page content when a book is open.

It is created by the Inside margins of both pages:

Spread gutter = Left-page inside margin + Right-page inside margin

For example, if both pages use an 18 mm inside margin, the distance between the two text blocks is:

18 mm + 18 mm = 36 mm

This space is part of the page layout. It is not added to the Trim Size.

Part of the inside area may become less visible after binding. Any extra clearance needed for this is included in the Binding Margin.

Gutter in Adobe InDesign

The Gutter field in InDesign does not control the space beside the spine. It controls the gap between columns on the same page.

Adobe separates the Inside and Outside margins from the column number and Gutter settings in the Margins and Columns window.

Set the Spine-Side Space

For a normal facing-page document:

1. Open Layout > Margins and Columns.

2. Enter the required value under Inside.

3. Check both pages together as a spread.

4. Apply the setting to the relevant parent pages.

With Facing Pages enabled, InDesign automatically places the Inside margin on the right side of left-hand pages and the left side of right-hand pages.

Do not increase the Gutter field when you need more space near the binding. It will only change the distance between columns.

Column Gutter

A column gutter separates two or more text columns on the same page.

The gap should be wide enough that readers can clearly move from the bottom of one column to the top of the next without the columns visually running together.

In InDesign, set it through:

Layout > Margins and Columns > Columns > Gutter

You can also set the column gutter inside an individual text frame through Text Frame Options.

Column gutter width does not affect the spine-side spacing unless the page design itself uses multiple columns.

Artwork Across the Spine

A background or illustration can continue across the centre of a spread, but text, faces and other important details should not sit directly in the gutter. The amount that remains clearly visible depends on the binding structure and how the book opens.

Artwork designed across both pages should follow the Two-Page Spreads setup rather than being positioned from the column-gutter value.