Basic advice: We recommend you use a clear plastic sheet for the front and back cover, so that your book stays clean when milk or butter gets inevitably spilled on it. We also recommend that you use spiral binding, as it looks classier than staples and is easier to keep open than other forms of binding.
Print the book from your computer: If you've got a printer, you can just print out your recipe book to the printer. Then take the print outs to a local copy shop and ask them to coil bind them.
Advantages: You get it done with minimal hassle.
Disadvantages: May take a lot of toner cartridge. Quality may not be as good. You often can't print it on thicker or glossier paper.
Have a copy shop print the book for you: If you want a copy shop to handle all the printing, you'll need to make some files that the copy shop can easily handle. If your computer doesn't come with a way to export to PDF, download a free PDF file creator, such as CutePDF. (Click here for details.)
You'll still use the Print button in Matilda to make the files. Just choose whichever software you've selected from the Printer drop down menu.
If you go with CutePDF and want to take it to a local copy shop, here's what you'll do:
1. You'll first need to turn your cookbook into PDF/Acrobat files. Go here:
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
Download both links on the left of the screen ("Free download" and "Free converter.") Now you can make PDF/Acrobat files for free! (Not just our software, but anything you can print, by the way.)
2. Go to the Print screen in Matilda, select your template, and hit print for one of the sections.
Select from the drop down menu "CutePDF Writer" and then it'll ask you where you want to save your file. You may want to change the name so it's a little more intuitive--"Front Cover", "Contents," etc.
Repeat printing every section until you have 7 PDF/Acrobat files.
3.Burn your 7 files to a disk and take them to Kinkos. When you are at the copy shop you will need to explain to them the order you'd like the sections to be printed in, or else they may put "Contents" at then end or something.
We recommend printing off one copy from home, even if it's just black and white, to proof read before taking it to a photocopy shop. You'll notice typos in print much more easily at times. Get somebody who hasn't been too involved in your cookbook to really go through it and look for typos. Somebody who is nitpicky.
Also, bring the proof copy to your copy shop stapled together in the order you want it. That will make it easier to explain the job.