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December 2008
Want to Sell Books, do Ya?

Just the hint that a self-publishing customer will provide artwork for their book cover creates in me a cringing, vacuous feeling. My heart starts skipping and I begin taking deep breaths to recover. My mind races back to all the times I have looked at awful artwork done by a customer’s relative. How can I tell them that their artwork, as “beautiful” as it might be, just won’t sell books. And, a book that doesn’t sell is a real shame.

Every author knows that writing and rewriting a manuscript; doing the research; getting the manuscript edited, proofread, and taken to the printer can be a long, tedious, exhausting, lonely, and ego-stressing endeavor. The end result of that exhaustive effort will be a book that one hopes will be read by thousands. There are more than 60,000 new titles brought to the market each year. Yours is not the only book out there. Competition is fierce.

They say, “You can’t tell a book by its cover.” That might be true, but it shouldn’t be. But, you can sell a book by its cover. Writers want to get the process completed at the least expense. “Let’s get this baby off the press so I can start selling it,” is often the writer’s sentiment. Then it comes to designing the cover. This is not the time to get wobbly knees or pinch the purse. Here’s why . . .

If you have an exciting, informative book, you want the cover to look exciting and interesting. If your book tells a story, you want the cover to introduce the novel in intriguing ways.

Few would argue that packaging design is not important. When selecting a new salsa sauce--the first thing, indeed the only thing, you have to make comparative evaluations are the labels. The label that entices the most customers–wins. Customers want to experience what is on the label. The book’s cover is your label. It needs to represent, in both title and design, the interest and value to be found within the text.

The cover starts with the title. If you are well known, make your name larger than the title. However, most of us, need to rely on the title, not our name, to be the hook that attracts attention. Title selection is a critical part of cover design and marketing. For instance, if you have written a genealogy of the Wurstheimer family, with sales almost exclusively to Wurstheimer relatives, title selection need not be stressful. Just go with something like, “The Wurstheimers in America,” something simple and descriptive. (Don’t title it “The Williams’s” just because they are a larger market than Wurstheimers.) However, if your book is to be sold in the general marketplace, you need a title that is easily remembered, descriptive of the text, simple (generally four or fewer words), and contains words that your audience naturally uses.


Mr. Allen McVicker, with more than 15 years experience marketing thousands of Christian books, lists his ten most important points in cover design:

1. Seventy-five percent of book sales are based on the cover design. Don’t cut corners.

2. The cover must look professionally designed in order to attract attention.

3. Use colors and color combinations that are attractive and geared for your audience. Radical color combinations might appeal to youth, but turn off middle-aged and older customers.

4. Dark-colored covers tend to get lost in the shadows, if your book is placed on lower shelves.

5. Name recognition is very important. If you are not nationally-known, then try to get a nationally-known person as an endorser (no more than three).

6. The title must speak to the subject. If the title is catchy, but not explanatory, then the subtitle needs to explain the subject. In either case, don’t leave the customer guessing what the book is about.

7. The book’s spine is vitally important. Unless you are well known nationally, your book will almost assuredly be presented spine out on book shelves. The spine copy needs to be attractive and legible so the title, author, and publisher are easily read.

8. The title needs to be short and pithy (three to five words). Test it with people by letting them see it quickly and then ask if they remember it.

9. Keep the overall design fairly simple. Artwork that is overly detailed and complicated can I interfere with legibility of type.

10. Trust your publisher and staff. They are professionals and want to sell your book as much as you do.


Once you have a cover design test it and the title with people unfamiliar with your book. If something needs to be explained, the elements should be re-examined and reworked until people consistently like the design and are clear about the book’s content.

Proper pricing is also important. Hard cover and expensive books do not sell well in the Christian market. Set a price that is in line with similar books. The easiest way to do this is to go to a bookstore or Amazon.com and investigate the market.

Whether this is your first book or you publish many titles, these are rules that will help you sell books. And, isn’t that what you want to do? That is certainly what Evangel Press wants to help you do.


Evangel’s Quotes Worth Remembering:

“If you need people really bad, you will hire really bad people.” - Don Soderquist

“Hire happy people–the only time unhappy people are happy is when they are unhappy.” -Don Soderquist

“If you have more than five areas of focus, you have no focus at all.” - Peter Drucker

“It is easier to be authentic than to fake it.” - Jim Gilmore


Evangel’s Questions to Think About:

The new reality is calling for a church that is not religious. Is that a real church?

States that spent more on corrections than higher education in 2007: Connecticut, Michigan, Oregon, and Vermont. Source: Pewcenteronthe states.org.


October 2008
Is the "R" word Profanity?

I know I shouldn’t say it in mixed company, but the word "recession" brings back many fond childhood memories. Recession (from the root word "recess") was the best part of the elementary school day. We ran, swung in swings, screamed and yelled, and thumbed marbles across the blood-stained gravel school playground, where nary a day passed without a Band-Aid being laid on an elbow, knee, or hand. I remember nothing of school from grades 1-6 other than the daily recession. Life was fun-filled and sweet. Then came matriculation to junior high where I was jerked into the reality of life without daily recessions to relieve the excesses of academia. Life has been rigorous ever since.

In college economics class we were introduced to a new, more profane, concept of recession–a recess from economic growth. Just hearing the "R" word brought on fear and trepidation with increased blood pressure, speeding heart rate, sweating, and other stress symptoms. Recession, we were told, would take away our livelihood, our houses, our cars, and make our wallets even slimmer than they were before. The worst recession would wipe out civilization and we humans would return to our agrarian, Troglodyte roots–living in caves and underground structures in order to lower energy costs. We’d be forced to eat home-cooked meals to lower restaurant charges on our declining budgets. Our corporate social consciences would make us feel guilty for causing some hamburger flipper to lose his or her job when the fast-food industry suffered declines in revenues. Because we saved money some young person would not be able to go to college and become all they could be. The economy needed our help. We’d be crushed in a trap between social and pecuniary responsibility pincers.

However, after going through nine recessions since 1950, I gradually perceived that civilization did not end when a recession was called. For some, recession seemed like being let out on the playground again (see Warren Buffet recently buying into the investment firm Goldman Sachs for $50,000,000,000). I discerned that many highly-educated economists with important jobs can’t hear the recess bell clanging to either start or end the recession. Many of them can’t even tell whether we are in recess or not. They are constantly arguing with each other. Historians tell us we have had thirteen economic recessions since 1931. There is a recession every six years, on average. According to the September 2008, "The Flyer," published by American Funds, "It’s important to keep in mind that economic [down] cycles are necessary to purge excesses, this time in leverage and housing."

The most widely accepted standard definition of an economic recession is when the economy has had two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. By definition, then, one cannot confirm a recession until one has been there for six months or more. Are we in a recession now? Who knows for sure? Historians will tell us. Considering the American Funds quote relating to a down cycle following "a period of excess," we are very likely due one, especially if you consider the past eight years (the time since the last recession brought on by the Y-2-K scam and the Dot.com bubble bursting in 2000) a period of economic excesses. My guess is that most of you reading this article personally, directly, and unknowingly benefited from the "excesses" in "leverage (borrowing) and housing" with easier borrowing for a car, credit card use, or low housing financing. We also likely benefited from a better economy to some degree over the six years since the last recession. It didn’t seem like "excesses" at the time, but there is such a thing as cumulative effects when multiplied by millions of people taking advantage of easy money provided by the government through the Federal Reserve banking system.

The future is less predictable than the past, but many see an improving economy in 2009 and 2010 as a result of normal economic cycles rather than political promises. Federal politicians and financial gurus through their manipulations, laws, and regulations will, however, as usual, set the stage for excesses that will eventually lead to the next down cycle. What we are experiencing now is the natural result of economic cycles. We will likely soon be jerked from the bubbling bliss of recess by some calloused matronly playground supervisor and be dragged kicking and screaming to the drudgery of the recession classroom. There we’ll nurse our bandaged knees and elbows and be told to get cracking on the daily grind. Recessions generally aren’t all that bad. After the recession, we can concentrate on building the next series of excesses that will eventually lead to another recession 5-10 years down the road. In the meantime, enjoy life, stay focused on what is right, be appreciative of your God-given freedoms, and avoid promises of easy money.

Ponder this:
At a recent congressional hearing on the current American financial-industry problems a congressional panel member asked Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, if "Wall Street should apologize to the American people" for the horrendous mess that the financial institutions find themselves in? Bernanke's cogent and cryptic response was, "Wall Street is an Abstraction."

The question reminds me of the story of the third-grade class getting their instructions on the first day of class. The teacher said, "And remember class, if you need to go to the restroom, raise your hand." A little boy raised his hand and asked, "Teacher; What good will that do?"

An apology from Wall Street? What good will that do? Wall Street is an abstraction, of course. The question is tantamount to asking a computer to apologize for having a virus. The computer has no feelings or empathy for its owner. If it gets a virus it really doesn't know it or concern itself with your feelings of frustration or concerns of lost productivity or the amount of money it will cost you to repair the problem. Politicians are especially fond of blaming problems on abstractions and finding solutions by abstractions. "The problem is Wall Street greed."  "Those who suffer the most are Main Street." "Washington has the solution." What does any of that really mean? Who is Wall Street, Main Street, or Washington for that matter? As long as we allow people to blame abstractions and find solutions in vague concepts it is no wonder that we neither understand the issue nor trust the solution.

Let's try communicating with real ideas. For example, Dave Ramsey, straight-talking, popular financial advisor and talk-show host, said recently that his administration, if he were running for President (which he isn't), would have only two platforms. The first would be simply, "No!" as he would say "No" to all the requests for government funding outside a narrow interpretation of the government's mandate. The second plank in his platform would be, "Get a job." Now that's an understandable and concrete economic plan. But as Dave said, "It wouldn't take long for everyone to hate him and label him as being neither compassionate and caring nor a real Christian."


August 2008
Getting to Know You

We sat across from each other, two sweaty-palmed strangers calmly, assiduously assessing each other. It was our first encounter. Her perfume filled the room with a palpable essence of heather. I looked deep into her azure blue eyes searching intently for her soul, delving the depths of her persona for clues as to who she really was. I had to get past the superficial, straight to the core of her being. I had thirty seconds.

Speed dating?

No. Just a job interview.

I am hiring a publisher for Evangel Publishing House, the publishing arm of Evangel Press. Evangel is not an ordinary printing company. We know books from writing to printing, warehousing, and marketing. But I digress.

In today’s fast-paced, speed-dating economic environment you may be an interviewer or interviewee. Here are some thoughts on the matter I hope will help you.

For the interviewer . . .

Hiring someone who fits the corporate personality and will accomplish what needs to be done is like marriage after the first date. There’s no engagement period. The new employee may spend more time with you than you do with your spouse. If they work out, they can take the company to greater heights and be a pleasure to work with. If they don’t work out, they can drag the company or department down, cause untold personnel problems, and create an unbearable work life for you and others. Terminating employment is only slightly less traumatic than divorce. Know the job requirements and the type of person who fits your work environment. Don’t worry too much about detailing job requirements in advertisements. You’ll get applicants who don’t have a clue about the job regardless of what you write. Be prepared to read numerous inane applications. It is little wonder most jobs are filled with people already known by the people doing the hiring. The initial sorting should be brutal. If the resume doesn’t fit, toss it.

For the Interviewee . . .

Applicants are often so wrapped up in themselves that they fail to ask about the job. Instead of asking, "What do you need done?" It’s, "Here’s what I can do for you–blah, blah, blah." A suggestion, if you’re looking for a job, start by asking for the job description. "What requirements do you have for this position? I’m as interested as you are in making sure that we have a good match between your needs and my abilities," would be a refreshing way to start a letter or interview. The interviewer will be impressed.

Dress appropriately, If you’re looking for a professional position–dress professionally. If you’re dressing for a job where you work in your pajamas, it might be appropriate to show up in your pj’s, but I doubt it. Show the interviewer that you actually own some clothes required to do the job.

Creative design and presentation makes your resume stand out from all the other standard-format resumes. It may not get you the job, but it will help in getting your resume read.

Use proper English. One applicant for Evangel Publishing House publisher wrote infelicitously, "I have been an intricate part of many teams." Since intricate means complex, complicated, difficult to resolve, I assume that the applicant really meant that he had been an "integral" (essential) part of many teams. But, who knows? Maybe he did add complexity to the team.

Spelling is important. It at least shows that you know how to use the spell-check function of your word-processing program. A lot of jobs don’t require good spelling, some do. An applicant for the publisher position wrote, "Since my departure, company no longer exhists." Perhaps his former employer failed because he left. I doubt it. Or, perhaps he really meant the company no longer "exhausts." A company that "no longer exhausts" is in trouble. This guy is not a good candidate for publisher.


July 2008
Customer Service and You

It was a very bad football season for the local college. The phone rang at the ticket office, “I have a ticket for this Saturday’s game–when does it start?” the caller asked.

The reply, “When can you get here? We’ll wait for you.”

Life can be tough and lonely when you’re losing. It’s better to be a winner. We may have to adjust our strategy. Circumstances alter conditions–sometimes we set the starting time–other times, we adjust.

In today’s global and rapid-changing environment, flexibility is vitally important. Are you adjusting to suit your clientele? Do we understand our customers? Knowing your constituency and adjusting to them is vitally important to the success of your ministry or project. Don’t wait until you’re down to one loyal ticket-holder to make understanding your customers a priority.

Without Energy, Not Much Happens

The letter was hand delivered by the Domtar Paper Company sales rep. It read, “Dear Valued Customer: Effective with shipment July 1, 2008 . . .”

Five bullets followed. Each referred to specific rate increases from $2.00 per cwt to $4.00 per cwt along with a minimum shipping charge for less than a truck-load increasing to $300.00 per shipment.

What’s causing paper price increases? A truck-driver friend told me about how many thousands of less trucks are on the road since the price of fuel started going up. Most economists consider higher fuel costs a natural consequence of increased demand for energy from developing countries such as China and India. In addition, pressures on energy prices come from the devaluation of the US dollar, long-standing restraints on American drilling and exploration, restrictions on American refineries, and a generation of limitations on American use of alternative energy sources such as nuclear. These issues have made the price of energy go up faster than a rocket at a NASA launching.

Is this temporary or permanent–will the price of energy continue to increase? Will government policies improve or exacerbate the problem? Most economists who don’t have a political axe to grind would agree that government policies, especially those related to environmental regulations, over the past 20 years have helped bring us to this point. We are presented with a dilemma between energy use and costs and global warming. Some important facts: If global warming does exist and is truly caused by mankind’s energy use, America is not the only source, nor the largest source of the problem. While we attempt to slow the use of energy in developed countries, it is generally considered an altruistic goal to increase the use of energy in undeveloped countries. Energy use is tantamount to wealth and development. You cannot enhance a country’s living standard without allowing that country’s inhabitants to use more energy. Development is tied to access to goods and services that are tied to roads and shipping. Improved living standards are also coupled to better housing, electricity, communications, and transportation.

I don’t propose to have the answers to all of the issues related to the inflation of prices connected to energy, but only state, “Beware of politicians and others who promise simple solutions.” The recent biofuels conundrum is a good example. American politicians subsidized ethanol fuels and created a market with tax payer’s money that shouldn’t exist. An unanticipated (but economically predictable) consequence was an increase in corn prices. The laws of supply and demand work every time. If you think you can impact the high cost of corn by eating less roasting ears and popcorn this summer, forget it. All you need to do is read the labels of products to see how pervasive is the use of corn syrup. Corn-feed beef, pork, lamb, etc. is also ubiquitous. The policy of subsidizing food production to generate energy has influenced world-wide prices of grains thus helping cause the increase in food prices.

Rising energy prices create a market whereby two things will happen. One, there will be creative ways to lower what individuals will pay for energy that will include everything from developing ways to get more miles per gallon, driving less miles, stealing more fuel, using more public transportation, carpooling, taking less trips, etc., etc. Two, there will be a push to get more energy to the market place through more oil, development of alternatives to oil, and other ways to provide the energy necessary to meet the demand. There will be political efforts to guide this search for energy profits away from nuclear (it is too risky), away from coal (it is too dirty), away from wind (they are just high-powered bird blenders), away from hydro (it is too damming), etc. There will be efforts to create exotic fuels such as the hydrogen fuel cell engine, etc., but those energy producers will likely take generations to become economically feasible.

We are likely entering an age of more expensive energy and will just have to pay more for what we use. There will likely be adjustments in our lifestyle as we adapt to a world of higher energy costs and higher energy use. Times are going to be interesting. Be prepared to pay more. Be prepared to adjust your lifestyle to use less. It may mean that some of the centralization of production that has been occurring for decades will revert to more local production of products. That may be a good thing. For example, we are now bidding on printing jobs that heretofore were printed in Europe.



June 2008
Is Your Paper Green?

"Spin" is everywhere. Paper named NORDIC should come from Sweden, Norway, Finland, or at least northern Wisconsin. While recently reviewing environmental issues and paper purchases, it came to light that NORDIC, our house cover sheet at the time, was made in China. That’s just wrong. We asked, "Does the Chinese mill subscribe to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards?" The answer, "No." But, I knew that. Our next step? Find a replacement. We are serious about the world’s environment. Supporting the economics of clear-cut and wanton deforestation while reaping high environmental costs of soil erosion, wildlife habitat loss, and other environmental-repair expenses doesn’t make good economic, environmental, or social sense. In the USA, Canada, and Europe, pulp-wood forests are mostly well managed with reforestation efforts coming behind the tree cutters. There are ample reasons to support environmentally responsible suppliers.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) are three organizations that currently set international standards of forest sustainability, from the forest to the end user, through the use of Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification. All end users are encouraged to purchase cellulose-fiber products from suppliers throughout the supply chain who work seriously to see that forest cutting, planting, and management, are done in an environmentally sound and sustainable way. Paper is a highly competitive commodity under intense price pressures. In a global economy, some of that competition comes from mills that operate only with an eye toward immediate economic gains, low costs, and getting the most from today’s pulp-producing forests with no regard for the future or the environment. Paper mills in countries where there are few (if any) government regulations to assure compliance to environmental standards have no reason to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. Other than outside economic influences from environmentally responsible buyers not buying their product, they have no incentive to make changes. As a matter of fact, the lack of regulations make them able to compete with price very effectively and help them drive environmentally regulated and conscious producers out of the market. It is up to us, as world consumers and citizens, to tailor our purchases to support firms who keep future generations in mind related to clean and renewable harvesting of trees. Only through making knowledgeable and discriminating purchasing decisions can we hope to influence abusers of the environment to change their ways. The preferential use of certified suppliers from raw materials to finished product (CoC certification) is an attempt to do just that. The positive global impact could be substantial--especially in the field of sustainable forests. Using paper with recycled content is also helpful. Recycling paper has many benefits, but the cost of recyled-content paper is often significantly higher than virgin-pulp paper. Consequently, only printing customers with a very strong commitment to the environment are willing to specify recycled paper.

Evangel Press, although a very small player in the whole scheme of things, will do its part to support environmentally committed paper mills and companies. These are companies who are Chain of Custody (CoC) certified and recognized by a forest management agency as taking seriously the impact of tree harvesting and pulp and paper manufacturing on the environment. By the way, we have switched from Nordic to Kallima which is manufactured by Tembec, a Canadian corporation. The Kallima Web site identifies the Tembec company as "The largest forest products company in Canada to make a corporate wide commitment to seek FSC certification on all forest lands under their management." FSC certification assures that, "All forest products carrying the [FSC] logo have been independently certified as coming from forests that meet internationally recognized FSC principles and Criteria of Forest Stewardship."


Creating Press Ready PDFs

These tutorials help to create a PDF file ready for print.

Adobe InDesign
QuarkXpress
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Word
PDF Downloads


Creating PDFs in Adobe InDesign
(This tutorial was created in Adobe InDesign CS2. Other versions may have different names for steps.)

Step 1: Export

Step 2: Name

Step 3: General Tab

Step 4: Compression Tab

Step 5: Marks and Bleeds

Step 6: Output Tab

Step 7: Advanced Tab

Step 8: Security Tab


Step 1: Export

Choose File -> Export




Step 2: Name

Give your file a title next to Save As. Make sure the Format is set to Adobe PDF.
Click Save.




Step 3: General Tab

Set the Adobe PDF Preset to Press Quality, the Standard to None, and the Compatibility to Acrobat 5.

Click the General tab and set your Pages to All.

Clicking the Optimize for Fast Web View is not necessary, but helpful if you plan on e-mailing your PDF.




Step 4: Compression Tab

Click the Compression tab.

Check your settings and make any adjustments to match the image below.




Step 5: Marks and Bleeds

Click the Marks and Bleeds tab.

Change the settings to all be unchecked.

In the Bleed and Slug area click the chain box and set your Bleed to a minimum of 0.125.

If you feel you need Crop Marks, etc. please use All Printer’s Marks.




Step 6: Output Tab

Click the Output tab.

Set your Color Conversion to Convert to Destination, your Destination to Document CMYK, and Profile Inclusion Policy to Don’t Include Profiles.




Step 7: Advanced Tab

Click the Advanced tab.

Check and make sure under Fonts the Subset fonts when percent of characters used is less than is set to 100%. OPI should be all unchecked.




Step 8: Security Tab

Click the Security tab.

Double check and make sure the Document Open Password and Use a password to restrict printing, editing and other tasks are both not checked.

Click Export.



These steps will provide you with a PDF of high quality, press ready standards.




Creating PDFs in QuarkXpress
(This tutorialrial was created in QuarkXpress 6.5. Other versions may have different names for steps.)

Step 1: Export

Step 2: Save As

Step 3: Job Options

Step 4: Output


Step 1: Export

Choose File -> Export -> Layout as PDF.




Step 2: Save As

Give your file a title next to Save As. Next make sure Pages is set to All.

Click the Options button to begin making adjustments.




Step 3: Job Options

Fill out the Layout Info tab. The Hyperlinks can be left as is.

Under the Job Options make sure Embed All Fonts and Subset Fonts Below are checked.

Set the Subset Fonts Below to 35%.

Compression Options should be set to the same as the image below.

Be sure Compress Text and Line Art and ASCII Format are unchecked.




Step 4: Output

Click the Output tab and under Color Output set the Type to Composite, the Print Colors to CMYK, and check mark the box next to Produce Blank Pages.

Leave Use OPI unchecked.
Please set Registration to Off.

Under Bleed set the Type to Symmetric and the Amount to a minimum of 0.125”.

Click OK.

Click Save.



These steps will provide you with a PDF of high quality, press ready standards




Creating PDFs in Microsoft Publisher
(This tutorial was created for Publisher 2003. Other versions may have different names for steps. Please note that Adobe Acrobat (NOT reader) must be installed to follow this tutorial.)

Step 1: Print

Step 2: Advanced Print Settings

Step 3: Output

Step 4: Page Settings

Step 5: Graphics and Fonts

Step 6 Adobe PDF Settings


Step 1: Print

Choose File -> Print




Step 2: Advanced Print Settings

Click the Advanced Print Settings button.




Step 3: Output

Set the Output to Composite RGB. Be sure Print composite CMYK by default is not checked.

The Resolution should be set to default.

Next click the Page Settings tab.



Step 4: Page Settings

Click the Page Settings tab.

Check the box next to Crop marks in the Printers marks section.

Under Bleeds check Allow bleeds.

Then click the Graphics and Fonts tab.




Step 5: Graphics and Fonts

Click the Graphics and Fonts tab.

Under Graphics set the button to Print full resolution linked graphics.

Set the Fonts button to Use only publication fonts.

Click OK to continue.




Step 6: Adobe PDF Settings

Click the Adobe PDF Settings tab set your Adobe PDF Page Size to Letter if each page is 8.5x11 inches or smaller.

Set your Default Settings to Press Quality.

Make sure Add Document Information and Do not send fonts to “Adobe PDF” are NOT checked.

Click OK to close the Adobe PDF Document Properties window and click OK again to send the file to Acrobat. Lastly name the file and click save.



These steps will provide you with a PDF of high quality, press ready standards.

NOTE: Due to limitations in Publisher all PDFs can only be output as Black or 4-Color process directly from the file.




Creating PDFs in Microsoft Word
(This tutorial was created for Word 2000. Other versions may have different names for steps. Please note that Adobe Acrobat (NOT reader) must be installed to follow this tutorial.)

Step 1: Print

Step 2: Properties

Step 3: Paper/Quality Tab

Step 4: Adobe PDF Settings


Step 1: Print

Choose File -> Print




Step 2: Properties

Click the Properties button at the upper right of the window.




Step 3: Paper/Quality Tab

Under the Paper/Quality tab set your Paper Source to Automatically Select and choose Black & White or Color.

Then click the Adobe PDF Settings tab.




Step 4: Adobe PDF Settings

Under the Adobe PDF Settings tab set your Adobe PDF Page Size to Letter if each page is 8.5x11 inches or smaller.

Set your Default Settings to Press Quality.

Make sure Add Document Information and Do not send fonts to “Adobe PDF” are NOT checked.

Click OK to close the Adobe PDF Document Properties window and click OK again to send the file to Acrobat. Lastly name the file and click Save.



These steps will provide you with a PDF of high quality, press ready standards.

NOTE: Due to limitations in Word all PDFs can only be output as Black or 4-Color process directly from the file.




Download PDF versions.

Adobe InDesign
Quark Xpress
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Word







A Little History...

Evangel Press can trace its roots back to the establishment of a Brethren in Christ news magazine, The Evangelical Visitor, in 1888 by printing it in house. The facility was cramped until 1920, when the General Conference authorized the purchase of printing equipment in Nappanee, Indiana. The first six years the operation was located in the Murry Printing Company on West Market Street in Nappanee. In 1926 our own facility was purchased, and thus began Evangel Press.

By 1985 it was apparent the buildings on Elm street were being used to their capacity. Construction began in 1988, for the current location at 2000 Evangel Way. October 1989 the plant was completed and merging of the Print House, Christian Light Bookstore administration offices, Evangel Publishing House, and the Sunday School Literature division into one location was finalized. To this day we are all under one roof, we are your one stop for any printing needs.