M Rules Ltd.

Services we provide

With over 25 years experience in the industry, we work with publishing houses and authors to produce bespoke print-ready PDF files, meticulously designed and set to your specifications. Using in-house rules and industry standards, we typeset a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles including contemporary fiction, poetry, fitness and self-improvement, autobiographies, university textbooks, and even children’s picture-books. We can work with edited Word files and other electronic formats, PDFs, OCR scans and hardcopy materials, providing PDF proofs for checking and correcting.


Typesetting

Working with top UK publishing houses, we have been typesetting books since 1993. Using industry standard software, we work alongside production teams, editors and authors to bring manuscripts to life, in everything from children’s fiction to university textbooks to produce print-ready book interiors.

We provide our clients with a wide range of typesetting services. We can:

Convert various electronic file formats, including QuarkXPress, to Adobe InDesign CC.

Scan hardcopy formats and convert OCR scans to create workable, editable files.

Integrate illustrative material and images, including artwork, illustrations, graphs and tables.

Format index, footnotes, endnotes, all preliminary and end matter material, including ads.

Extract text from PDFs and other files to create editable Word files.

Typeset using InDesign CC to a provided specification or our approved design.

Incorporate editorial corrections and provide solutions to issues with extent and page layout.

Set to page from supplied Word files, ensuring consistency with global checks for punctuation and applied styles.

What you can expect
  • Accurate and consistent text setting and layout.
  • High quality digital proofs, with printed proofs provided on request.
  • PDF files at any stage in the process.
  • Meticulously corrected files using hardcopy or digital markups.
  • Guidance and assistance on digital markup standards and time-saving measures.
  • Editable exported Word files with first proofs.
  • Final output to PDF to the printer’s specification.

Design

Our dedicated design team have an impressive collected experience of over 90 years. Applying this to your project, we design bespoke layouts tailored to your specifications. We can also provide templates, honed over 10 years, with a range of options to choose from.

We provide our clients with a wide range of design services. We can:

Provide sample designs based on your brief, typespec, or title artwork.

Supply a wide range of design templates, which can be used to select the most suitable design for a project.

Produce a final approved design covering all elements including featured material, illustrations, tables, and extent.

Provide specimen pages and advise the expected extent – this service is free of charge if the typesetting is placed with us.

What you can expect
  • Range of design options to choose from, including templates.
  • Great attention given to each detail of the design.
  • In-depth industry knowledge and guidance.
  • Wide range of typeface choices from body text to script and handwriting fonts.
  • Dedicated point of contact throughout the first stage of proofs and input from all staff.

Images and Illustrations

With a diverse range of skills, our staff are well-equipped to manipulate and optimise images and graphics, as well as design illustrations and ornaments, for each project we work on.

We provide our clients with a wide range of illustration services. We can:

Scan supplied artwork, including line drawings, photographs, slides, transparencies and film.

Optimise images for print, including colour conversion and resizing.

Format plate sections in-keeping with the typeset design.

Extract material from provided electronic files.

Manipulate files to darken/lighten, colour correct or adjust contrast/sharpness for the best printed result.

Recreate illustrations, graphs and tables from screen or paper and supply electronic files.

What you can expect
  • Clear and well optimised images and illustrations in a print-ready format
  • High resolution .JPEG, .TIF and .PDF files
  • Accurate and consistent setting of plate sections
  • High quality vector artwork
  • Detailed graphs and tables
  • Bespoke illustrations and text ornaments

Summary

Text design: we create a design to the client brief

Illustrations: we scan, create or convert illustrations to specification

Images: we optimise images for print and format plates sections

Page proofs: we despatch proofs or PDF files directly

Proof correction: we make all necessary corrections and check for accuracy

Finals: we supply PDF files to the printer’s specification

Icons made by Chanut from www.flaticon.com