Submissions - The Origami Collection

We use a soft-bound format for The Origami Collection with a glossy cover, which is produced using the publish-on-demand service CreateSpace. This will allow us to more efficiently produce The Origami Collection with a new professional polish and it is our hope to make past releases available as well.

To make the transition to the new format as easy as possible there are a few requirements for diagrams submitted to OrigamiUSA in PDF format. This is primarily due to limitations in the various "free PDF" programs out there that are not as durable as the Adobe Acrobat PDF print driver.

To ensure that your diagrams and the new publication looks as good as possible please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Do not use "hairlines" or "zero point" lines in your documents. The smallest line size you use should be 3/4 point lines. This is primarily due to a combination of limitations in the non-Acrobat PDF generators and variance in calibration of the machines used to produce the book. This is particularly a problem with the OpenOffice bundled PDF printer.
2. Fonts used in your diagrams must be either bundled into the generated PDF or should be those that are compatible between both Windows and Mac. There are three ways that you can assure this is not a problem. Any of these three is acceptable:
   1. Be sure to "Embed Fonts" when generating your PDF.
   2. Use only the fonts that have a direct mapping between Windows and Mac: Arial, Comic Sans, Courier New, Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, Verdana
   3. Convert all "Fonts to Outlines" prior to generating your PDF.
3. If possible, make sure that any photos included in your diagrams are 300 dpi or higher when reproduced at 8-1/2x11" size.
4. When generating your PDF, be sure to choose "PDF/X", "PDF/A" or "Press Quality" for your output settings. This will maximize the quality and compatibility of your generated PDF.

All pages provided for The Origami Collection will be placed in a standard template to help assure a consistent look. The page consists of an 8-1/2" by 11" form factor with a 1/2" margin which is delimited by a 1 point border around the entire page (which we will generate; do not add the border yourself). The first page of each set of diagrams contains a header which takes up an additional 1" of space, making the functional top margin for the first page 1-1/2".

We recommend at least a 3/4" margin of white-space between your artwork and the outer margin, which gives a working area of 7" x 8-1/2" (17.78 x 21.59 cm) for the first page and 7" x 9-1/2" (17.78 x 22.86 cm) for subsequent pages. Submitted diagrams that exceed this window will be shrunk to fit those margins so it is a good idea to keep these parameters in mind as you work, particularly if you are diagramming a complex model with subtle instructions or fine detail.

Several templates in various formats have been provided below to help diagrammers get a better visual sense of what the final page will look like. To assist us in editing your diagrams, please do not include the border frame shown in the templates. We will add this border as well as the proper header and footer information to your diagram when we lay it out. The fonts used in our template are BackTalk Sans: 24 pt for title, 12 pt for other text. If you own a copy of this font feel free to use it, but be sure to follow the steps above for font inclusion.

Use of color: one of the advantages of the CreateSpace format is that there may be an option at some point in the future to print in color. In addition we are looking at how to make The Origami Collection available in ePub/iBook format at some point in the future which will allow for the inclusion of color in your diagrams. However, as it is possible that your diagrams will print very well on a color printer in monochrome mode and not print well on a B/W laser we recommend that you check your final work in both Color, B/W and monochrome modes.

Last, and mostly importantly, when you are ready to submit, please submit your diagrams using our online submission form and fill out the permissions section completely!