After my mom passed away in 2012, I decided to gather her recipes into a book for safekeeping. Then it occurred to me it would make an excellent present for family members too. I set off on a month long journey toward making a great keepsake for all to enjoy.
Making a recipe book in a few steps (that can take a really, really long time to do if you're crazy like me)...
Making a recipe book in a few steps (that can take a really, really long time to do if you're crazy like me)...
- Gather the recipes. I used my mom's handwritten notes or magazines clips which I manually copied or used Adobe Acrobat's Image -> Text feature (Google it).
- Research businesses that print books. Thanks to a Groupon deal, I went with printerpix.com. I'm not in love, but my word it was cheap comparatively.
- If you're printing online, download their print template. I did my layout in InDesign, but there's usually one for Photoshop and/or Illustrator too.
- Layout your design and proofread. Make a cover (I used my mom's wallpaper pattern and all my mom's favorite colors here and throughout the book). I added a few pages for basic advice on cooking that she taught me too. Don't forget the page numbers! Write a Table of Contents. Get all recipes into a uniform format. Ask friends and family to proofread too.
- Add a special dedication page. I grabbed a picture of my mom and scanned in a phrase she wrote "There will never be anyone quite like me" with a little intro blurb.
- Export all pages to printer. Check with whomever you're ordering from for color and DPI recommendations.
- Print a proof and confirm with printer. Please, please print this before you send to the printer. It'll look much different in your hands than on screen.
- Expect a high shipping cost and shipping delays. Personal experience here.
- Send or hand deliver to family and friends.
- Eat well!
Have any questions? Please let me know!
