# Booklet Maker (Saddle-Stitch Imposition)

> Fold-and-staple booklets: notebook or calendar pages imposed in the right order. Make a saddle-stitched booklet: pages of grid, dot or lined paper (a notebook) or a month-per-page calendar are padded to a multiple of four and printed two per sheet side in booklet order, with optional creep compensation, page numbers and fold marks. Prints double-sided, flip on the short edge.

Part of usefulweb.app (https://usefulweb.app/). Part of [Printshop](https://printshop.usefulweb.app/) (ownerApp: printshop). Results are deterministic calculations from the inputs and the listed assumptions; the API returns exactly what the web page shows.

## Use it
- Human interface: https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/ (interactive tool at https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/tool)
- JSON API: POST https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/api/v1/calculate with a JSON object of inputs (schema: https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/api/v1/tool)
- OpenAPI: https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/openapi.json
- MCP (Streamable HTTP): https://printshopbooklet.usefulweb.app/mcp - tool `printshop_booklet`

## Inputs
- source (select): Booklet pages
- pages (integer): Notebook pages
- kind (select): Notebook paper type
- spacing (number): Notebook spacing (mm)
- year (integer): Calendar year
- startMonth (integer): Calendar first month
- lang (select): Calendar language
- paper (select): Sheet size (folded in half)
- reading (select): Binding
- creep (number): Creep compensation (mm per sheet) - About the paper thickness (0.1 mm for 80 g/m²) for thick booklets.
- pageNumbers (boolean): Page numbers

## Method
- Pages are padded with blanks to a multiple of four. Sheet k (from the outside) carries pages (n − 2k, 2k + 1) on the front and (2k + 2, n − 2k − 1) on the back — Panelcraft’s booklet order; right-edge binding swaps each pair.
- Each page is scaled uniformly into half of the landscape sheet and centred; with creep compensation the pages of sheet k move k × creep towards the fold, because inner sheets stick out further after folding.
- The PDF alternates front and back of each sheet: print double-sided, flipping on the short edge, then fold the stack and staple along the fold.

## Limits
- Duplex settings differ between printers: print the first sheet and check the page order before printing all.