
Create Booklet: How Did I Live Without It?
I’ve been using a computer for little publishing projects for as long as I’ve had a computer and back in the good old days (that would be, say, the 1990s) trying to create a multi-page booklet was quite the puzzle.
I remember cutting little sheets of paper and folding them into a page-numbered mock-up so that I could see which pages need to print side by side and back to back. And then I’d move the text around in the document so as to be able to make that happen.
Well, no longer! I’ve had it in my head for a while that I’d like to create little booklets to tell the stories of my ancestors and back when I was finishing up ProGen, I decided I wanted to be able to print my narrative out in that way.
I Googled around and found a Mac app called Create Booklet and I absolutely love what it does.
Basically, it works a bit of page-arranging magic before a document goes to the printer.
Word Processing Document > Create Booklet > Printer
The Create Booklet step takes the sequential pages in the word processing document and organizes them so that they will print on back-to-back pages that can be folded into a booklet.
And, that’s not all. If the printer won’t automatically print the two-sided pages, Create Booklet walks the user through easy-to-follow steps to learn how to manually position the paper back in the tray to print the second side.
As a genealogist, I know how important it is to “write things up” and I find that challenge very fulfilling. But taking it a step further, there’s something really satisfying about producing a little booklet that I can both enjoy myself and share with others.

The app costs $19.99 but, to me, it was worth it. If you use a Mac and have an interested in creating small publications to share, you can learn more about Create Booklet in the Mac App Store.
(I have no connection to the app creator and this is not an affiliate link. I just like what Create Booklet does!)