How to Print a Family Cookbook

Most families have a number of recipes with special significance to them because the recipes have been used for many generations. One of the best ways to continue preserving these recipes into the future is to print a family cookbook that compiles the recipes, stories and photos into one book. Printing a family cookbook takes some planning and work, but it makes a treasured gift.

Things You'll Need

• Photos
• Scanner

Instructions

Collecting Content

1. Create guidelines for your cookbook. It may be the overall best family recipes, the traditional Christmas recipes or family recipes related to your heritage in another country. These guidelines will help family members know what recipes to contribute.

2. Contact your family members to tell them about your family cookbook project and ask for their contributions. Give specific guidelines on what to submit, including a title, list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions and a fun story about where the recipe originated or when it was typically prepared. Also give relatives an idea of how many recipes you would like them each to submit, and whether they can submit additional recipes they have that were created by deceased ancestors. A submission deadline of about a month away will help people to get recipes to you quickly but not feel too much time pressure.

3. Collect photographs to include in the family cookbook. The photos can be of the family member who contributed the recipe, large gatherings of family at holidays and other gatherings, the process of cooking or the finished recipe.

Designing and Printing

1. Find a format for designing your cookbook. Some options include using online companies that will then print and bind your cookbook, purchasing software made especially for designing cookbooks or using software you already have to design your cookbook. Programs such as Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Publisher are good choices for designing your cookbook on your own.

2. Make a page for each recipe by including the title, recipe, related stories and photos. Try to maintain a consistent format on each page with font size, spacing, whether steps are numbered or have bullet points and other formatting conventions.

3. Scan photos into your computer and include them on the appropriate pages. You could also consider adding pages that have only photos if you have more family photos than recipes or are having a hard time fitting photos on the pages.

4. Print your cookbook. If it is being printed through a website, this step is easy, as you just need to specify how many copies you would like and what special features (such as color or laminated pages) to include. When printing from a home printer, consider using heavier-weight paper to increase the durability of the cookbooks. If you choose to print at a copy shop, contact a few places to get quotes on the job.

5. Save the computerized version of the family cookbook to allow you to print more in the future if somebody loses theirs or if another family member wants a copy. If you are ordering the cookbooks through a website, ask about printing more copies in the future, and maybe print a few extras now if it seems like it will be a hassle to print them in the future.

Tips & Warnings

• Elderly relatives might be more inclined to participate in submitting to the family cookbook if you give them the option of writing out the recipe by hand and mailing it to you. You can then either scan the recipe cards and include them as handwritten recipes or type them in yourself for a cleaner look.

References

• AARP: Family Cookbooks
• Family Cookbook Project: The Process of How to Create a Family Cookbook
• Cookbook People: Printing Your Cookbook at a Copy Shop