Accessible Guide to RPG Layout

Accessible Guide to RPG Layout is a collection of tutorials written for game designers and layout professionals. Most of the book’s articles were originally part of the Tutorial Tuesdays blog series.

Why This Book Exists

Less than 10% of all printed material is available in an alternate format accessible to people with print disabilities (source). With the increasing dependence on digital tools for creating books and publishing digital formats, that simply isn’t an acceptable number.

The good news is: if you’re a publisher, you can be part of the solution. It’s easier than you might think, and we’ve created this book to walk you through the process of creating clean, accessible, and gorgeous PDFs.

When your book is published, everyone will be able to enjoy it–regardless of their ability. Doesn’t that sound good to you?

Back of the Book

In this guide, you’ll get an introduction to accessible layout techniques and best practices presented in a step-by-step, easy to read format. These tutorials take you through the process of preparing your manuscript for layout, the process of importing it, and creating PDFs with accessible features. We show you how to upload unwatermarked books to the leading RPG retail website, DriveThruRPG, and finish off with some additional layout and game design.

We present over a dozen tutorials and resources for you to learn everything you need to know to get started and to master some advanced techniques. From the basics of importing documents from Microsoft Word to the mind-blowing magical powers of GREP, this book offers something for every game designer and layout professional.

Topics include:

Styling Your Manuscript
Formatting DOs and DON’Ts
Using Markup for Formatting
How to Import a Manuscript to InDesign CS6
Importing with GREP and Markup
How to Apply GREP Quickly with InDesign Scripts
Making Magic Happen with GREP
A Few of My Favorite GREPs
Accommodating Others Is Your Best Investment
So What Does an Accessible PDF Look Like?
Layering Your PDFs Using Adobe InDesign CS6
Keeping the Text Flow Flowing
How to Bookmark and Tag a PDF
Accessible PDFs with InDesign Alternatives
Uploading Unwatermarked PDFs to DTRPG
Free Resources
Paid Resources

About the Book

We originally wrote these articles as a series of blog posts at the Accessible Games blog. As part of our mission to make games more accessible, we put together this series for designers to get an understanding of accessible layout habits and practices. This guide also provides tips for small press game designers who’d like help navigating the labyrinthine world of publishing.

Accessible Guide to RPG Layout takes you through the process of getting your book from manuscript to self-published product. If you’re interested in learning more about other aspects of small press publishing, check out Game Publishing Lessons.

The original tutorials will always be available free of charge here on the website, but purchasing the eBook gets you some additional benefits. The articles have been rearranged and grouped into a logical structure, making it easier to work through the process if you’re following along. The content has also been updated with current links and tangential sidebar information that helps support some of the text. Finally, I’ve added a whole new chapter which includes links and descriptions of freeand paid resources for game designers and layout artists–this chapter and its information don’t appear on the website.