How to typeset a Japanese vertical book (novel or doujinshi) in the browser

Short answer: In the new layout window, pick a Japanese size (bunko, shinsho, shiroku, A5 and so on) and Vertical (right-to-left binding), and set characters × lines with the layout grid. Import your Word manuscript or paste the text, add ruby, tate-chu-yoko and emphasis marks, then set CMYK, a 3 mm bleed and Japanese tombo under Layout Setup › Print and export with Print (PDF/X-4). Nothing to install, and the PDF places every glyph exactly where it is on screen.

Before you start: check with your print shop

Every print shop's requirements differ a little. Look these up in your printer's submission guide before you lay out the text.

PodoLay's PDF/X-1a is the Amazon KDP format and has no crop marks, so it does not suit printers that only accept PDF/X-1a — ask first whether they take PDF/X-4.

What you need in PodoLay

Vertical text, ruby and the other typesetting features are on every plan. Print-ready PDF export starts with the Starter plan (on Free you can use a PDF pass). See pricing for current terms.

Step 1 – Create a vertical layout

1. On the dashboard, click New Layout.
2. Page Size: choose A6 (bunko), Shinsho (Japan), Shiroku-ban (Japan), JIS B6, A5 or another size.
3. Writing Direction: choose Vertical (right-to-left binding). The primary text frames are created vertical and the layout is bound on the right (pages run from right to left).
4. Facing Pages and Primary text frame on. Pages are added automatically as the text grows.
5. Turn on Layout grid and enter Size, Characters, Lines and Line gap — for a bunko, 9 pt (about 13 Q), 38 characters and 16 lines is a typical start. The body area is centered on the page and the margins follow from it.
6. Click Create.

To work with font sizes in Q and spacing in H, choose Q·H (kyu·ha) under Units in your layout work settings or under Text units in the editor.

See Dashboard › Creating a new layout and Layout grid.

Step 2 – Bring in the manuscript

• Word manuscript: use Import Manuscript (⌘D) in the editor's title bar and pick the .docx. Styles, footnotes and images come in, Word ruby (furigana) becomes ruby, and vertical sections become vertical text. Mincho + Latin font pairs become composite fonts.
• Plain text or copy: paste into the text frame on the first page. Overflow runs on to the next pages.

See Importing a Word manuscript.

Step 3 – Styles, kinsoku and mojikumi

1. Make paragraph styles for body text, chapter titles and subheadings. Use the built-in Noto Serif JP (mincho) or Noto Sans JP (gothic), or upload your own fonts (Starter and Pro).
2. In the paragraph style's Kinsoku tab, set the kinsoku set, push-in or push-out, hanging punctuation and mojikumi (line-end half-width, full-width or half-width punctuation, or your own set). Japanese layouts get line-end half-width mojikumi automatically.
3. To set kanji in mincho, kana in another face and Latin text in a Latin font, create a composite font with Composite fonts… at the end of the font list.
4. To give a heading the height of several lines, use the paragraph's Line span (gyōdori).

See Character attributes, composite fonts and kinsoku and Styles.

Step 4 – Ruby, tate-chu-yoko, emphasis marks and warichu

• Ruby: select the characters and right-click › Ruby…. Group and mono ruby, alignment (1:2:1, center, start and so on) and overhang at line starts and ends are handled.
• Tate-chu-yoko: select a number and right-click › Tate-chu-yoko. To set two-digit numbers such as the 12 in 第12章 automatically, choose the digit count under Layout Setup › Language › Auto tate-chu-yoko.
• Emphasis marks: select the characters and pick a mark under Emphasis marks in the Character section of the Attributes tab.
• Warichu and jidori: right-click › Warichu… or Jidori….
• Ideographic variants: put the caret after a character and right-click › Glyph variants… (IVS shapes such as 辻 or 葛).

See Vertical Text.

Step 5 – Page numbers and running heads

1. Open a master spread from the Pages tab.
2. Place a text frame for the folio and insert the current page number marker.
3. For running heads, insert the running header text variable and choose your chapter title paragraph style.

In a right-bound layout the right-hand page of a spread comes first. See Page numbers and text variables.

Step 6 – Export the print-ready PDF

1. Under Layout Setup › Print, set Color mode to CMYK and Bleed to your printer's value (usually 3 mm), turn on Show crop marks and choose Japanese tombo (double lines + center marks) as the Crop mark style.
2. Save the layout, click Save PDF and choose Print (PDF/X-4) as the PDF type.
3. Check the preflight warnings before and after the PDF is made — overset text, image resolution, fonts without vertical glyphs and so on.
4. Open the downloaded PDF and check the crop marks, folios and ruby once more before you send it.

See Layout Setup › Print and PDF export and preflight.

The same manuscript as an ebook

Save EPUB exports a reflowable EPUB 3 with vertical writing and right-to-left page order. Ruby goes in as <ruby>, and the epubcheck result is shown. EPUB export is free on every plan.

FAQ

Can I write the vertical text in Word first?

Yes. Word's vertical sections and ruby (furigana) come in as vertical text and ruby when you import the manuscript. Tidy up the paragraph styles afterwards for a consistent result.

What if my printer asks for PDF/X-1a?

PodoLay's PDF/X-1a is the Amazon KDP format without crop marks, so it is not meant for print shops. Ask whether they accept PDF/X-4 — many do.

Can I set font sizes in Q?

Yes. With Q·H units, font sizes are shown and entered in Q and line feed and character spacing in H. The layout itself does not change.

Can I make the cover too?

Yes. Cover (general) in the new layout window works out the spine width from the trim size, page count and paper thickness and creates a cover layout. If you only need the numbers, the spine and cover size calculator is free.

How much does it cost to make a vertical book?

All the typesetting features are free on every plan. Print-ready PDF export starts with the Starter plan. See pricing.

Related

• PodoLay vs Adobe InDesign
• How to make a KDP paperback interior PDF in your browser

Sources

• PodoLay user guide: Vertical Text, Layout grid, Layout Setup, PDF export
• PodoLay pricing: podolay.com/en/pricing

Updated October 17, 2026