A book of short explanations and a book of annotated diagrams can need different reading behaviour. Decide what the reader must be able to do before spending hours placing text and illustrations. A layout that looks attractive at your editing zoom may become awkward on a small reading screen.

Write down two priorities for the project. For example, a volunteer handbook may need comfortable large text, while a picture sequence may require each caption to stay beside a particular panel. If those priorities conflict, resolve that design choice in a short sample rather than after completing the book.

In Pages on Mac, portrait book templates are word-processing documents suited to text that reflows as the reading device or font size changes. Landscape book templates use page layout and preserve the arrangement of each page. Their text does not flow between pages unless linked text boxes are added.

Try the most demanding spread first

Build a sample with one long paragraph, one image and its caption, and any unusually wide material the book needs. Use real representative content: a page containing only a title cannot reveal the compromises that a dense table or diagram will create.

Pages exports a book in EPUB format for Apple Books and other ebook readers. The export dialog provides book information such as title, author and cover. Keep the editable Pages document as the production source while examining the exported reading copy.

Open the sample in the intended reader. For a reflowable design, try a larger text size and a narrower reading area. Check whether captions still make sense in the reading sequence and whether instructions depend unnecessarily on phrases such as “the paragraph above”.

For a fixed layout, inspect the smallest likely viewing size. Can a reader interpret labels without repeatedly magnifying and moving around the page? A fixed arrangement preserves placement, but that alone does not establish that the content is readable.

Choose the structure only after this trial. Record the accepted reading conditions and keep the sample as a comparison for later chapters. Before delivery, repeat the check on the densest finished section and confirm the cover and author information belong to the issued edition.

Reference: Apple: creating a book in Pages.