Pressleaf help

Getting started

The first time Pressleaf opens, a short tour lets you import a Word document or open a sample book, pick a style, and choose whether to send anonymous crash reports.

On the start screen, choose New from Word… (Ctrl+I), New blank book or Open project… (Ctrl+O), or drag a .docx file onto the window. Recent books appear as cards.

When the book looks right, press Export (Ctrl+E) at the top right. Everything saves automatically.

Pressleaf also adds an icon to the notification area (the tray). Left-click it for your recent books and New from Word document…. Closing the window quits Pressleaf unless Keep running after closing the window is on in Settings › General.

Importing a manuscript

Pressleaf looks for chapters in this order: Heading 1 paragraphs, then lines like “Chapter 1”, then page breaks. It keeps italics, bold, scene breaks, block quotes, lists and pictures, and gives you a short report of what it found and changed.

Tracked changes are accepted and comments are left out, with a note.
Headings such as Dedication, Acknowledgements or About the Author go to the matching front or back pages.
Two or more blank lines become a scene break.
If no chapters are found, Pressleaf asks whether to split by Heading 1, by page break, or by hand.

You’ll be asked for alt text for pictures, so the ebook stays readable with a screen reader.

Chapters and editing

The sidebar shows the front matter, chapters and back matter. Rename with F2, reorder by dragging or with Alt+Up/Alt+Down, and choose whether each chapter is Numbered or included at all.

Editor shortcuts

Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+Alt+2 subheading, Ctrl+Q block quote.
Ctrl+Shift+Enter scene break, Ctrl+Shift+L bulleted list.
Ctrl+Shift+N adds a chapter, Ctrl+Shift+K splits the chapter at the cursor.
Ctrl+Shift+B opens Book settings, Ctrl+, opens Settings, F6 moves between panes.

Splitting, merging, reordering and deleting chapters can’t be undone, so check before you delete. Ctrl+Z undoes text edits.

Book settings and printing

Open Book settings to set the title, author, ISBNs, language and the paperback layout:

Trim size: 5×8, 5.25×8, 5.5×8.5 or 6×9 inches. Ask your printer which sizes they offer.
Margins (inches) with a Gutter added to the inside margin for the binding.
Running heads: author on left-hand pages, title on right-hand pages, none on chapter openings.
Page numbers at the foot of the page, starting at 1 with the first chapter.
Chapters start on a right-hand page, with a blank page added when needed.
Bleed, only if pictures run off the page edge.

In styles with a drop cap, the ebook gets a true drop cap. The print PDF uses a large first letter on the first line instead, followed by small capitals.

Exporting

Export writes an EPUB ebook, a Print PDF, or both, to the folder you choose. When it’s done, a summary shows whether the EPUB passed its checks and how many pages the PDF has, with Open folder.

The EPUB has no cover image. Ebook stores take the cover separately.
Embed the body font in the EPUB is off by default, because readers let people pick their own font. Heading fonts are always embedded.
Pictures below print resolution at their placed size get a warning.
Exporting the same book twice gives identical files.

The ebook preview

The ebook preview uses the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, which is part of Windows 11. If it isn’t on your PC, Pressleaf says so: use Text only, or install the runtime from Microsoft.

The phone, e-reader and tablet sizes scroll rather than turn pages. Text only gives a plain preview that works well with screen readers.

Trial and license

Pressleaf is free to try for 14 days, with everything turned on. After that: Your books stay editable and previewable, and exports still work, with a “Made with the Pressleaf trial” page added to both files.

Entering your license key

Buy a license. Your key appears on screen as soon as the payment goes through, and arrives by email.
In Pressleaf, open the License page in Settings.
Paste the key and choose Activate. The PC needs to be online for this step.

Using it on more than one PC

One key works on up to 3 PCs. To move it to a new PC, deactivate it on the old one from the License page first. If the old PC is gone, free up its place at Manage devices, using the email address you bought with or the key itself.

Once activated, Pressleaf works offline. When it's online it checks the license about once a week, so a refunded or revoked key stops working on its next check.

Bought Pressleaf in the Microsoft Store? The Store edition is licensed through your Microsoft account instead, and doesn't use a key.

Updates

Pressleaf checks for a new version on its own about 45 seconds after it starts, and asks before installing it.

Each update is checked against a fingerprint (SHA-256) before it runs, and installs over the current version without touching your data. Updates for the Microsoft Store edition come through the Store.

See what’s new in each version.

Your data and uninstalling

Pressleaf keeps its settings and data on your PC, in this folder (paste it into File Explorer’s address bar to open it):

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Hedgerow\Pressleaf

To back it up, quit Pressleaf and copy that folder.

To uninstall, open Windows Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find Pressleaf and choose Uninstall. The uninstaller asks whether to remove your data too.

Still stuck?

Email support@hedgerowapps.com and we’ll get back to you. Mention your Pressleaf version (shown in Settings › About) and your Windows version. More answers are on the support page.