Download Preface

Preface runs on your own computer. Download it, open your manuscript, and see your book set — everything works without a license except writing the finished file.

Version 2.0.3 · 2026-10-17

• Preface for Mac · 66 MB · macOS 10.15 or later · Intel and Apple Silicon
• Preface for Windows · 24 MB · Windows 10 or later · 64-bit

Preface for Windows is not signed yet. Windows will call it unrecognised and hide the button that runs it behind “More info”. Choose More info, then Run anyway. Your browser may also offer to discard the file as it downloads; keep it.

What you need

• A Mac, or a Windows PC.
• A manuscript as a Word document. If you would rather not start with your own, Frankenstein is here as a Word file to try.

Trying it, and keeping it

Without a license Preface does everything but write the file: it imports your manuscript, sets it in any of the designs, runs every check and shows you the finished pages at any size. When you want the PDF and the EPUB, buy a license and paste the key into the License panel under Publish. It is checked on your own computer, so Preface works with no network at all.

Trouble

If a download will not open, or your computer refuses to run it, write to hello@preface.press and say which computer you are on and what it told you. That is a fault worth knowing about.