Cover Design FAQ

How does your service work?

Our cover design page provides a full description of our service – what we need from you to get started, our pricing mechanism, the steps we take to design your cover, exactly what you receive back and a selection of examples and customer testimonials.

Can you produce original artwork?

Our team of graphic designers are experts with the Adobe Products including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. We can manipulate, recolor, resize, reshape, combine and layer any image you wish. However, if you require a completely original illustration for your book cover, you will first require an artist to create this from scratch. Once complete simply send it to us for incorporating into your final cover design.

In what format should I send you pictures?

If you are providing us with images, logos or photos for use on your cover please ensure they are of print quality. This means at least 300dpi when adjusted to the physical size you wish them to be in the final design.

Can I have the cover file before the interior?

Your cover needs to have a spine width to perfectly fit your book. If the page count changes the spine bulk will need to be recalculated and the template regenerated. As a result we never produce your final cover until your interior pages have been finalised.

What is your changes policy?

Once your cover has been laid out it is sent to you for review. At this point we offer to make 20 minutes worth of design tweaks for free. Subsequent alterations may be subject to an additional charge and our minimum fee is $48 USD.

What are the lines around my cover design?

When your book cover is printed on a commercial printer you want to ensure the design goes right up to the edges with no white rim showing. In order to achieve this the print area must 'bleed' off the edge of the actual cover page. The excess design is then chopped off around the edges when the book cover is cut to size. Each printer has their own specification on the amount of bleed to allow room for manufacturing variances. In offset printing it is standard to allow one-eighth inch whereas with digital printers this is typically one-quarter of an inch.

Can I move my text closer to the edge?

It depends. If the text on your cover is already relatively close to the bleed and trim lines then we may not be able to move it any further. All printers will impose a safety area inside these lines and advise that content is not placed beyond this point for fear of being too close to the edge or folds of the book cover.

Why are the colors duller on my final design?

If you have provided or chosen images or colors to be used in your design then when you see your final design you might notice they are toned down a little. The CMYK color spectrum used by the commercial presses is slightly different to the RGB colors you are used to seeing on your screen. Not all colors are achievable in CMYK (particularly very bright blues) so alterations are sometimes required.

How does payment work?

Thanks to PayPal customers are able to make payments with any debit card, credit card or their PayPal account. These can be made in any currency, safely and securely without us ever needing to receive any of your details. When we return your document for review we will include a Pay Now link. Once you’re happy with your job, simply click the link and follow the instructions.

Can I have small marketing jpegs of my cover?

Absolutely. We can produce a small image of your front cover design optimised for use on Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc as well as a 3D rendering of your cover as a paperback or hardback book for use on your website or in marketing campaigns. See the Cover Design page for more information.