If you are looking for some detailed guidelines for designing a book cover illustration then it is time to put a full stop to your search.
In this blog, we have provided you with certain techniques to create an eye-grabbing book cover illustration.
We know – this process requires ultimate attention and thorough consideration. However, to ease the process for you, we have presented everything that is needed to keep in mind while designing a wonderful book cover.
Thus, how about exploring the design journey straightaway?
Well, not to wait, let’s just begin!
What Are The Best Tips To Design Book Cover Illustration Efficiently?
Technique 1: Ask Yourself Questions
The first step to designing any custom book cover illustrations is to ask yourself certain questions. This is necessary because it will help you throughout the design process and align your thought process with the requirements. The following are the questions that you should ask yourself.
- Who is the author of the book?
- Does he have a brand or not?
- What is the genre of the book?
- Does the genre have an established style or not?
- In which market book will be sold?
Technique 2: Have All Information
The next step of the process is to have all the information on your table. As you know when you start designing and revisions disturb you, it makes the procedure time-consuming and frustrating.
Therefore, it is always best to collect all the information from the authors before you begin designing. You can ask authors to provide you with certain information to make the process smoother, some pointers are listed below.
- The format of the book.
- Is there any copy requirement
- Graphic-related information.
- What the author’s budget is.
Technique 3: Focus On Book Cover Elements
The most important part of designing a book cover is, to focus on its core elements. It has three most important elements, including the front cover, the back cover, and the pages between them. If you understand them, you will be able to design them aptly.
For this, you have to deal with each part or element in detail as well as in separation. Also, here the important tip is, to bear in mind the budget of the author. For instance, if you design quality pages, then eventually author’s budget will be exceeded.
Technique 4: Develop An Understanding Of The Market
Before designing, an important aspect to consider is the research of the market. This means – you have to see the genre and research the market accordingly. For example, thrillers often sell well, when in hardcover.
Though these are kind of small tips, they are highly valuable because they help you understand the audience or readers’ preferences. Further, by doing so, you can provide the author with your input. This will facilitate the parties to reconsider their decisions and save you time.
Technique 5: Select A Suitable Design Direction
It’s essential to give due importance to the direction of design when creating a book cover. You should consider how the design will align with the author’s vision for the book. Not all designs work for every book, so it’s important to take the input of the author or publisher into account.
What you can do is – create a Pinterest board of similar titles with successful covers and book packages to draw inspiration. It’s also a good idea to visit your local bookstore and handle books to understand the different paper thicknesses and materials. Make a note of what you like and dislike, as this information can be useful later in the design process if you hit a roadblock.
Technique 6: See What Design Emphasis
When it comes to marketing a book, it’s important to consider the cover or front of the dust jacket as an extension of the overall marketing strategy. It should highlight what makes the book unique and why readers should choose it over others. This could be a specific character, the writing style, the setting, or the historical context.
If the book is similar to a highly successful bestseller, it’s important to find ways to reference that title without coming across as a cheap imitation.
Technique 7: Select Appropriate Font And Graphic Elements
How a book cover illustration would look good without choosing the appropriate font and graphic elements? It is a highly valuable point to consider when designing. It is better to be experimental and seek inspiration from experts.
As you know writers have vivid imaginations and they want to showcase it in book covers. Therefore, it is vital to incorporate that imagination with wonderful colors and elements. We usually say that don’t judge a book by its cover, however, in reality, a book is sold by its cover.
Technique 8: Have Feedback
It is a good practice to have an opinion of others. It doesn’t mean that the work you are doing is undervalued. This simply implies that having feedback might give you a striking idea or help you in rectifying your mistake.
Also, it is advisable to take reviews from relevant people in the industry like readers, authors, publishers, etc. they will give you a more holistic opinion. Further, you can take feedback from designers as well. However, if you still feel doubtful of your designing skills you could ask the book layout designer to assist you during the whole process.
Technique 9: Align It with Printer Requirements
When creating a cover file for printing, it’s important to ensure that all images or elements extend beyond the trim line without leaving any white margin. This is known as full bleed. While industry standards suggest a margin of 0.125-0.25 inches on each side, it’s best to communicate directly with the printer to ensure that your file is set up perfectly.
Even a tiny miscalculation can cause the text to not be printed on the spine and roll onto the front or back cover instead. Therefore, it’s crucial to align your file with the printer’s requirements for a perfect print job.
FAQs
What are three basic questions you should ask the author before designing a book cover?
The three basic questions you should ask the author are, what graphic element he is looking forward to, what type of font he prefers, and what his design budget is.
How much time is required to design a pro book cover?
On average the designing part takes ten to twelve days. However, it depends on the project’s complexity and requirements, in such cases time limit could exceed two to three weeks.
What basic skills a book cover designer should possess?
Some of the basic skills that book cover designers should possess are strong graphic designing skills, knowledge and working experience of best designing software, and a collaborative attitude to understand the needs of customers or authors.
Why it is essential to develop an attractive book cover?
It is essential to develop an attractive book cover to attract readers. Also, it is considered the first page of a book that’s why it should be catchy and relevant enough to persuade readers to purchase the book.
Wrap Up!
Well, summing it up! Book cover illustrations look beautiful but require a lot of research and information gathering. The designing process is itself challenging and needs tiny considerations to bear in mind. However, this is a fun and vivid process. You can enjoy the whole design procedure and pat yourself on its completion. Also, to make it more relevant you could arrange an interview with the author to see his inspirations and goals regarding it. This will help you understand the elements better and give you the idea of a striking book cover illustration.