The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Book Cover Design

Name: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Book Cover Design
Rating: 4.7 (71 reviews)

Design Free Book Covers, Create Mockups & Learn PowerPoint Picture & Text Effects (2016, 2013)

Highest Rated

Created byAnita Nipane

Last updated 3/2018

English

What you'll learn

You will learn the graphical design principles and color theory to avoid amateurish mistakes
You will be able to use images, colors and pair typefaces so that they look good together and communicate your book genre
You will understand what graphical design techniques professional designers use to make book covers "pop out" and attract readers.
You will learn how to create your book cover design, 3D book mockups, as well as computer, smartphone and tablet mockups free of charge.
You will be able to create professionally looking book advertisements for social media and your other promotional materials.
You will know the best free and low-cost resources to get images and fonts for your book covers and other visuals without infringing upon someone else's copyright.
You will understand what elements a book cover must have and their hierarchy.
You will learn the best practices of fiction and non-fiction book cover design.
You will be able to set the proper orientation and dimensions for your book cover
You will learn PowerPoint features and techniques that can be used for creating stunning picture effects and customizing fonts.
You will be able to work with picture layers, create 3D pop-out images, integrate text with pictures, create text masks, import pictures in objects, create photo collages and use many other PowerPoint techniques.
You will even learn how to edit EPS vector files and create your own illustrations and cartoons.

Course content

11 sections • 47 lectures • 2h 4m total length

Introduction1:24
Learn techniques for creating your own book cover designs and apply basic principles of graphic design and color theory to communicate your vision and grab readers' attention.

CRAP - The Main Principles of Good Graphic Design and Composition8:52
Learn how contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity drive hierarchy, unity, and readability in book cover design, and apply these principles to create cohesive, engaging visuals.
Color Scheme Principles5:36
Master color scheme principles for book cover design by using two to three main colors, complementary and triadic palettes, and an audience-driven mood to draw attention.
The Meaning of Color0:31
Use Formula to Create Your Color Schemes2:16
Explore how to build compelling color schemes for book covers using classic color wheel concepts, complementary two-color palettes, and RGB color codes in digital and print.

Understand 6 Typeface Categories2:38
Which Fonts Will Look Good Together?4:34
Learn how to pair fonts for book cover design by understanding font families, sizes, and contrast; avoid using too many similar typefaces, and choose distinct yet harmonious combinations.
7 Typographic Contrasts2:22
Explore typographic contrasts to create striking book cover designs by balancing size, capitalization, typeface choices including script and display, and dynamic color schemes from black-and-white to complementary colors.
Add New Fonts to Your Computer2:07
Learn to add new fonts to your computer by downloading fonts from resources like Google fonts. Unzip and install font files (ttf/otf) to make them available in PowerPoint.
10 Websites You Can Get Free Fonts From0:21

Remove Image Background2:31
Learn to remove image backgrounds in PowerPoint 2016 by inserting your picture, marking the foreground areas to keep, and refining the result for a clean transparent background.
Create Picture Layers1:24
Learn to create transparent pictures in PowerPoint 2016 by combining two layers, using a rectangle as a guide, and placing a second picture as the background.
Blend Pictures & Backgrounds3:35
Explore two methods to blend a picture with a background on a book cover using rectangles, gradient fills, and transparency to create fade effects and color variations.
Import and Customize Vector Images (EPS files)3:02
Import and customize vector images (EPS files) by inserting them into PowerPoint, ungrouping to edit shapes, resizing while preserving dimensions, changing colors, and consider copyright terms.
Import Pictures into Shapes8:43
Explore three examples of importing pictures into shapes to create book cover effects. Learn techniques like masking with rectangles, adjusting transparency, and converting text to shapes to customize typography.
Create 3D - Pop-Out Images2:05
Create 3d pop-out images by selecting a shape, building perspective, removing backgrounds, and applying color to mark key areas; explore layering with other elements to produce striking book cover effects.
Split Your Picture With Colors1:30
Split your picture with colors to create dynamic book cover layouts, then place your image, adjust columns, and change colors and background to create an eye-catching picture and text design.
Integrate Texts with Pictures3:12
Explore integrating text with pictures in book cover design by inserting images, removing backgrounds, and layering text to refine placement and size to achieve a polished final result.
Create Photo Collages3:33
Learn to create photo collages for book covers using PowerPoint, arranging pictures in layouts with placeholders, slide master templates, and drag-and-drop placement for precise, centered designs.
Draw Your Own Design Elements & Even Cartoon Characters9:49
Learn to design custom images and cartoon characters for book covers in PowerPoint by combining simple shapes, duplicating elements, and using grouping and union techniques.

Change Spacing Between Letters0:41
Discover how to change spacing between letters by selecting text, opening the font options, and applying expanded or condensed spacing in points to control the look of your cover design.
Transform and Change the LetterForms1:15
Transform letterforms by converting text to shapes in PowerPoint, then customize, add, or delete points to achieve a professional book cover look.
Fill Letters with Pictures2:45
Import pictures and fill letters with images, trying four different pictures per letter. Use a rectangle to cover all letters and remove unnecessary details.
Use Photo Masking1:48
Learn to create text masks with photo masking in PowerPoint for book covers. Insert a background image, resize it, combine shapes into a rectangle mask, and reveal text.
Create Text Outline0:53
Explore how to customize text and outline colors, adjust transparency, and apply presets using text options to enhance your book cover design.

What is the Best Book Cover Size?0:32
Example - Create a Fiction Book Cover7:16
Example - Create a Non-Fiction Book Cover7:06
Learn to design a non-fiction book cover in PowerPoint 2016 by setting a custom slide size and pixel dimensions, adjusting images, applying Oswald fonts, and exporting for Amazon.
Other Resoures for Book Cover Designs1:17
Explore freelance design contests and template sites for book covers, customize colors, and download designs. Decide between creating art from scratch or outsourcing to a design company with a code.
How to Test Your Book Cover Design?0:42

Design a 3D Book Mockup in PowerPoint4:11
Create a 3D book mockup in PowerPoint 2016 by inserting your ebook cover, adjusting 3D rotation, depth, perspective, and shadows, and exporting a transparent-background image for marketing.
Design a 3D Book & Laptop Mockup in Pixlr3:45
Learn to design a 3d book and laptop mockup in Pixlr by inserting images, resizing with free transform while maintaining proportions, and shaping layers to fit the screen.
The Link to Images for Mockups0:05
Use These Mockup Tools for Quick Results2:05
Discover free mockup tools for quick book cover design, insert your image into the required size, choose templates, and save the final design.
Create an Advertisement for a Non-Fiction Book4:21
Create an advertisement for a non-fiction book in PowerPoint to post on social media and email campaigns, using a background image, mockup, and white text with transparency.
Create an Advertisement for a Fiction Book3:42
Create a fiction book advertisement by selecting a suitable image, avoiding overly busy backgrounds, and blending pictures with transparency to achieve a cohesive, colorful yet realistic ad design.
PowerPoint Templates for Book Promo Visuals0:14

Requirements

You should be able to use PowerPoint at a basic beginner level
Access to PowerPoint 2016 or 2013
You can use also Microsoft Office 365 30-day FREE trial version (includes PowerPoint 2016)

Description

What if I told you that it is easy to create professional looking book covers in PowerPoint?

Maybe you assume that PowerPoint works only for creating presentation slides, which is actually not true. You can be really creative in PowerPoint. You can create visuals in different sizes and formats, create your own templates, make your own designs by creating new shapes, editing eps vector files, customizing fonts and using many other effects. Moreover, you can create mockups and promotional visuals for your books and other digital products.

Even if you are struggling with creating your book cover design, after watching this course, you will be able to create professional looking book cover designs that sell and you will be proud of.

If you are a self-publishing author and are starting out on a very small budget, a homemade, DIY book cover is a practical solution. However, the worst thing you can do is consider your cover design like a blank canvas and add all elements randomly without deeper understanding what role they are playing. So, in this course you are going to learn how to use colors, fonts, pictures and graphical design principles to communicate your genre and create a book cover that attracts your readers’ attention. Moreover, you will learn practical know-hows and advanced techniques to create your own and original book cover design in PowerPoint 2016 (If you don't have PowerPoint 2016 you can apply the same techniques also in PowerPoint 2013).

The additional benefit is that the same principles and techniques that you use for your book cover design you will be able to use also for creating other visuals – for social media and web. Therefore, you will never need to consider paying for additional image editing softwares or tools, because PowerPoint can offer everything you need. You will be surprised how multi-functional it is. This course is full of techniques you can use for creating different kind of visuals for almost every purpose.

100% Risk Free 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.

Enroll now to bring your book cover designs to the next level!

Who this course is for:

Self-Published Authors
Indie Authors
Bloggers that need book covers for their lead magnets

The Ultimate Guide to Creating Your Book Cover Design

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction1 lecture • 1min

Basics of the Graphic Design Theory4 lectures • 17min

The Principles of Pairing Fonts5 lectures • 12min

Use Stunning and High Quality Images3 lectures • 1min

Design Tips for Fiction and Non-Fiction Book Covers3 lectures • 9min

Picture Effects in PowerPoint10 lectures • 39min

Font Effects and Customization5 lectures • 7min

Putting it All Together5 lectures • 17min

Create 3D Book Mockups for Your Advertisements7 lectures • 18min

Technical Issues Solved3 lectures • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: