Adobe InDesign is a highly-efficient software that can be used for various kinds of print products. It’s popular for making newspaper and magazine layouts so easy to create beautifully if you have an eye for good design and aesthetics. Apart from that you can also use it for posters and book covers, which I used it for in this tutorial. This is a step-by-step account of how to create your book’s front cover for Kindle and promotional use, and whole cover complete with the spine and back cover.

1. HOW TO:
Create a book cover
(Kindle & Paperback)
with Adobe InDesign
Presentation by:
Jasmine Dy | Expert Content Producer
www.jasminemira.wordpress.com

2. What is
Adobe InDesign?

3. Editing software used to create and edit print layouts

4. Magazines
Newspapers
Book covers
Catalogues
Posters/banners
etc.

5. Click File

6. Click New

7. Click Document

8. Click Preset dropdown

9. Click Custom

10. Set number of pages to 2

11. Uncheck Facing Pages

12. Click Page Size dropdown menu

13. CLICK CUSTOM

14. Set width to 132 mm

15. Set height to 197 mm

16. Click OK

17. Open Bleed and Slug settings

18. Set Bleed Top to 5mm then press Enter

19. Bleed settings will apply to all sides

20. Click OK

21. Your page should look like this

22. Bleed area

23. Margins

24. Kindle eBook Cover
(Front cover only)

25. Drag photo to InDesign window

26. Click on InDesign workspace to paste picture

27. Press Ctrl + Shift to resize photo

28. Fill the top, right, and bottom Bleed areas

29. Click the zoom dropdown then click 50%

30. Drag left edge of the photo to the end of the front
cover

31. YOUR FRONT COVER WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS

32. Zoom back in to 75%

33. Click View

34. Click Overprint Preview to enhance photo quality

35. Open Layers

36. Double-click on layer 1

37. Rename it Background

38. Click OK

39. Lock Background layer

40. Create new layer

41. Double-click Layer 2

42. Rename it Text

43. Click OK

44. Click Type tool

45. Drag on page to create a text box

46. Open Text Fill options

47. Click dropdown

48. Click New Color Swatch

49. Deselect Name with Color Value

50. Rename it Wheat

51. Set M value to 14

52. Set Y value to 44

53. Set B value to 9

54. Click OK

55. Click Font dropdown

56. Select font

57. Click font size dropdown

58. Click on font size

59. Type title

60. Select text then click Center align

61. Click Leading dropdown

62. Select 60 pt

63. Create another text box

64. Select Wheat in Text Fill

65. Select font type

66. Set font size to 40 pt

67. Type author’s name

68. Highlight text then click center align

69. Click Selection tool

70. Adjust position

71. Save your work

72. Paperback Cover
(Front cover, Spine, Back cover)

73. Open Layers

74. Unlock Background layer

75. Drag across Page 1 to select everything

76. Click Edit > Copy

77. Scroll down to Page 2

78. Click Edit > Paste

79. Click Page Tool

80. Set width to 279.24mm then press Enter

81. Select whole front cover

82. Drag to the right side

83. Copy front cover background to the left side

84. Drag ruler from side to the left edge of spine

85. Delete the copy of front cover

86. Drag another ruler to the center of spine

87. Drag another ruler to the center of back cover

88. Drag another ruler to the edge of front cover

89. Drag background photo to left bleed area

90. Open Layers

91. Lock Background layer

92. Click Line tool

93. Hold Shift then drag line down spine’s center

94. Right-click Type tool

95. Select Type on a Path tool

96. Click on top of vertical line

97. Select Wheat in Text Fill

98. Select font type

99. Select font size

100. Type book title

101. Create new color swatch

102. Rename it Wheat2

103. Set M value to 9

104. Set Y value to 27

105. Set K value to 7

106. Click OK

107. Type author’s name

108. Click Select tool

109. Adjust text to center of spine

110. Open Stroke panel

111. Click None

112. Click Type tool

113. Create text box in back cover

114. Select Wheat in Text Fill panel

115. Select font type

116. Select font size

117. Type the synopsis

118. Create another text box

119. Select font type

120. Select Wheat in Text Fill panel

121. Type first letter of synopsis

122. Click Select tool

123. Adjust for drop cap effect

124. Adjust vertical scale

125. Press ‘W’ to view full layout without markers

126. Press Ctrl + S to save work

127. Exporting Kindle eBook cover
(Front cover only)

128. Click File

129. Click Export

130. Click Save

131. Select Range

132. Click OK

133. See eBook cover as pdf

134. Exporting print book cover
(Front cover, spine, back cover)

135. Click File > Adobe PDF Presets

136. Click Press Quality

137. Click Save

138. Select Range

139. Type 2

140. Click Marks and Bleeds

141. Check All Printer’s Marks

142. Check Use Document Bleed and Settings

143. Click Export

144. See your book cover in PDF