Cover File Preparation

While it is possible to have an image or design span the spread from the inside cover (for a softcover book) or printed endpaper (for a hardcover book) to the first / last page of the book interior, the two halves of the art will likely not align perfectly.

Due to normal variations in printing, binding, and trimming, shifts of around 1/16" are possible, and these can compound across multiple elements (endpaper or cover, interior page) to throw off images meant to align precisely along the 'seam' where the two halves meet.

If you want to align the inside cover of a softcover with the first (or last) page of the interior, you need to account for a 0.276" wide cover 'hinge'. This is a vertical stripe adjacent to the spine that is glued to the first and last page of the book content.

Thus, innermost strip of both the cover and facing page will not be visible, the 'seam' between the two halves of the spread will fall 0.276" from the spine.

The cover layout for your printed softcover or classic softcover book will be one wide document including (from L to R) back cover, spine, front cover. The layout should include a bleed area of 0.25" on all sides.

Use our cover calculator to get accurate dimensions for your book cover.

The spine width will vary depending on the page count of your book, and the paper stock you select. Use our cover calculator to get accurate cover dimensions for your specific project.

Each book type has different bleed requirements, see the list below:

• Printed Wrap Hardcover and Printed Linen Wrap Hardcover  
  • 0.8" bleed on all sides
• Linen Wrap Hardcover
  • No bleed required
• Dust Jacket
  • 0.25" bleed on all sides
• Softcover and Classic Softcover
  • 0.25" bleed on all sides
    

For duplex printed softcovers, the inside cover should be included in the cover layout as a second page. The overall dimensions are the same for both outside and inside covers.

On the inside cover, please add a white area the same width as the spine, plus 5mm on either side. This area needs to be left blank for proper glue adhesion.

For detailed instructions on cover file formatting, please refer to our file preparation guidelines.

The cover layout for your dust jacket will be one wide document including (from L to R): 4" flap, back cover, spine, front cover, 4" flap.

Dust jacket layouts should include 0.25" bleed on all sides.

Use our cover calculator to get accurate dimensions for your dust jacket.

The cover layout for your printed wrap or printed linen wrap will be one wide document including (from L to R) back cover, spine, front cover. Include a bleed area of 0.8".

Use our cover calculator to get accurate dimensions for your printed wrap or printed linen wrap. If your artwork is not large enough to allow for that much bleed, we suggest you artificially extend the art to fill the bleed area.

There are several ways to do this in Photoshop, including AI tools, content-aware fill tools, clone stamping, mirroring, etc.

‍