Table of contents
Generally speaking
When creating your cover, bear in mind that the C1 (front cover) should be on the right of your document, the spine in the middle and the C4 (back cover) on the left.
We don’t recommend putting text or logos on a spine that is less than 0.2 inches wide. On a spine this narrow, the text and logo risk being cut off and not being readable.
If you don’t know the required width of your book’s spine, you can use our online calculator: Resources > Spine Width Calculator
How to create a paperback book cover file in Adobe InDesign
1. Create a document that includes the C1, C4 and spine in a single spread.
For instance, if making a cover for a 6 x 9 inch book with a spine of 0.8 inches, the document dimensions should be 12.8 x 9 inches.
2. Make sure bleed is set to 0.125 inches.
When importing the C1 (front cover), C4 (back cover) and spine, make sure that the images’ resolution is at least 200 DPI and that the colour profile is set to CMYK.
3. The C1 (front cover) should be on the right of your document, the spine in the middle and the C4 (back cover) on the left.
4. When exporting ensure that the Crop Marks and Use Document Bleed Settings are selected in the Marks and Bleeds Section.
Video tutorial
Rapido's resources
Discover all our video tutorials to help you create your next book:
- How to Create a Barcode?
- How to Set Up Bleed in InDesign?
- How to Create a Paperback Book Cover in InDesign?
- How to Create a Hardback Book Cover?
