How to Create a Free Print Book Cover for KDP

  • Post author:
  • Post category:The How-Tos
  • Reading time:19 mins read

Updated 3/01/2021.

Introduction

How to Create a Free Print Book Cover for KDPYou had this book burning inside of you. Then, you allowed the words to flow into a document file. Now, you’ve proofread it. However, you don’t have the funds for a cover. What do you do?

Do you start a fundraising campaign? Or do create the book cover yourself? I’ll show you how to create a free print book cover for KDP. This isn’t by using their Cover Creator. It’ll be a print-ready PDF cover.

Now, if you don’t have Adobe Photoshop® or Adobe InDesign®, there are free software programs that’ll help you create your book cover.

My method involves three free software programs. I’m sure you’re thinking three is a lot. Yes, it’s more than one. You’ll use one online and download the other two. Once you open them, the steps are easy to follow. These programs include Canva, GIMP, and Paint.NET.

Step One: Creating the Concept for Your Free Print Book Cover

Have you thought about how you want your book cover to look? Is there an image in mind that you’d like to use? Or do you need to peruse a collection of images to find the perfect one? If you don’t have the funds to purchase an image, there are free options on the internet.

However, be careful in choosing your image. You want to choose an image that the creator released under Creative Commons CC0. Essentially, this gives you the right to modify the image and use it for personal or commercial purposes.

Make sure the image you select allows you to use it for commercial purposes. Some sites require you give attribution while others don’t. For those requiring attribution, you can include that on your Copyright page. Some sites to consider are Pixabay, Unsplash, Pexels, Burst, StockSnap.io, ISO Republic, Freeimages, Skitterphoto, and Canva. Canva has free and paid images. Their paid images are $1.00 each.

Step Two: Create a Free Print Book Cover in Canva

Canva is where you’ll design your book cover. The other programs allow you to format the print-ready PDF cover.

After signing up and logging into Canva, go to Create a Design.

Create a Design in Canva

Select the Book Cover option.

The dimensions of 1410 px x 2250 px will work for your print book cover. This will be the front cover. Then, you’ll come to the screen below.

Select the Book Cover Option

Step Three: Select Your Book Cover Layout

Find the most appealing layout for your book. Many are free. Once you’ve chosen your layout, you can customize it by changing the fonts, applying filters, uploading an image, or selecting an image from their library of stock images.

At 12.95 per month, Canva Pro gives you more options like uploading a custom font and exclusive access to millions of free premium stock photos and other media. Their free version features thousands of free templates.

If you sign up for Canva Pro and want to upload a custom font, you can find free fonts for commercial use at Google Fonts, Font Squirrel, FontSpace, DaFont, Abstract Fonts, FontStruct, 1001 Fonts, and Urban Fonts. Also, you can check out this blog post for 70+ Best Free Fonts for Designers – Free for Commercial Use in 2020. Make sure to check the license before downloading the font.

Then, you’ll choose a layout:

Choose a Book Cover Layout

Now, you’ll customize it. After customizing it, you’ll name it at the top where you see eBook – Untitled Design.

Customized Front Book Cover Layout

Afterward, you’ll download it as a JPG.

Download Front Book Cover as a JPG

You’ll do the same for the back cover. Put what you want to see on the back. You can have it as a solid color or add another image.

If you want your back cover to be a solid cover that matches a color on your front cover, you can open GIMP.

Then, go to File and open your front cover file.

Open Book Cover to Use Color Picker

Afterward, you’ll use the Color Picker Tool Color Picker Tool to pick a color for your back cover.

To see the Hex Color Code, you’ll need to go to Windows at the top, click on Dockable Dialogs, and select colors.

Windows Dockable Dialogs Colors

The Hex Color Code for the example back cover is 064d6b. You can keep GIMP open because you’ll need it in a later step.

Picked Color from Cover

Then, you’ll go back to Canva.

Back to Canva to Blank Back Cover

Click on the Background color Background Color .

Click on Background Color

Click New Color and enter the code beside Color code #.

Entered Hex Code Number

Make sure to leave room for the barcode in the lower right-hand corner. And don’t forget to name it and download it as a JPG.

Download Remembering the Details Back Cover

Step Four: Go to KDP for Paperback Cover Template

To get your KDP Paperback Cover Template, go here. Then, you’ll enter Trim size, Page count, and Paper color. Afterward, download the cover template. You’ll receive a prompt to download a ZIP file. When you extract the file to your desired location, you’ll have a PNG and PDF cover template.

KDP Paperback Cover Templates

Your downloaded template should look like this:

Book Cover Template

Step Five: Open GIMP to Assemble Your Cover

In GIMP, you’ll go to File. Then, you’ll select the PNG KDP Paperback Cover Template. When the Dialog box comes up, you’ll convert it to RGB working space.

Dialog Box RGB working space

Open KDP Paperback Cover Template in GIMP

Go to Layer at the top. Then, click on New Layer. The layer will be the same dimensions as your template. Click OK.

Click New Layer

Afterward, you’ll need to use the Move Tool Move Tool to drag the Front and Back Cover images from where you saved them on your computer onto the template.

Clicked on Move Tool to Move Front Cover

Using Move Tool for Front Cover

Use the Scale Tool Scale Tool to fit the images into each section.

Scaled Front Book Cover

Using Scale Tool to place Front Cover

Clicked on Move Tool to Move Back Cover

Using the Move Tool for Back Cover

Scaled Back Cover

Make sure that none of the text or images that you want on the cover are in the pink areas of the template.

Using Scale Tool to place Back Cover

Keep GIMP open. You’ll now need to open Paint.NET to create the spine for your book.

Step Six: Create the Spine for Your Book by Opening up Paint.NET

When you open Paint.NET, it should look like this:

Opening Paint.Net

The dimensions of your book spine would be the spine width by the book height. Therefore, the book dimensions for the book cover example would be .83″ x 8.00″. You’ll go to Image and click on Canvas size.

Click on Image and Select Canvas Size in Paint.Net

Then, you input your dimensions. Change the resolution from 96 to 300. 300 dpi (dots per inch) is the resolution needed for high-quality printing.

Input Dimension into Canvas Size

When you click on OK, it’ll look like this:

Clicked OK on Canvas Size in Paint.Net

Go to Image and Rotate 90° Clockwise.

Image Rotate 90 Clockwise in Paint.Net

Image Rotated 90 Clockwise in Paint.Net

If you created a solid back cover, disregard going to GIMP and using the Color Picker Tool and continue with the instructions for Paint.NET because you already have the Hex Color Code for your back cover. Then, you’ll use that color code for your book spine.

However, if you didn’t create a solid book cover, you’ll go to GIMP and use the Color Picker Tool to obtain the background color for your spine by clicking on the back-cover background. To see the Hex Color Code, you’ll need to go to Windows at the top, click on Dockable Dialogs, and select Colors.

Use Color Picker Tool in GIMP for Spine

Then, you’ll go back to Paint.NET. Go to the Colors Dockable Dialog and Click on More.

Colors Dockable Dialog in Paint.Net

Enter the Hex Color Code for your spine. In the example, it would be 064D6B.

Enter Hex Code in Colors Dockable Dialog in Paint.Net

Then use the Paint Bucket Paint Bucket to fill the spine with that color.

Filled the Spine with Hex Code Color in Paint.Net

You’ll use the Text Tool  to enter your book title and author name on the spine in the order as it appears on your book cover.

The Book Title font on the example book cover was Raleway. Raleway wasn’t available in Paint.Net. I performed an online search to see if it was available for a free download for commercial use.

It was available for download on Font Squirrel. I downloaded and installed it. It was immediately available in Paint.NET.

Font Squirrel Raleway for Free Print Book Cover

The Author’s name font on the example book cover was Libre Baskerville. Libre Baskerville wasn’t available in Paint.Net. Again, I performed an online search to see if it was available for a free download for commercial use.

It was available for download on Font Squirrel. I downloaded and installed it. It was immediately available in Paint.NET.

Font Squirrel Libre Baskerville for Free Print Book Cover

Remembering the Details Free Print Book Cover Spine

Go to Image and Rotate 90° Clockwise. Then, save it as a JPG.

Remembering the Details Rotated 90 Clockwise

Save As Remembering the Details Book Spine

Step Seven: Finishing Up with GIMP and Saving as a PDF

Now, you’ll go back to GIMP.

Using Scale Tool to place Back Cover

Drag the spine image with the Move Tool onto the template.

Move Book Spine to GIMP

Book Spine Moved into GIMP

Use the Scale Tool to fit the image in the spine section.

Scale Book Spine in GIMP

Scaled Free Print Book Cover Spine

Go to Windows at the top and open the Layers Dockable Dialog and click on Layer.

Windows Dockable Dialogs Layers for Free Print Book Cover

Layers Dockable Dialog

Click on Layer in the Layers Dialog. Then use Paint Bucket to fill the layer with the spine background color to make sure you cover the yellow barcode. The Layer in the Layers Dialog will turn the color of the spine.

Changed Layer Color for Free Print Book Cover

Free Print Book Cover with Changed Layer Color

Flatten all layers by going to Image at the top and click on Flatten Image.

Image Flatten Image for Free Print Book Cover

The Layers Dialog shows all layers merged into one.

Merged Layers for Free Print Book Cover

Completed Free Print Book Cover

Export the file as a PDF file. You’ll put .pdf at the end of your file name. Then click Export.

Add PDF to Free Print Book Cover File Name

When the dialog box pops up, remove the x’s and leave all the boxes blank. Then click Export.

Export as PDF Dialog Box for Free Print Book Cover

Removed x's from Export as PDF Dialog box for Free Print Book Cover

Now, your file is ready for upload to KDP. Congratulations. You’ve created a free print book cover.

Completed PDF Remembering the Details Book Cover

If you’d like to download a copy of this guide, click here.