How to create a book cover using the new Lulu Cover Wizard

What you are doing in this step:

In this step you’ll create your book cover. If you feel more comfortable with the old cover creator click the ‘use the old cover designer’ link at the top of the page. If you want some help with your cover check out the Lulu services! Click here if you need help with our “old” Lulu Cover Designer.

Changing Background Color

1. Click the ‘Background’ tab, coloring options will appear.

   

2. To the left of the color boxes are thumbnails of the front, spine, and back cover. Click the thumbnail for the cover part you wish to edit.

   

3. Change the background by clicking a color box, using the color eyedropper to pull a color from an image or choose from the color themes.

   

Choosing a Theme

1. Click the ‘Themes’ tab, available themes will be displayed.

   

2. Choose a theme by clicking on its thumbnail. Your cover will automatically update and the thumbnail will be highlighted in orange.

   

Choosing a Layout

1. Click the ‘Layouts’ Tab, available themes will be displayed.

   

2. Click the front or back cover and layouts for that cover part will display.

   

3. Click the layout thumbnail you want to use and your cover will update.

   

Adding Pictures to your Project Images

1. Click the ‘Add Images’ button, options for adding images will appear.

   

2. Upload images from your computer by clicking the ‘Upload’ button. A window will appear to select images from your computer.

   

3. Choose the image you would like to use and click ‘Select’, image(s) will appear in the project images box.

   

4. Upload images from one of the available photo sites by clicking on the logo for that site.

   

5. Click the ‘Authorize’ button on the popup and sign into your account for that site.

   

6. Allow Lulu access to your images and close that window.

   

7. Click the finish button, available images will be displayed in sets/albums.

   

8. A set can be added by drag and dropping the set thumbnail into the ‘Project Images’ box.

   

9. Click on a set’s thumbnail to view all the images in that set.

   

10. To view an image click on the thumbnail for that image.

    

11. Click the ‘Add to Project Images’ button to add an image.
    

12. Click ‘Back to Images’ to return to the other images.

    

13. Click the ‘Close Image Browser’ button to return to your cover.

    

Adding Pictures to Your Cover

1. An image can be added to any part of the cover with a gray camera.

   

2. An image can also be added to the background by dragging and dropping it onto the background.

   

3. Clicking on an image will allow you to rotate, mirror, zoom, or reposition the image.

   

4. Remove an image fromyour cover by draggin and dropping it off of the cover.

   

Adding and Editing Text

1. Editable text areas highlight when you move your cursor over them.

   

2. Click in the highlighted area and the cover creator will zoom in on the text and a toolbar will appear.

   

3. Select the text you want to edit and change the font, font size, font color, bold, italics, underline and whether it is centered, right, or left justified.

   

Other Tools and Options

1. Save your progress at any time by clicking the ‘Save’ button.

    

   

2. Undo and redo actions by clicking the ‘Undo’ and ‘Redo’ buttons.

   

3. Zoom in or out, by clicking the zoom button and clicking the plus or minus magnifying glass. Fit the cover back to the original size by clicking fit.

   

4. The part of the cover that will be trimmed in the printing process has a transparent white layer over it. To remove this click the ‘Hide Crop’ button.

   

5. Click the ‘Preview’ button to view your cover before making a print-ready file.

   

6. When you are happy with the way your cover looks and are ready to move on to other steps in the publishing process click the ‘Make Print-Ready Cover’ button.

   

7. Lulu will make your print-ready file. You can navigate away from this page at any time and the cover will continue to convert.

   

8. Download your cover to review it by clicking the page with the green arrow on it.

   

9. Click ‘Save & Continue’ to move on to the next step.

   

Upload Your One-Piece Cover

1. Click the ‘One-piece cover (advanced)’ button.

   

2. Create your cover to the specifications listed above the upload form.

   

3. Select your file from your computer or select a file from ‘My Lulu Files’.

   

4. When the file has been added to your project, an image of your cover will appear above the file specifications.

   

5. Click the ‘Save & Continue’ button to finish and go to the next step.

   

Advice

We’ve found that the more customized a cover is the better the book sells. We recommend customizing your cover in a way that reflects your book and distinguishes it from other books.

Barcodes

Lulu adds barcodes to some covers. Click here for more info.