You have finished writing your book and now you need an awesome cover to match all those brilliant words inside.
But designing book covers feels super overwhelming, am I right?
As someone who just went through this process myself, I know how daunting it can be trying to design that perfect cover.
What dimensions do you need?
How do you get the spine just right?
Ugh, book cover designing is hard!
Well, I’ve got great news for you! With Canva, you can easily design a professional book cover complete with the spine in just a few simple steps.
In this quick tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a book cover with spine in Canva.
Let’s do this!
You May Also Like:
- How To Round Corners In Canva (3 Easy Steps)
- How To Rotate In Canva (Images, Elements, Pages, etc)
- How To Stretch Text In Canva (2 Quick Tricks!)
- How To Loop Video In Canva (4 Easy Steps!)
How To Create a Book Cover With Spine In Canva
Here are the steps that you can follow to create a stunning book cover with a spine.
1. Create a Custom Design
From the Canva homepage, click on the ‘Create a Design’ button from the top right corner and then on the ‘Custom Size’ button from the left bottom corner of the new menu.
Set the custom dimensions to 13.343 x 9.488 and don’t forget to change the pixels (px) to inches (in).
Note: When setting the template width, you have to include the width of the spine also, so the total width of the template would be Front Page Width + Spine Width + Back Page Width. (height will remain the same)
If your book dimensions are different then don’t worry, you can use the same technique to decide your template width.
At last, click on the ‘Create New Design’ button at the bottom to get directed to the blank canvas.
2. Add And Decorate Your Spine
After getting directed to the blank canvas, it is time to add a spine to your book cover.
Click on the ‘Elements’ button from the left sidebar and then search for ‘Shapes’ from the top search bar.
Now click on the ‘Square’ shape in front of you to add it to your design.
Once you have your square shape on your design, drag the right-hand side ‘Resizing’ handle inwards to set the width at 0.9 inches.
And then stretch the top and bottom ‘Resizing’ handles to set the height at 9.5 inches.
After resizing your spine, drag it at the center of your design. So, it divides your design into two equal parts.
If you are not satisfied with the default color of the spine, click on the ‘Color’ button from the top toolbar.
And then click on the color that complements your book cover.
3. Create a Background For Your Book Cover
After adding and decorating your spine, it is time to add a background to your book cover.
Click on the ‘Apps’ button from the left sidebar and then on the ‘Background’ button. Now go through various background categories such as colors, patterns, gradients, etc.
And then click on the background option that you like the most to add it to your design.
For example, I want my book cover to be cream in color so I will click on the cream color.
4. Add Your Book Information
After adding a background to your book cover, it is time to add your book’s information on the front and back cover of the book.
a) Add Image/ Element
If you, like me, want to add a graphic to your book’s front page, simply click on the ‘Elements’ button in the left sidebar and search for the graphic you need
For example, my book is about mindfulness. So, I will search for a yoga graphic.
Once you find a graphic that you like, click on it to add it to your design. And then drag the element to its respective place.
Note: If you want, you can also add an image on your book cover. You can either go to Canva’s stock photo library or you can upload your own by clicking on the ‘Uploads’ button from the left sidebar.
b) Add Title And Author Details
Now it is time to add your book’s title and author details not only on the front cover but also on your book’s spine.
Click on the ‘Text’ button from the left sidebar, then click on the ‘Add a Heading’ button and start typing the title of your book.
Click on the ‘Font Style’ button from the top toolbar and then click on the font style that you like the best and then drag the title to its respective place on the front cover.
Now to add the title on your spine as well, click on the text element ones and then on the ‘Duplicate’ button.
Rotate and resize the duplicated text element and position it on your spine.
If the color of your spine and text element is the same, as mine. Then click on the text element ones and then on the ‘Color’ button from the top toolbar.
Now click on the color of your liking. So that your title can become readable on the spine.
Note: follow the same process to add your author’s detail on the front cover as well as the spine.
c) Add Synopsis & Reviews
After decorating the front cover and spine, now is the time to decorate the back cover as well.
The back cover mainly consists of a synopsis and the top reviews of the book.
So, click on the ‘Text’ button from the left sidebar, then click on the ‘Add a Little Bit Of Body Text’ button and start typing the synopsis of your book.
And then position the synopsis of the book on the middle of the back cover.
After adding the synopsis, it is time to add top reviews on the back cover.
From the text section, click on the ‘Add a Subheading’ button and then start typing a book review.
Then position the review on the top of the back cover.
By following the above process, add as many book reviews as you want and then position them properly on your back cover.
Note: you can change the font style, font size, font color, etc from the top toolbar to customize the synopsis and book reviews according to your liking.
5. Download Your Book Cover
Once you are satisfied with your book cover with the spine, click on the ‘Share’ button from the top right corner of the screen and then click on the ‘Download’ button.
Set your file type to ‘PDF Print’ and then click on the ‘Download’ button at the bottom to start the downloading process.
FAQ- How To Create a Book Cover With Spine In Canva
Here are a few frequently asked questions:
Can You Use Canva To Create A Book Cover?
Yes, you use Canva to create a book cover. With Canva’s wide library of templates, photos, elements, etc, you can create a stunning book cover in no time.
Follow this blog to create a book cover with a spine from scratch. Even if you choose to go for a pre-made template, don’t worry you can fully customize it in the Canva editor.
How Do I Use A Book Mockup In Canva?
Search for a book mockup from the search bar located in the middle of the Canva homepage. Then click on the mock-up template that you like the most to get directed to the Canva editor.
Now replace the pre-existing image of the book cover with yours (How To Replace Image In Canva). In this way, you can easily save time and use book mockups in Canva efficiently.
Before Your Leave
Whew, we made it to the end of creating your book cover with the spine with Canva. Wasn’t that fun?!
I love using Canva to design covers for my e-books. It’s super easy to get a polished look in minutes.
The coolest part is seeing my name and book title printed on the finished product!
Here are some tips: play around with fonts and sizes until your title and text really pops. And nothing grabs attention like an eye-catching color palette.
Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Let me know if you need any other book cover design tips.
Thank You
Hey there! I’m Rohit Lohia, a passionate SEO enthusiast and the proud founder of Branded Bucks. I’m all about helping small business owners achieve success online through my blog. Join me on this exciting journey as we explore ways to make money online and build a thriving digital presence.