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Martin Publishing Services

Publishing and Design Services for Authors and Presses

in Book Design and Layout· Publishing Advice and Resources

6×9 Full-Cover Template for Paperback Books

Here is a template that will help you perfect your 6×9 full-cover design for your paperback book. This is a 2-part overlay: front and back with bleeds and margins, including spine margin and the default barcode size and placement.

You can use this overlay to develop a cover that will fulfill the guidelines for Amazon’s KDP print books and as the base for creating your IngramSpark 6×9 books. You will still need to download IngramSpark’s own template for final placement, though.

CreateSpace6x9TemplateOverlay

Here you can see the template overlay in action.

  • The outer pink zone is what will be cut away by the printer. This is called the bleed.
  • The outer blue zone is the margin.  You need to make sure that no important text is in that blue zone.  A good design will make sure that the text uses a zone that is .5″ away from all edge if at all possible, but .125″ is the bare minimum (or .25″ from the bleed’s edge).
  • The ISBN is fake and is just a placeholder.  KDP assigned ISBNs are 2″ wide, 1.2″ tall, and are placed .25″ up from the bottom and .25″ to the left of the spine. (Read all about barcodes, including where to download free ones.)If you are using your own barcode, then you can place it where you want on the back. You can also size it down to roughly 75% of the above dimensions.
  • I have segmented each side in halves and thirds.  Because the pink zone is cut away, it is not taken into my segmenting consideration. The gray grid lines denote halves. The blue grid line denotes thirds.
  • KDP requires a book to be 100+ pages in order for it to allow text on the spine.  If you are using cream paper, then multiply the page count by .0025″. If you are using white paper, then use .00225″ as your multiplier.

Even though you really should be creating your covers in Adobe InDesign, these overlays will provide help for those of you who have not made that leap yet. I am self-taught and found David Blatner and Anne Marie Concepcion’s courses on Lynda.com to be super helpful. They manage InDesignSecrets.com and are an amazing asset to the publishing community.

These overlays are created at 300 dpi and are transparent. Overlay them on top of your design in progress.  Simply turn them off or delete them when you’re done and are ready to export the final cover. They can be used in Photoshop, Canva, etc.

The pixel dimensions are in the title names, but the single side overlays are 1838 x 2775 and your canvas should always be set to 300 dpi for print projects.

I know this will help many of you, and I would have loved to have had them when I first started learning.

KDPfullcovertemplate_6x9_BACKwithspinemargin

createspacefullcovertemplate_6x9_FRONTwithspinemargin

KDPfullcovertemplate_6x9_FRONTwithspinemargin

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I so loved working on this cover Beth Stillman Bla I so loved working on this cover Beth Stillman Blaha. Her writing is phenomenal and honed to a fine point by @shaylaleeraquel's editing skills! I can't wait to add this beauty to my bookshelf.

@beth62881
I often have requests to use watercolor in the cov I often have requests to use watercolor in the cover design, but most of the time, it's just because the author likes the look, not because it has anything to do with the content. I like the design to reflect the title/subtitle/theme of the book, not just pick a design style at random. So finally an author has a title that actually supports using a watercolor theme. Yay!

In watercolor, a bloom is a flow mark created when liquid is added to an already drying wash. These unpredictable textures are also known as blossoms, backruns, or even cauliflowers. These terms all refer to the same thing. They occur because water always seeks a state of equilibrium. (@watercoloraffair_com )

This is a concept that the author had that I was able to polish up and bring to life. #bloomwithdeb
I love tapping into the sci-fi side of my designer I love tapping into the sci-fi side of my designer skillset. Fiction novels give me room to flex, because I can delicately weave in the elements of the story.

Since this book is based in Alamogordo, NM, and also New Mexico State University as a setting, I chose a serif typeface that is similar to the typeface that NMSU uses.

As you read the story, elements of the cover will be revealed to you when you go back for a second look.
"Nurses, you know how to heal others, but who is h "Nurses, you know how to heal others, but who is healing you? It’s time to focus inward and begin to honor yourself. 'Emotional Triage' offers an unassuming, real-life perspective on caring for others while still caring for yourself."

Thank you, nurses, for all you do.

"Emotional Triage" by Olivia Lovejoy, RN, releases next week.

@olivia_lovejoy_rn_author
Of all the things I ever wanted to be, a lawyer wa Of all the things I ever wanted to be, a lawyer was never one of them. If you're a lawyer and you don't want to be, connect with Philippe and snag a copy of his soon-to-be-released workbook to help you discover what you actually want.
Intentional design. The bird/fish pattern on the s Intentional design. The bird/fish pattern on the spine, the rounded san serif, the color palette, the italicizing of "Because,"—everything was chosen and placed with care.

Thank you, @beckykopitzke , for choosing me to design your book. <3
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