[Custom Covers] Blanks, Templates - get them, share them, help to modify and create

[jersysman]

I like the modern covers for some use. Each type of cover has its own use. Sometimes, depending on the theme of the book, those type covers are very appropriate.

[MiniMouse]

Originally Posted by Sabardeyn

Regarding the more modern covers...

While I generally agree that they are less suitable for use, they are not unsuitable either. They would, for instance, make great personal journal covers. Finding an appropriate title for the design would be the biggest problem.

Thanks for your long and detailed reply!

Yes, I hope the modern covers find their users too. My idea was, that mybe they would be great for lets say SciFi books or something (or even personal journals like you suggested). But I get it, it probably would be better to add a one colored place where people can put the title and author in.

The first image, with the blue bubbles, could be used for an undersea adventure.However, it might still be possible to use the modern images as an intermediary layer instead of the finished cover. For instance they might make decent texture patterns for leather and linen covers.

Okay, I think I didn't make that clear enough (I edit my post allready). The blue bubbles and the black one with the red, yellow and blue bubbles are no covers!!!!

They are only up to show you from where I started to greate the covers. Picture 1 was the base layer for picture 2 (Kaleidoscope Cover 6) and picture 3 the base layer for picture 4 (Kaleidoscope Cover 7)!

Like in my post from here where the first 4 pictures are only there to show from where I started, the in between stages and only from picture 5 the real covers start.

That's way only for these covers are zip-files up!

So I think I allready got to the texture part

Linen Cover 9 kind of captures a bit of the color-on-color idea, although the two colors should be much closer in shade.

I would have liked the yellow cover to have come out more with a golden ornament on it but it seems that I can't do that with PIXLR. So it became more a color-on-color style. Though I have to try that again because I would love it when it would look more the way I intended it to be.

A monochromatic color scheme tends to make busy or detailed designs fade away. That is why Linen Cover 10, which would normally be considered too complex for a cover, seems to work. The range of brown colors used are relatively close together. Only the background color is substantially different. When paired with an appropriate story -- maybe something in an arctic setting, since the design is something like pine needles -- the cover's use becomes subtly more appropriate.

Arctic setting is not what I had in mind with this cover, but okay.
I like this cover. I think the brown colors are perfectly melting together. Hope you find a story to use it for and this time I left space for text!

Any wishes, then let me know.

MiniMouse

[MiniMouse]

Originally Posted by jersysman

I like the modern covers for some use. Each type of cover has its own use. Sometimes, depending on the theme of the book, those type covers are very appropriate.

It is good that people have different tastes! I'm happy when someone finds a use for these modern covers. But I will leave more one colored space for text from now on (if I should make some more that is).

One Note: I edit my post here and here because they seem to be some confusion. Not all of them are covers! Some pictures I only put up to show from where I started and the different stages before the final covers!

Just wanted to clearify this.

MiniMouse

[glos]

MiniMouse
to me, any picture can be a cover, I don't really mind about the shape (book-like), so I got the bubble one because it was the one I liked the most.

I agree that some covers are a bit too full, so when I add title/author is not easy to find balance with font and color so as the cover doesn't swallow the text, BUT, I've found some perfect fits, like I've used one of yours that looked hypnotic to me for a fic centered about drugs and hallucinations

In all this I've spent 4 hours yesterday searching and dl cute fonts °_° My eyesssssss @–@

[MiniMouse]

Originally Posted by glos

MiniMouse
to me, any picture can be a cover, I don't really mind about the shape (book-like), so I got the bubble one because it was the one I liked the most.

I agree that some covers are a bit too full, so when I add title/author is not easy to find balance with font and color so as the cover doesn't swallow the text, BUT, I've found some perfect fits, like I've used one of yours that looked hypnotic to me for a fic centered about drugs and hallucinations

In all this I've spent 4 hours yesterday searching and dl cute fonts °_° My eyesssssss @–@

Sorry, for spending so much time to find a fond. I would love to hear (or see) though which cover you choosed for your fic and which fond.

And I will include a place for text next time, should I ever make some more modern covers. Maybe I even rework the old covers some day.

MiniMouse

[glos]

Ah it wasn't necessary, but with all this discussing (here) and with my mother for something work-related, made me go and search for fonts... and I couldn't stop

as always I hadn't saved it, and I can't even find it RN because I recently re-sent the books to my reader so I can't sort by "last modified". MH my memory is awful, but I assure you the choice made perfect sense at that time °_° It was one of those with the colors in a triangle-shape XD

[Sabardeyn]

I realize that not all of the images you have posted were intended as covers... but nothing stops them from being used that way. Another person could use your posted results to create a similar image, if they wanted.

As for gold coloration, metallic colors can be very hard to create / imitate. Sometimes the only way to get a viable selection of colors is to find an existing color palette and use that. Many art programs allow color palettes to be imported / exported as separate files. However, this can also be done by sampling the colors from an image with a nice golden effect.

Lastly, just to bust your chops ;P , I would have called that background color mustard - not yellow or gold.

[Sefiriot]

I actually go looking for the HTML/RGB values for colors then fiddle around to make it look right. Still getting an actual metallic sheen seems to be beyond the capabilities of the Generate Cover plugin and basic editor programs, unless we're talking GIMP or Photoshop, I think-- at the least I suspect the metallic sheen is probably achieved via a layered on effect, somehow.

[Sabardeyn]

Mostly it's done by gradients depending on what effect is desired. Whether you want a sparkle/glare, or shading to imitate height or shape (3D)/embossing.

Sometimes it's done by custom tools, but layers and other special effects are also used.

[MiniMouse]

Hey everyone,

I have some new covers to share with you. Again I created ALL of it myself and also again I played with the Kaleidoscope effect of PIXLR to create these ornaments, though I restricted it to the edges (mostly) to leave enough space for text.

I will have some few more that I'm right now working on but otherwise you have to help me out with some wishes that inspire me with new ideas because I'm running out of them.

So, I'm waiting for your feedback...

MiniMouse

[BetterRed]

@Mini Mouse - maybe you can come up with with an idea for how I can use your textured covers with the Generate Cover PI to replace the solid colour you see in this example.

I use pictures that give a visual hint as to subject. So 'books' about the Euro get that sunny picture of the of the ECB, 'books' about Pound Sterling get a picture of the BoE in the rain, etc. The 'books' are public domain journal articles, think-tank papers etc, so they don't come with 'covers'.

When it comes to matters visual I'm the least creative kid on the block. My eyes glaze and my brain goes into hibernate mode if I have to do more than a couple of clicks. I remove the covers from any 'books' created by conversion with Modify, they only have value to me within calibre (Book Details).

I thought having textured borders might make my use of the Generate Cover PI less mechanical and produce a more interesting result - I get bored with them

BR

[MiniMouse]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@Mini Mouse - maybe you can come up with with an idea for how I can use your textured covers with the Generate Cover PI to replace the solid colour you see in this example.

I use pictures that give a visual hint as to subject. So 'books' about the Euro get that sunny picture of the of the ECB, 'books' about Pound Sterling get a picture of the BoE in the rain, etc. The 'books' are public domain journal articles, think-tank papers etc, so they don't come with 'covers'.

When it comes to matters visual I'm the least creative kid on the block. My eyes glaze and my brain goes into hibernate mode if I have to do more than a couple of clicks. I remove the covers from any 'books' created by conversion with Modify, they only have value to me within calibre (Book Details).

I thought having textured borders might make my use of the Generate Cover PI less mechanical and produce a more interesting result - I get bored with them

BR

Interesting... so let me see if I got that right. You want a texture or some texture options for the background (the black part) of your cover. Not the picture itself, right?

And it can't be too much because you're using the background also for title and author, right?

You want to combine the new texture and the picture by yourself? Because I don't think you can do this with the GUI Plugin...or we have to see if kiwidude can change that.

Your pictures always having the same size?

You have it in high quality? It would be good to have it in the size you use it, so I can better see what I can come up with.

I'm excited already!



MiniMouse

[theducks]

Maybe Kiwidude will add a provision for OR BackGround Image in section that sets the background Color.
BGI will be full cover size
The other Image rules would mostly stay the same (why would you streach that image to full size, also)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by MiniMouse

Interesting... so let me see if I got that right. You want a texture or some texture options for the background (the black part) of your cover. Not the picture itself, right?

And it can't be too much because you're using the background also for title and author, right?

You want to combine the new texture and the picture by yourself? Because I don't think you can do this with the GUI Plugin...or we have to see if kiwidude can change that.

If you can come up with a simple two step process that will be fine - ie frame the picture in one of your textures to create a composite image and give that image to Generate Cover so it can write the Title & Author on the borders.

Once we have that, then it can be used as a model to present to kiwidude, and if he's not interested then we have not lost anything.

Originally Posted by MiniMouse

Your pictures always having the same size?

You have it in high quality? It would be good to have it in the size you use it, so I can better see what I can come up with.

The size/quality is whatever they are when I drag them onto my desktop from wherever I find them - I'll attach a zip with some that I use. I can resize them to a fixed 'standard" size with the Faststone gadget I have in my windows context menu.

Quality is not an issue for me in the way that it is for some folks. The text is there for me to read, and the picture gives me a hint as to the books 'subject'. The textured frame is eye candy to make it less boring.

That image of the ECB I posted is not what I actually use for Euro related books, it was just something I peeled from Drag-highs site this morning, I usually try for something a bit better than that.

For Euro related books I actually use a picture of Jens Weidmann looking at the ECB Tower from his office window at Buba, with a scowl on his face. It came from someone I know, who took it when he interviewed JW - so its FMEO

The Brunhilde pic is what I use for Chancellor Mutti stuff - hope you're not offended

BR

ps: I have a small amount of knowledge of Irfanview - I can use its panorama and paint dialog features, and look for EXIF and IPTC metadata. I have tried to use the GIMP & Photoshop, but they are a total mystery to me.

pps: The pictures I use come via Google images, with the exception of the JW pic. I never use pictures I take myself on account that I have nothing with which to take them - arch iconoclast.

[MiniMouse]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If you can come up with a simple two step process that will be fine - ie frame the picture in one of your textures to create a composite image and give that image to Generate Cover so it can write the Title & Author on the borders.

Once we have that, then it can be used as a model to present to kiwidude, and if he's not interested then we have not lost anything.

Okay, we will make a first really simple try here and see if that is what you are looking for and if it works for you. You can also use the covers I put up so far with this (you can find links to all covers in the first post) but I will give you some more suitable textures for your specific use too.

We will make a grey linen cover for you with Chancellor Mutti ( I really had to laugh about that, never heard that expression before )!

First download the grey linen cover I put up.

I'm sure it is also very simple with GIMP but I haven't tried it so far, so I will give you the steps in PIXLR, an open source program you can find here. It is really simple, so stay with me! I'm only explaining it as exactly as I can and I put some stage pictures up to make it more easy for you to follow.

When you open PIXLR it will ask you what you want to do. Choose 'Open image from computer' and select the grey linen cover (just in case the window isn't there, go to 'file' in the toolbar and choose 'open image'). The grey linen cover will open in a window, when you choose the box at the side it will maximize your window and center the linen cover on your display, I find that easer to work with (PIXLR stage 1).

Now that you have the grey linen cover open, go to 'Layer' in the toolbar and select 'Open image as layer' (PIXLR stage 2) and choose your 'Brunhilde the Valkyrie by driany' image. PIXLR will put it right in the center over the grey linen cover.

You now can change the size of the Brunhilde image right here. Go to 'Edit' in your toolbar and select 'Free transform', it will show... let's call it a window around your Brunhilde image. Put your curser on one of the left or right boxes in the corner of the window until your curser shows a dobble-ended black arrow (PIXLR Stage 3). Not a round black arrow because then you will turn the image! If you don't want to change the proportions of your image you have to hold the 'Shift' button and then pull (like drag and drop) your image in the size you want it, bigger or smaller (yes, it will also work if your image is bigger than my texture cover). When you're happy with the size go with your curser somewhere (anywhere) to the side (you will see a white arrow again) and click on your mouse. PIXLR now asks you 'Do you want to apply the changes?' Which you can answer with YES, NO or CANCEL. If you like your made size you obviosly will choose YES (PIXLR stage 4).

There are also some more things you should know, other options for changing your picture size and the position of your layer. For more information read here and here.

Save the image and what you wanted to do is done now! However I want to add two suggestions for you...

Two things you also can do that are very simple and easily done. So, again, stay with me, please!

When you want to put your Brunhilde image a bit more down or higher (or more left or right) you can do this by selecting the 'Move tool (V)' in your 'tools' window (PIXLR stage 5). If the tool window isn't open (it normally is) go to 'View' in your toolbar and select 'Tool options'. Now you can move (also like drag and drop) with your mouse the Brunhilde image wherever you want.

Second thing I would do, again very easy but I think it combines the two images better. On your right you see a 'Layers' window (if it isn't there go to 'View' in your toolbar and select 'Layers'). Click on the two-arrow button (PIXLR stage 6), it will open the 'modes' options. When you choose, for example 'Overlay' (PIXLR stage 7), it will merge the two images a bit more and give you a more linen look for your Brunhilde image too (Final cover).

Now just save your new cover and DONE!

Try and let me know if it worked, if it is easy enough and what you think.

And one last question, you like the textures with a book margin like the covers in this post or without? Let me know.

MiniMouse

(Just in case you wonder: the stage pictures are made with a more blue linen cover but with the Overlay-modes I personally liked the grey one more.)


AND for everyone who wants to see more from the artist of this lovely drawing, check out the side of driany on deviantart here. His gallery is free to use.