Want to create a book cover in Microsoft Word but don’t have any design skills? Don’t worry, as there are plenty of templates available in MS Word that can make your process of creating a book cover easier than ever. Instead of paying a designer hundreds to make the cover, all you have to do is edit the customizable templates and make something on your own.
Here is a detailed guide on how you can create your own book cover in MS Word with templates and without any designing experience.
Follow these steps to create a book cover in Microsoft Word using the available templates.
Start by launching Microsoft Word on your computer. Go to the “New” tab on the left. Here you will find lots of templates available that you can customize.
Figure 1: Book cover templates in MS Word
You will see a search bar on this menu as well. Click on the search bar and search for “Books”.
Carefully pick the type of cover you want for your book. Pick a template that matches the theme of your book. For example, if you are writing about professional topics like finance or business, pick a template that has clear straight lines, strong corporate colours, and things similar to that lane. On the other hand, you can be a bit more artistic for covers of fantasy books, or poetry books for children.
Figure 2: Selecting book cover template in MS Word
After you pick a template, a pop-up window will appear. Click on “Create” to get started.
Figure 3: Editing book cover template in MS Word
The cover will have existing placeholder text. Click on the text and replace it with your own, such as the book title and author name.
The template will likely have a placeholder image. To personalise your book, you need to replace it with an image that resembles the content of the book, or something that you have created yourself. Here is how to do it:
Figure 4: Changing book cover image in MS Word
Now, you will see multiple options to source your image. If you have an image on your device that will be great for the book cover, select “This Device”.
Figure 5: Changing book cover image in MS Word
If you want to look for images online, select the “From Online Sources” option, which will take you to a new pop-up window with Bing’s search engine for images.
After adding an image, adjust it on the page. You can crop, resize, and move around the picture to have the perfect cover.
You will see that the book cover templates that are available in Word not only come with the covers but also a layout for the rest of the pages. They have unique fonts for the pages with a table of contents. If you have already prepared a layout of your own for the book, then delete the rest of the pages from the template, leaving only the cover. Otherwise, you can use the layout of the template for the book.
Once you are satisfied with your book cover, save your document. Click on File > Save As, choose a location, enter a filename, and select the desired format (e.g., .docx or .pdf). Or click the Ctrl + S keyboard shortcut.
As you can see, it is pretty easy to create a book cover with MS Word thanks to the available templates. However, if you want to really make an expression, there is nothing better than creating a cover from scratch with your own unique ideas. Learn advanced formatting and editing from experts with Sikkhon’s in-depth courses on Word and other Microsoft Office-related products.
Creating an impactful book cover is not only about arranging text and images. Your book cover is going to be the first impression for many people, and you want to make a lasting impression. Follow these simple tips to make your design more effective and eye-catching:
You need the book’s cover image to be high-quality, with an HD look. If the cover’s photo is not high resolution, it can look blurry or break down when you print it. If that happens, your book will not look professional at all and many potential readers will be turned away from ever opening the book.
Make sure every image you use in print design is at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). This guarantees clarity and detail—qualities necessary for an attractive cover.
Furthermore, avoid issues regarding copyright by using photographs you have the right to use. High-quality pictures can be found via sites such as Unsplash, Pexels, or Adobe Stock; many also provide licensing choices for commercial use.
You should be able to read the book title and author name right away. Especially for the primary title, stick with neat, simple-to-read fonts. Modern covers frequently benefit from sans-serif typefaces such as Arial or Helvetica; serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia can provide a classic touch.
Particularly when scaled down for thumbnails in digital retailers, very stylized or ornate fonts can be challenging to read. Try keeping decorative fonts to the subtitle or an accent element instead of the main title if you want a unique look.
To have a coherent appearance, keep font choices the same over the cover. Usually, two to three different typefaces are plenty: one for the title, one for the subtitle, and maybe one for the author’s name.
Colours can gently suggest the genre or tone of your book and arouse feelings. Blues and greens, for instance, can convey peace or natural themes; reds and black can imply tension or intensity.
Readership depends on enough contrast between text and backdrop colours. Usually, a safe bet is dark text on a light background, or vice versa. Applying subdued shadows or outlines to the text will help it to be more visible against intricate backgrounds in layered effects.
Keep to a few basic colours to prevent a disorganising appearance. Tools like Coolors or Adobe Colour will enable you to design a pallet that accentuates your theme in balance.
