Want to design a book cover on a budget? Typically I teach book cover design using Photoshop, but today I'm doing a tutorial on designing a fantasy book cover in Canva (Pro edition). I'll be going step by step, designing this cover with you, giving some tips and tricks for design along the way. If you want to learn more about cover design, be sure to check out my courses on designing book covers in Photoshop.
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Mandi Lynn published her first novel when she was seventeen. The author of multiple books, Mandi spends her days continuing to write and creating YouTube videos to help other writers achieve their dreams of seeing their books published. Mandi is the owner of Stone Ridge Books, a company that works to help authors bring their books to life through cover design and digital book marketing. She is also the creator of The Book Launch Planner, a planner designed to help authors publish and market their books. When she’s not creating, you can find Mandi exploring her backyard or getting lost in the woods.
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links. By purchasing a linked product or service, Mandi Lynn will receive a small commission at no additional fee to you.
Title:
Canva Book Cover Design Tutorial – Book Cover Design on a Budget
Search terms: canva book cover tutorial, how to design a book cover
#bookcoverdesign #bookcovertutorial #selfpublishing
Loved this video!!! Thank you so much for sharing! And oh my gosh I love that cover you designed, that is so awesome!!! And yes I would love more cover design videos! They are one of my favorite videos to watch!!!
I love your book cover design videos.
Mandi Lynn is awesome. I preordered sparks in Iceland and I’m so looking forward to read it. The fact that she wrote a novella and just gave it away for free was so generous.
The Typography truly makes or breaks a cover. i have seen a lot of great Cover with amazing illustration, but they looked not professional because there was not at the same level. We were always taught to design anything with text in indesign (like magazine covers). But … well it can’t do effects like Photoshop can 😀 Gotta level up that game ^°^
Little question: Do you export the finished covers from photoshop to make print pdfs or do you put it in indesign to make the printing data? 😀
Great video! I have designed all my books covers on Canva Pro, and really enjoy it.
For the text, you can make it look 3d if you layer the text effects. I often do the neon glow effect on the bottom. Then, I do like an outline layer in the middle and the end with the flat text on top and adjust transparency. It’s not as good as Photoshop typography, but it works better than flat text.
How do you isolate the effects on parts of the text like the middle, bottom, end, etc?
@twriterpub It would depend on what you’re trying to do, but I would make my basic flat text, then add layers over it, possibly isolating the letters you want to have the effect, then group them together.
@@sarawrightbooks I think I understand what you mean…so start with whatever your text insert is; then duplicate the text and add the effect that way?
@twriterpub Exactly! Just keep layering the text just like you would with a picture until it looks good to you. With each layer, you can adjust the affect/color/transparency. It’s not going to be as good as Photoshop, but at least it won’t look as one-dimensional.
Love this video! Canva is one of my favorites, and this is going to show that I use it way too much haha but when you were talking about wanting to put a glow around the girl—there actually is an effect for that in Canva! You just select the girl, click edit, scroll down to effects and do the shadows option. 😊
Oh really? I need to play around with Canva more!
Damn TIL. 😅
If you design it and download in pdf could you add the title in photoshop or Adobe illustrator
@@luvsnursing9946Yes you can download any design you make with no text on it and add that in another program afterwards!
Thanks so much for this tutorial.
After you remove a background you can add shadow, pick glow, and get a similar glow effect you were looking for around the princess. It’s not as customizable as ps but it can work in a pinch
LOL, I’ve used the same stock model before too. Went for an Anastasia in space vibe for mine with a more blue palette than purple. Your use of it is beautiful and love the faded purple vibes.
I feel like people don’t give Canvas enough credit for how accessible it is and how versatile it can be tbh.
I was fairly certain that Canva (even with pro) does NOT allow users to actually sell things made with their stock photos? Was I mistaken?
I was also wondering this, for both the stock photos and the fonts (i’m trying to figure out how to design my book cover but feel a little lost). I loved watching you (Mandi) design this though!
Canva has GREAT text apps within pro that will give you metallic and gradient, etc. I also will use text masking in free version of Easil, then download and upload into Canva when I want to do text masking.
The problem is you know too much and have too much to tell who wants not much
Would you share why you don’t do book covers anymore?
I’m home with my daughter full time and can’t design covers in a timely manner anymore so it’s not fair for me to take clients.
The only issue with making covers in Canva is every single element has its own terms of service and not all of them allow commercial products to be made from the image, no matter if you have a pro account or not. It’s fine, so long as you remember to check every single thing you use, but most people don’t think to do it.
I was going to say the same thing. Thanks for getting there first.
Thanks. Great tutorial using Canva.
Why doesn’t KDP allow books or book covers made with Canva elements? Whenever I used Canva elements or Canva AI to create coloring books or book covers, KDP blocked them within five minutes. Additionally, whenever I updated the book cover, price, interior, or description of my published books on KDP, they would block the changes and decide not to publish them again. Could you explain, please?
Oh, I agree! How I wish there was a foil letter option on Canva or that gradients could be added to text for a metallic effect and in the free version. It is the one missing detail for the cover mock-up i’m making. It needs silver letters with the other effects I’ve placed on my title, but I am having to settle for whir.