Pustakvani – Book Cover Specification
File Formats
Cover has to be submitted as a single file in one of the following formats:
- jpg / jpeg
- tiff
You can use Photoshop, CorelDraw etc. to create the images. Convert them to tiff/PDF/jpg before submitting on Pustakvani. For open-source alternatives, you can use GIMP or Inkscape. You can also use our cover design services or free-to-use cover creator.
Manuscripts in RTL Languages
For manuscripts in RTL languages, the order of elements in the cover needs to be reversed:
- Front cover on the left-hand side
- Followed by the spine
- Then the back cover
Pre-requisites for Cover Design
The size of the cover depends on:
- Page size of the interior
- Number of pages
- Type of Binding
Make sure the interior is fully formatted to know the number of pages. Decide the type of binding based on the page count. Check out our binding options before finalizing.
Cover Structure
Important terms used in describing cover:
Spine
Spine is the part of the cover that covers the thickness of the book. It falls between the front and the back cover. Applicable only for perfect bound and hard bound books.
Bleed
The covers for saddle-stitched and perfect bound books should have bleed around them. Bleed is extra area that gets cut off to avoid thin white edges.
Flap
Hard bound book covers need flaps which fold inside to hide the board. Like bleed, flaps should not contain text or graphics.
Bleed Height: 0.2″ | Bleed Width: 0.2″
Bleed Height: 0.2″ | Bleed Width: 0.2″ | Spine Width = 0.001968″ × Number of Pages
Flap Width: 0.787″ | Spine Width = 0.157″ + 0.001968″ × Number of Pages
Bleed Height & Width: 0.2″ | Center Stapled, no spine
| Book Size | Binding Type | Cover Dimensions (Portrait) | Cover Dimensions (Landscape) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4″x6″ | Saddle Stitched | Width: 4.25″ Height: 6.25″ | Width: 6.25″ Height: 4.25″ |
| Softcover | Width: 8.25″ + Spine Height: 6.25″ | Width: 12.25″ + Spine Height: 4.25″ | |
| 5″x7″ | Saddle Stitched | Width: 5.25″ Height: 7.25″ | Width: 7.25″ Height: 5.25″ |
| Softcover | Width: 10.25″ + Spine Height: 7.25″ | Width: 14.25″ + Spine Height: 5.25″ | |
| 5.5″x8.5″ | Saddle Stitched | Width: 5.75″ Height: 8.75″ | Width: 8.75″ Height: 5.75″ |
| Softcover | Width: 11.25″ + Spine Height: 8.75″ | Width: 17.25″ + Spine Height: 5.75″ | |
| 6″x9″ | Saddle Stitched | Width: 6.25″ Height: 9.25″ | Width: 9.25″ Height: 6.25″ |
| Softcover | Width: 12.25″ + Spine Height: 9.25″ | Width: 18.25″ + Spine Height: 6.25″ | |
| 7″x10″ | Saddle Stitched | Width: 7.25″ Height: 10.25″ | Width: 10.25″ Height: 7.25″ |
| Softcover | Width: 14.25″ + Spine Height: 10.25″ | Width: 20.25″ + Spine Height: 7.25″ | |
| A4 | Saddle Stitched | Width: 8.375″ Height: 11.75″ | Width: 11.75″ Height: 8.375″ |
| Softcover | Width: 16.75″ + Spine Height: 11.75″ | Width: 23.75″ + Spine Height: 8.375″ |
