What program do I use for the book cover?
The final layout and back text must be done in InDesign. But the rest of the design can be done in Photoshop or Illustrator and imported as a picture.
What size is the book cover? Please refer to the template in Moodle to properly set up the file in InDesign. I demoed it in class about the last 10 minutes of class on Feb 17, so you can see the recording too.
How big is the image in Photoshop if I want to design there and import to my layout?
The easiest thing to do is open your indesign template and draw a rectangle over the area of the template that you want your artwork to fill, either just the front, the whole page, with or without inclusion of the bleeds. Then read on the options on the top what the width and height is of that rectangle that you drew, and open a file that size in Photoshop.
Where to we get the summary for the back? For now you can use the one in Moodle in the summaries file, just tweak or edit it to sound more like back cover text, ending with a question or something intriguing. It will be swapped for exact text later
Do I need to include publisher logo and bar code? Yes. Logo will be provided at some point. Bar code can be a dummy one for now, must search for any bar code image
Why does my image look pixellated in Indesign? InDesign often places placeholder images of low quality to make processing faster. When you make the final PDF it will replace it with the actual high res image. But you need to make sure your actual image is high res…it should be the correct dimensions in photoshop, 300dpi resolution, and saved in TIFF or PSD format for best print quality.
Am I limited in the number of colors? No, but color scheme is very important to create mood and tone, so definitely choose a specific, meaningful overall palette.
Can I use placeholder text? No, only for any drafts but not the final submission