Press-Ready Covers

Submitting your cover press-ready gives you complete design control. Use your own artistic talent or have work done for hire. Your digital file may be created on a Macintosh® or PC platform.

We define press-ready as: a cover furnished to us without additional typesetting or alterations. The cover is ready to plate and print. Digital, press-ready covers should be ready to output without any manipulation. The quality of the printed piece depends on the quality of the press-ready material you provide. Laser copies, paper plates, color printouts, or paste-ups are NOT considered press-ready material. If this material is submitted, the cover will be recreated as closely as possible for an extra charge.

For cover specifications, download Submitting a Press-Ready Cover (PDF 598 KB). You can also request our FREE Publishing Kit for full details. A FREE cover proof will be sent for your approval.

Back to Cover Design

Sending a Press-Ready Cover

We accept covers created on a Macintosh® or PC platform. Send your cover on a CD or use our online Cover Upload Tool. Cover must be designed with QuarkXPress®, Adobe Illustrator™, Macromedia® Freehand, Adobe Photoshop™, or converted to a PDF file. Submit a hard copy with your order so we can verify content.

Press-Ready Cover Templates

The cover must be designed according to the chosen binding style and book size. For cover specifications, download Submitting a Press-Ready Cover (PDF 598kb).

Bar Codes

If your book requires a bar code, placement is usually in the bottom right corner of the back cover. The bar code must be printed in black ink on a white background area. For an extra charge, we can create a bar code and drop it into position as long as a white area has been reserved for it. See individual templates for placement. Note: An ISBN is required to create a bar code. Review Technical Details for more information on ISBN and barcodes.