Book cover artwork DPI

[Joe McM]

Does anyone know what the standard DPI for cover art? My book will be 5.5 x 8.5. I did some research and found that it should be a minimum of 300 dpi. And for 300 DPI, it should be 1650 pixels by 2550 pixels. I’m probably stating this incorrectly. I wanted to check with you all before I get the artwork digitized. Thanks in advance.

 

[Finchbearer]

For print it is 300 dpi as standard.

 

[skip.knox]

Your printer--this includes Amazon and D2D etc.--will tell you the dimensions they need and the dpi. The only standard is the standard required by the place that actually prints your book. All such places publish their standards. No need to try to guess at it.

 

[Finchbearer]

300 dpi is standard across the board for print, anything less and you’re looking at poor resolution. 72 dpi is standard for screen, but can go up to 150 dpi.

 

[Joe McM]

Since I’m not sure of which self-publishing company I’ll use, I wait then. Thanks.

 

[pmmg]

Wow. With so many printers able to do much higher than that, i am surprised 300 is the standard. Must be to save on toner.

 

[pmmg]

I agree. 300 is about where you stop noticing the graininess.

But i just wonder how it came to be. I had a 600 dpi home printer way back in the 90s.

 

[Mad Swede]

OK, if you're getting this done professionally the printers will tell you what format and resolution to use.

I asked my cover designer about this when my first book was being prepared for printing, and I was told that for raster images my publishers insist on an image resolution of at least 600dpi for colour art and a resolution of at least 1200 dpi for black and white art. Line art can apparently be done using raster images or vector graphics. What my designer also said was that colours need to be specified using the Pantone Matching System, because the covers are produced using offset printing and spot colours with a lithographic plate for each colour. Those covers look gorgeous but they cost, which is why producing them like that only works for print runs of more than 2000 copies.

 

[Finchbearer]

OK, if you're getting this done professionally the printers will tell you what format and resolution to use.

I asked my cover designer about this when my first book was being prepared for printing, and I was told that for raster images my publishers insist on an image resolution of at least 600dpi for colour art and a resolution of at least 1200 dpi for black and white art. Line art can apparently be done using raster images or vector graphics. What my designer also said was that colours need to be specified using the Pantone Matching System, because the covers are produced using offset printing and spot colours with a lithographic plate for each colour. Those covers look gorgeous but they cost, which is why producing them like that only works for print runs of more than 2000 copies.

Wow, that’s high. I’ve never sent off an image to a printers at 1200 dpi. That is usually reserved for large scale imagery. Even for offset lithography, 300 dpi will usually suffice. For a standard digitally printed paperback, 300 dpi should suffice, but ask your publisher / printer.

 

[Mad Swede]

Wow, that’s high. I’ve never sent off an image to a printers at 1200 dpi. That is usually reserved for large scale imagery. Even for offset lithography, 300 dpi will usually suffice. For a standard digitally printed paperback, 300 dpi should suffice, but ask your publisher / printer.

Well, my books are printed in hardback and as trade paperbacks (in a form called Danskt band) so the print quality is very high, which is why my publisher wants a good original image.

My advice to Joe McM would be to digitize the cover image at a very high resolution (1200dpi or more), because it can always be scaled down either by the printer or by him. What doesn't give good results is scaling up the resolution later. And save the image as a TIF file.

 

[Finchbearer]

Yup, an image can certainly be scaled down as needed. 300 dpi really being the minimum just means you’re assured to have an image that has a high enough resolution for print, as the OP has already researched.

 

[Joe McM]

Well, my books are printed in hardback and as trade paperbacks (in a form called Danskt band) so the print quality is very high, which is why my publisher wants a good original image.

My advice to Joe McM would be to digitize the cover image at a very high resolution (1200dpi or more), because it can always be scaled down either by the printer or by him. What doesn't give good results is scaling up the resolution later. And save the image as a TIF file.

Thanks Mad Swede. A tiff file though? I would have thought a png. That’s why we used for graphics when I worked in a software company in the doc dept. Of course, those graphics were for online docs not print.

 

[Finchbearer]

I would second .TIFF but your printer / publisher may also take a raw psd file for example so ask.

 

[pmmg]

I dont think it would hurt to have it in a higher resolution. If was to use that to make a larger poster, at what point does 300 start to look pixilated.

But, if the art exists on a pc, can it just be shifted from one to another? I dont think the computer cares. It just sends the printer what it can take.

 

[Finchbearer]

I dont think it would hurt to have it in a higher resolution. If was to use that to make a larger poster, at what point does 300 start to look pixilated.

Above A1 / A0 size

 

[Mad Swede]

But, if the art exists on a pc, can it just be shifted from one to another? I dont think the computer cares. It just sends the printer what it can take.

No. I asked my designer about this too. Your PC (and your Mac, if you have one) use Red, Green and Blue (RGB) to generate the colours you see on screen. Offset printing uses at least four colours, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CYMK), to produce an image and if you use Pantone Matching System (PMS) colours then there is an even wider range of coloured inks used for printing. So when you move an image from your PC into the format needed for offset printing there is a lot of work to be done sorting out the colours so that what you get on the printed cover matches what you designed on the computer.

 

[Finchbearer]

When I have used Pantone spot colours, with Adobe software you can match CMYK colour to the nearest Pantone colour. Sometimes the colours change dramatically and sometimes they are a close match, but even then, when printed, colours will always appear slightly different compared to screen.

I am intrigued about your litho printed cover Mad Swede!

 

[pmmg]

Id be interested to see one of your covers mad swede. Where can we find them?

Matching screen to printer would always be a close match not exact. Even monitors show color differently. Same file on two different monitors might not be the same.

 

[Rexenm]

Since I’m not sure of which self-publishing company I’ll use, I wait then.

Books are traditionally A5, but they get hard cover. There is two theories - that books should have soft covers or hard covers. Sometimes you get the name embossed. Otherwise, love conquers all, that is a good measure of cover art.

That’s why we used for graphics when I worked in a software company in the doc dept.

I could go on about all the theories about landscape versus portrait, but a square book would just be weird.

 

[Joe McM]

I would second .TIFF but your printer / publisher may also take a raw psd file for example so ask.

I actually have the original painted artwork. And don’t have Photoshop. But I think I’ll wait until I determine the publisher. Thanks.