turning digital book covers into real books: pt. 1

this is a topic i frequently get asked about—so i thought i’d finally make a guide on how i usually do it! to make things easier, i’m splitting it into two parts, just so it’s much easier to browse through! this is the version that’s a little more straightforward (and what i typically prefer as it’s just simpler in general). the next segment will be a little more complicated!

- what you need:

o procreate subscription

o an ipad

o a high quality digital book cover

o a picture of a blank book in your preferred layout

- step 1: i’m very specific with my layout—so just do what you like for the actual picture. i usually try to pick out books that already have the same color as the digital cover i want to overlay—and if i don’t have this, i will actually just go and cover the book with similarly colored paper—or white!

- step 2: open procreate and the image you want to edit. on a new layer, add the high resolution book cover. you can adjust the opacity at this point, so you can see the edges of the book as you’re moving the cover around.

- step 3: utilize distort/warp here—depending on the picture you take, you’ll have to distort it for perspective and warp it so it lines up with the edges! keep this in mind when you’re taking the picture—make sure there’s nothing obstructing the book cover so you won’t have a hard time with editing.

- step 4: once you're satisfied with the placement, select the book cover layer and change the layer settings to multiply or overlay. this allows the cover to blend in with your lighting on the blank book. i actually like the multiply option more, but depending on the color of the book, i usually just switch between the two to see what looks best. overlay is better for darker books though!

- step 5: it's ideal to play around with the hue, saturation, and brightness, so it looks as seamless as possible. digital covers tend to be more saturated, so i'd recommend desaturating the book cover layer a little. you can also play with curves at this point if you want any more lighting adjustments.

- step 6: i like to add a little noise to my photos, as digital covers tend to be overly smooth at times. ridges seem the most natural to me, so this is what i prefer using!

- step 7: export your image, apply your favorite filter/preset, and you're good to go! you're now ready to fool your bookish friends into thinking you have a physical copy of the book. <3

#lemon8partner #bookediting #editingbookcovers