Chapter 9 Book Jackets and Magazine Covers

Objectives (1 of 2) Understand the purpose of book jacket and magazine cover design. Realize cover design is both promotional and editorial design. Be aware of how a cover is seen in context. Appreciate the relationship a reader has with a cover. Consider how the combination of type and visuals communicates to the viewer.

Objectives (2 of 2) Realize a cover designer’s basic options of driving the design solution. Consider front, back, and spine of a book cover. Realize the need for consistency and unity in a cover series. Understand the function of a template when designing a series. Understand the use of a slipcase.

Purpose At once, a cover must grab a reader’s attention and, in visual shorthand, communicate the book’s substance or “feel.” Book jackets and covers are both promotion and editorial design. A cover promotes a book or magazine as well as communicating the publication’s content.

Reader’s Experience The cover is the reader’s first experience with a book; once the reader starts reading, a new relationship develops.

Design Options When designing, the cover designer has a good number of options. All type Type + image Image-driven Text-driven

Design Options: All Type Book cover Designer: John Gall

Design Options: Type + Image Make the visual and type work synergistically to maximize communication and effect nuance. Book cover Designer: Adam C. Rogers

Design Options: Image-Driven When a publication’s cover is image-driven, that means that the image is the predominant visual element on the cover – the one doing the most work to attract the viewer. Book cover Designers: Michael Ian Kaye and Amy Goldfarb

Design Options: Text-Driven When the title of the book (title-driven) or the author’s name (name-driven) is the predominant visual element, the viewer is expected to be attracted to the title’s meaning or the author’s reputation. Book cover Designer: John Gall

Consider All The entire cover – including the spine which is a key player in a bookstore environment -- must be considered. Book cover Designer: Steven Brower

Series When designing for a series, establish a “look” for the series, so people recognize the books as belonging together. For a series, many designers create a template where the author’s name, book title, and visuals are placed in the same position on each jacket or cover, or with slight variations in position. Book cover Designer: Steven Brower

Summary (1 of 3) A book jacket must grab a reader’s attention and, in visual shorthand, communicate the book’s substance or “feel.” The design of a cover influences the viewer’s decision to purchase a book or magazine. Book jackets and covers are both promotion and editorial design. The cover is the reader’s first experience with a book. Once the reader starts reading, a new relationship develops.

Summary (2 of 3) The combination of type and visuals conveys a message and the spirit of the book or magazine. When designing, the cover designer has a good number of options: all type, type + image, image-driven, and text-driven. The entire cover – including the spine, which is a key player in a bookstore environment -- must be considered.

Summary (3 of 3) When designing for a series, you must establish a “look” for the series, so people recognize the books as belonging together. For a series, many designers create a template where the author’s name, book title, and visuals are usually placed in the same position on each jacket or cover, or with slight variations in position.