Cover Creation Guide

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1. Review the Requirements

If this is the first time producing a digital cover for Lightning Source (or the first time in a while),
please take a moment to review our submission standards and best practices:

• FAQ
• Spine Width & Book Weight Calculator
• Building Your Cover to Bleed Size

2. Request a Cover Template

An auto-generated template can be emailed to you that is custom-built for your specific title, and
includes guides for all necessary bleed, type safety, etc.

• Cover Template Generator

3. Layout and Design Your Cover to the Custom Template

Publishers and designers experience less issues when using the templates from step two to build
the final version of their cover.

How to use our template:

• Perfect Bound Book Template - Simplex
• Perfect Bound Book Template - Duplex
• Case Bound Book Template
• Dust Jacket Template

How to open our template in Photoshop:

• Opening PDF & EPS Templates in CS2 and Newer
• Opening PDF Duplex Templates in CS2 and Newer

How to open our template in Quark:

• Opening PDF & EPS Templates in Quark

4. Create a Lightning Source Compliant PDF from Your Custom Template

Below are instructions for creating a Lightning Source compliant PDF file from various applications:

Windows and Macintosh*:

• InDesign
• Quark

* Macintosh screenshots are shown in some documentation but the overall information may vary slightly from current
Window’s versions.

5. Review your PDF file for accuracy

This is a very important – yet often overlooked – step in the process. Please open and review your newly created PDF to insure that all elements are present and properly represented in your PDF prior to submitting it for printing. Incomplete or incorrect digital files will put your project behind schedule and could add charges to your account.

• How to review your PDF prior to uploading (click to print instructions)

6. Upload your file

Once you have the PDF completed and double-checked, it’s time to upload the file to Lightning Source.

Note : The upload area is typically in the publisher’s password-protected account. If you are a Designer who does not have access to this area, you may:

1. Request for the publisher to email you a direct link to the upload area for this title (you will need a different link for each title needing to be uploaded).
2. Supply the publisher with the PDF file and the publisher can upload the file from their account.
3. Request the username and password of the publisher’s account.

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