How I Created My Book Cover on Canva (Step-by-Step With Screenshots)
The first impression a book makes is with the cover. An attractive cover will immediately attract eyeballs. Readers interested in your book will pick up a cover that reflects the book’s topic. Crafting a book cover that meets these expectations is entirely possible with DIY design tools. We took the challenge of crafting our DIY book cover design using the design tool Canva. Canva, like many other design tools, is a free design tool which can also be used as a free book cover maker, offering stunning templates and intuitive tools. Here is our step-by-step journey, complete with insights, examples, and lessons we learned.
Step 1: Choosing the Right Dimensions
Before we could start designing a book cover. We needed to select a book size. A little exploration, and we zeroed in on some commonly used book sizes in India:
- – 5” x 8” for novels
- – 6” x 9” for non-fiction
- – A4 size for coffee-table books
As seen in the image below, we selected the “custom size” option and then fed in the book size we had zeroed in on.
Tip: If your text has been formatted to a particular book size, say 5” x 8”, then the book cover should follow that size.
Step 2: Browsing Canva’s Free Templates
Canva offers numerous DIY book cover design ideas across various themes (they can be seen on the left side of the image below. These beautifully designed covers are ideal for an author wanting to create a DIY book cover. With its user-friendly interface and a wide range of options, we found a cover that suited our book. The genre was memoir, so we chose a cover that suited our theme. This ease of use gave us the confidence to design our own cover.
Pro Tip: If you’re writing a mystery novel, use bold fonts and dark-themed backgrounds; use minimalistic and artistic designs for poetry.
For instance, when Anila Rattan chose the book cover, it was a simple yet elegant design that followed a clean, readable format, perfectly suiting her book on coaching.
Step 3: Adding Personal Elements
To make the cover truly unique, we customised it with:
✅ Fonts that matched our book’s vibe—Canva offers stylish fonts like Playfair Display for classics or Montserrat for modern novels.
✅ Colors inspired by Indian themes—We used earthy tones and deep blue for an uplifting Indian essence and to reflect the gravity of the topic.
✅ Images & illustrations—We added subtle stars to symbolise positivity and expanse, an element that tied into the book’s message.
✅ If stock images don’t fit your book’s theme, use Canva’s draw tool or mix & match its elements to design an exclusive illustration—perfect for fantasy novels or personal memoirs.
Example: Chandana Singh’s book Mystical Encounters incorporates Indian motifs that reflect mystery and spirituality while maintaining a polished look.
Step 4: Enhancing Readability & Composition
Our research indicated that for a book cover to be attractive, one should be able to read the title clearly and follow vital title creation and placement rules. The font, size and placement were all important factors. In a Canva design, these are usually incorporated into the title. One needs to be careful when deciding to change the font type of the title to maintain the ideal size and distance. We followed Canva’s rule of contrast and spacing:
- – Large, legible title font at the center
- – Author name in a readable but stylish font below
- – Adequate spacing between elements to avoid clutter
Tip: Canva’s “Grid” and “Align” features ensure perfect placement so your title stands out boldly.
✔ Classic Combinations for title and sub-title: The title font should complement the subtitle and author name.
- – Serif + Sans Serif (e.g., Playfair Display + Montserrat)
- – Handwritten + Minimalist (e.g., Dancing Script + Open Sans)
Step 5: Exporting Canva’s Final Book Cover
Once I was satisfied with the book cover and all required elements, namely the title, subtitle, author name, and any other text, were included, besides the design elements, I was ready to download the book cover in high-resolution PNG and PDF formats to ensure clarity in print and digital versions. See image below for downloading.
Bonus: Canva offers the option to download in Kindle and eBook formats, making it perfect for Indian authors who are going digital.
Leverage Canva’s Smart Mockups
Want to see how your book cover would look as an actual printed book? Canva offers smart mockups that automatically apply your design to physical book images.
Canva Book Cover Design: Do’s & Don’ts
| Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Choose a high-resolution image | Use pixelated or blurry images |
| Ensure text is readable | Overcrowd the cover with too many elements |
| Keep design aligned with your genre | Use fonts that clash with the book’s theme |
| Test different versions before finalizing | Pick the first design without reviewing options |
| Use Canva’s free tools creatively | Overuse heavy effects that make the cover look unprofessional |
Final Thoughts: Why Canva is a Game-Changer for Indian Writers
Designing a DIY book cover was not just fun but empowering. With Canva’s free book cover maker, Indian authors can create professional-quality covers without spending a fortune. This affordability allows you to take control of your book’s visual identity and make a lasting impact on readers, without worrying about the cost.
Call to Action: Have you tried Canva book cover design ideas before? Please share your experience in the comments, and let’s exchange creative ideas!
Would you like to get a professionally designed cover made? Connect with us for book publishing
Helpful Reading
Book Title Ideas: Choosing Your Own
Five Secrets to an Eye-Catching Book Cover
Discover more from ZorbaBooks
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