Anyone Have Any Experience Making eBook Covers with GIMP?

[Ofthemix]

I've been working for the last hour on putting this ebook cover together. I'm used to using Photoshop but I don't have it anymore since my other computer died. I just downloaded GIMP today and started using it.

I pretty much took an image and used the sheer, scale, and perspective tools until it fit over an ebook template about as good as I could get it. Then I trimmed off the excess. The only problem is that one set of words looks incredibly blurry. Otherwise it came out great.

I have yet to find a decent tutorial on how to make an ebook cover with GIMP that doesn't charge you for it. If anyone could tell me what I'm doing wrong, or perhaps point me to a good free tutorial, it would be much appreciated.

[Mohammad Afaq]

I don't know about GIMP but I think that if you have an actionscript you can pretty easily create an ecover in photoshop and if you have any experience in designing then it shouldn't take you more that 10 minutes to design an ecover (i takes me less than 5 minutes for this).

Maybe you can try this out:

YouTube - Create an Ebook Cover with GIMP

Hope it helps

[Ofthemix]

The problem is that I don't have a CD/DVD drive on this computer, otherwise I wouldn't be asking the question because I would have already had my ebook cover designed with Photoshop last night.

Since I can't add anything that's not downloadable to this computer, my options are pretty much only left to using GIMP. I was going to pay someone to design an ebook cover for me, but I really need to save my money right now. So, basically I've been trying to find any info I can on making a good ebook cover for free and without Photoshop.

[Mohammad Afaq]

I don't really have an idea of what you can do if you don't have a CD/DVD drive. I would suggest going to your nearest public library and copying that file onto the internet and then using your home computer to download it off the internet.

To upload your images go to: Free Image Hosting and Free Picture Hosting and you can then download your image off of your computer.

If you still can't do it then I can help you out. I have photoshop and I have an actionscript so I can design the cover for you free.

In any case just let me know.

[Colin Palfrey]

I went to a WSO just yesterday about learning to use GIMP. It turned out it was free and he even gave me templates.

I don't have the link but I made my first eBook cover in 10 minutes after watching his video instruction so if I was you I'd go look.

[Ofthemix]

I'll probably check up and see what I can find. . . but more than likely, I'll leave it as is. It doesn't look horrible . . . just that one blurry patch of text annoys the hell out of me.

[thecableguy]

Sounds more like you're having trouble with the text tool. Just create a new layer whenever adding any images and save it as a GIMP file (xcf), text creates it's own layer. That way if you mess up just go to Dialogs/Layers and delete the layer that's not right, and do it over again. I used to do quick ebook covers using GIMP to create the cover and spine and Scott's Boxshot (free) maker to compile it. You can make ebook covers with GIMP, but it's complicated unless you see it in video.

Alan

[beninewie]

Hi Ofthemix,

Check out this tutorial. It uses the map tool to create a box from a flat image. Pretty cool and quite easy to do once you play around with it a bit. I had to tweak a few settings to get the box size I wanted but apart from that it worked pretty well.

Cheers,
Ben

[gcaine]

It's not free but it isn't very expensive. There's a product called "Make Your Own Book Covers" that uses gimp.

It is a good tutorial.

I'll see if I'm allowed to put the link here (without any affiliate code by the way)

EBook Cover Software - EBook Cover Design

[Ofthemix]

Thanks Ben,

I bookmarked that tutorial in case I need to create another book cover. I think as soon as I start working I'm going to pay someone else to do them for me. My art skills aren't that great.

[seoFool]

Can we see the ebook cover that you created with Gimp? I'm curious too about this...

[beninewie]

Hi seoFool,

I'm not sure if you're replying to me but I'll just assume you are



It's no work of art, but I didn't take long making it. I'm sure if I'd spent more time I could have had something very nice.

Cheers,
Ben

[Don Schenk]

Ovethemix,

I was having that "fuzzy" letter problem even in Photoshop until I started making the covers large at 300 ppi, then I just downsize the flattened image to what I want for the webpage.

I wrote a tutorial and give it to warriors. Here it is again...

http://www.ideapage.net/HowToMakeEcoversInPS.pdf


:-Don

[David McKee]

Originally Posted by Ofthemix

I've been working for the last hour on putting this ebook cover together. I'm used to using Photoshop but I don't have it anymore since my other computer died. I just downloaded GIMP today and started using it.

I pretty much took an image and used the sheer, scale, and perspective tools until it fit over an ebook template about as good as I could get it. Then I trimmed off the excess. The only problem is that one set of words looks incredibly blurry. Otherwise it came out great.

I have yet to find a decent tutorial on how to make an ebook cover with GIMP that doesn't charge you for it. If anyone could tell me what I'm doing wrong, or perhaps point me to a good free tutorial, it would be much appreciated.

I use Gimp exclusively for all my banners, ebooks, etc. I love it.

While there may not be much in free specific tutorials there are many on using Gimp in general. Here are some:

GIMP - Tutorials
30+ Exceptional GIMP Tutorials and Resources Noupe
Gimp-tutorials.net - Gimp , tutorials , brushes , downloads, forum.
GHUJ – Gimp Tutorials - Best GIMP Tutorials
GimpTutorials - Wilber's Wiki

Here is a list of books: GIMP Tutorials and useful snippets
Many of which you can get real cheap at Half.com (I have gotten 45-60 dollar books like this for 2 or 3 bucks!)

But here is your chance to create a great new e-book for those of us in the War-Room and get your name established!

--DTM

[Ghalt]

Originally Posted by gcaine

It's not free but it isn't very expensive. There's a product called "Make Your Own Book Covers" that uses gimp.

It is a good tutorial.

I'll see if I'm allowed to put the link here (without any affiliate code by the way)

EBook Cover Software - EBook Cover Design

Cool...thanks for the plug!

I'm one of the guys that created that tutorial, and I'm on here regularly. We created the tutorial after looking all over the internet and not finding enough detail to get the covers looking the way we wanted using GIMP. But I knew it was possible.

So, we figured it out, and documented it. Then we just kept building and building...adding templates, videos, etc.

We guarantee it and support it. Oh...and since we love Warriors so much, there is a WSO for the tutorial, discounted from $27 down to $9.95:

(((PSST! Hey you! Need an eBook Cover graphic?)))