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There are many ways to create book covers. I create a JPG or JPEG image. There are also many software programs that can accomplish this. I started simple, using Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite.
PowerPoint Steps:
1) Load Powerpoint
2) A blank slide will appear. By default it is in the landscape position, which means that it is short, but wide. Book covers are taller and thinner. We can change the PowerPoint slide orientation to fix this.
Select the “Design” tab on PowerPoint.
Select “Slide Orientation” and choose Portrait.
This changes the slide to a taller, thinner version. This is what you want to create your book cover.
3) In the top text box type in the name of your book.
There will be black letters on a white background.
If you wish to change the text colour, simply:
Highlight the text
Right click
Select “Font” from the menu.
Left click on the paint bucket next to “Font color”
Select a colour.
Left click on the “Ok” button
In the lower text box type the Author name.
Repeat the same steps as above to change the font colour.
4) Next, we will add a background colour to the slide. To do this:
Right click on the slide itself.
Choose “Format Background”
Left click on the paint bucket tab beside the word color
Select your background color.
The slide colour should have changed.
Left click the “Close” button.
If you cannot see the text it is likely because the text colour and the background colour are the same. If so, change one.
5) Click on the top text (Book Title). You will see a box around the text. Move your mouse slowly until you are at the edge of the box, and you see that the icon has changed to four arrows. Right click and move the box up or down on the slide. This allows you to position the text where you would like it.
To start, take the text box to the top of the slide.
Repeat as required for the bottom text (Author), and take the text box to the bottom of the slide.
6) Having now moved the book title and Author text to top and bottom of the slide respectively, there will be a gap in the middle. We will use that to insert a photo or graphic image. To do that,
Select the “Insert” tab on PowerPoint.
Select “Picture”
A box will appear that will allow you to select the photo you want to insert. Select the photo and left click on insert.
To resize the picture, left click on it. Move the cursor to one of the bottom corners and drag to expand the size of the picture. You can left click on the picture to get the four arrow icon and move where the picture resides on the slide.
7) Save your work as a PowerPoint file. This will allow you to make changes later.
8) Left click the “File” tab in the top left corner.
Select “Save As” and a box will appear.
Move to the menu at the bottom of the box that says “Save as type:”
Left click on the downward arrowhead on the right side of the box that reads “PowerPoint Presentation”.
Scroll down and left click on “JPEG File Interchange Format”
Left click on the “Save” button.
You will be asked if you want to save this slide or all slides.
As there is only one slide choose either.
You have now saved the JPEG file that is your book cover.
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