For open textbooks, authors can select a featured image and use them in a cover template (You will be required to log in to access this specimen).

Cover Design Specifications

To upload to Pressbooks: 1:1.5 aspect ratio. Recommended dimensions are 2500px × 3750px, maximum size is 2MB.

Here are some other resources to review if creating a textbook cover:

• BC Campus’s Open Textbook Cover Toolkit and Self-Publishing Guide: Textbook Cover (Includes recommendations for covers that will print nicely)

Back Cover and Spine

If a resource will be available in print form, you’ll want to consider the spine and back cover. We have one designed specifically for open textbooks that can be used, but if you want your resource to have a specific spine and back cover, that will need to be designed.

Upload to Pressbooks

The cover can be uploaded to Pressbooks on the Book Info page. See Metadata and Book Info.

How to Include the Cover in PDF formats

By default, Pressbooks will not include the textbook cover in PDF exports. If you want the cover to appear at the beginning of the PDF, do the following:

1. Create a new front matter section.
2. Upload the cover image to that section and insert it full size (the bigger the better).
3. Center the image.
4. Under “Status and Visibility,” uncheck “Show in web” and “Show title.”
5. Under “Front Matter Type,” select “Before Title Page.”
6. Export your PDF.

A professional-looking cover helps ensure a good first impression for your open textbook, so we advise that you use the services of a professional, such a graphic designer, for this task. A WSU-themed cover template is available to use for your Pressbooks if you wish. Contact OER staff to learn more.

If you’re working with an academic press or your organization’s publishing department, they might create a textbook cover for you. If not, then see the Open Textbook Cover Toolkit which can be found in the Print-on-Demand Guide.

Incorporate the creation of the textbook cover into the project’s timeline, and allow time to review the cover’s draft and to make changes if needed. Provide clear instructions to the designer about information the cover should contain. This includes items such as:

• Textbook title
• Subtitle
• Edition number and type (if relevant)
• Author(s) or editor
• Name of institution sponsor or funder
• Attribution statement for cover art

Cover Art

If you decide to include an image on the cover, you can use an original photo or artwork, or search for an image in one of the many repositories containing items that have been released with an open-copyright license. (See Finding Open Resources – WSU OER Grant Guide) Take these steps for best results.

1. Check the permissions and/or license of the image.
2. Find as large and high quality of an image as you can (preferably 300 DPI 7×5 inches or 2250×1500 pixels at 300dpi) for optimal resolution and clarity in both the digital and print version of your textbook. If you provide a PDF of your textbook for download and file size is a concern, use a smaller file.
3. If you’re undecided about cover art, consider an abstract, even generic, photo or illustration that conveys the theme of your book rather than a specific image. Color often works better than black and white.
4. If the image is taken from an external source, record the following information for the attribution statement:
   1. Name of the image and its link.
   2. Name of the creator and a link (if available) to the creator’s home page in the repository used.
   3. The license or permission type, or if it is in the public domain.

Additional Resources

BCcampus Open Education website (screenshots) are used under a CC BY 4.0 International License.

“Centennial College Open Textbook Cover Template “ by Michelle Johnson, Centennial College is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0