book-cover-design

# Book Cover Design Create genre-appropriate book covers with AI image generation via [inference.sh](https://inference.sh) CLI. ## Quick Start ```bash curl -fsSL https://cli.inference.sh | sh && infsh login # Generate a thriller cover concept infsh app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{ "prompt": "dark moody book cover art, lone figure standing at end of a rain-soaked alley, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, noir atmosphere, cinematic, high contrast shadows", "width": 832, "height": 1248 }' ``` > **Install note:** The [install script](https://cli.inference.sh) only detects your OS/architecture, downloads the matching binary from `dist.inference.sh`, and verifies its SHA-256 checksum. No elevated permissions or background processes. [Manual install & verification](https://dist.inference.sh/cli/checksums.txt) available. ## Genre Conventions Readers judge books by covers. Matching genre expectations is critical — a romance reader will skip a cover that looks like sci-fi, regardless of content. ### Fiction | Genre | Palette | Imagery | Typography | Mood | |-------|---------|---------|------------|------| | **Thriller/Mystery** | Dark (black, navy, blood red) | Lone figure, urban scenes, shadows | Bold sans-serif, all caps | Tense, ominous | | **Romance** | Warm (pink, red, gold, soft purple) | Couples, flowers, scenic backdrops | Script/cursive, elegant serif | Passionate, dreamy | | **Sci-Fi** | Cool (blue, teal, purple, silver) | Space, tech, geometric shapes | Clean sans-serif, futuristic | Vast, technological | | **Fantasy** | Rich saturated (emerald, crimson, gold) | Swords, magic, landscapes, creatures | Decorative serif, ornamental | Epic, magical | | **Literary Fiction** | Muted, sophisticated | Abstract, minimal, symbolic | Elegant serif, understated | Thoughtful, artistic | | **Horror** | Dark with high contrast pops | Faces, shadows, isolation, decay | Distressed, bold, dripping | Dread, unease | | **Historical** | Sepia, muted period-accurate | Period clothing, architecture, artifacts | Classical serif | Nostalgic, authentic | ### Non-Fiction | Category | Style | Imagery | Typography | |----------|-------|---------|------------| | **Business/Self-help** | Clean, bold, 2-3 colors | Minimal or none, icon optional | Large bold sans-serif title | | **Memoir** | Personal, warm | Author photo or atmospheric scene | Mix of serif and sans | | **Science/Academic** | Professional, structured | Diagrams, abstract visuals | Clean serif, structured layout | | **Cookbook** | Appetizing, bright | Hero food photograph | Warm, inviting fonts | | **Travel** | Vibrant, aspirational | Destination photography | Adventure-style fonts | ## Cover Sizing ### Print (Trim Sizes) | Format | Dimensions | Common For | |--------|-----------|------------| | Mass market paperback | 4.25 x 6.87" | Genre fiction | | Trade paperback | 5.5 x 8.5" | Most fiction/non-fiction | | Standard | 6 x 9" | Non-fiction, textbooks | | Large format | 7 x 10" | Coffee table, art books | ### Digital | Platform | Cover Size | Aspect Ratio | |----------|-----------|--------------| | Amazon Kindle | 2560 x 1600 px (min 1000 x 625) | 1.6:1 | | Apple Books | 1400 x 1873 px minimum | ~3:4 | | General ebook | 2500 x 3750 px | 2:3 | ### Spine Width Approximate: **page count / 400 = spine width in inches** (varies by paper stock). - 200 pages ≈ 0.5" spine - 400 pages ≈ 1.0" spine ## Layout Zones ``` ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ TITLE ZONE │ ← Top 1/3: Title must be readable here │ (largest text) │ This is what shows in thumbnails │ │ │ │ │ MAIN IMAGE │ ← Middle: Core visual/illustration │ ZONE │ The emotional hook │ │ │ │ │ SUBTITLE / │ ← Bottom area: Author name, subtitle │ AUTHOR ZONE │ Smaller text, less critical at thumbnail └─────────────────────────┘ ``` ## The Thumbnail Test Your cover will be seen at **80x120px** on Amazon, 60x90px in search results, and ~40x60px on mobile grids. **At thumbnail size, readers must be able to identify:** 1. The genre (from color and composition) 2. The title (if large enough) 3. The mood (from imagery) **Test:** shrink your cover to 80px wide. If you can't read the title or identify the genre, redesign. ## Prompting by Genre ### Thriller ```bash infsh app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{ "prompt": "dark cinematic book cover scene, silhouette of a person standing before a foggy bridge at night, single streetlamp casting long shadows, noir atmosphere, high contrast, desaturated blue tint, dramatic tension", "width": 832, "height": 1248 }' ``` ### Romance ```bash infsh app run bytedance/seedream-4-5 --input '{ "prompt": "romantic soft-focus scene, couple silhouetted against golden sunset on a beach, warm pink and gold tones, bokeh lights, dreamy atmosphere, soft pastel sky, intimate mood", "size": "2K" }' ``` ### Sci-Fi ```bash infsh app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{ "prompt": "science fiction book cover art, massive space station orbiting a ringed planet, deep blue and teal color palette, stars and nebula background, hard sci-fi aesthetic, cinematic scale, clean geometric architecture", "width": 832, "height": 1248 }' ``` ### Fantasy ```bash infsh app run xai/grok-imagine-image-pro --input '{ "prompt": "epic fantasy book cover illustration, ancient stone castle on a cliff overlooking a misty valley, magical aurora in the sky, rich emerald and gold colors, detailed environment, sense of wonder and adventure", "aspect_ratio": "2:3" }' ``` ### Non-Fiction / Business ```bash infsh app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{ "prompt": "minimal abstract book cover background, clean gradient from deep navy to white, subtle geometric pattern, professional and modern, negative space, corporate aesthetic", "width": 832, "height": 1248 }' ``` ## Typography Rules **AI cannot render text reliably.** Generate the cover art/background with AI, then add typography in a design tool. ### Title Hierarchy 1. **Title** — largest, most prominent, top 1/3 of cover 2. **Subtitle** — smaller, below title or at bottom 3. **Author name** — bottom of cover, size depends on author recognition ### Font Pairing by Genre - Thriller: bold sans-serif title + condensed sans-serif author - Romance: script/cursive title + elegant serif author - Sci-Fi: geometric sans-serif for both - Fantasy: decorative/medieval serif title + clean serif author - Business: heavy bold sans-serif title + light sans-serif subtitle ## Iteration Workflow ```bash # 1. Generate 5+ concepts across different models infsh app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{"prompt": "...", "width": 832, "height": 1248}' --no-wait infsh app run bytedance/seedream-4-5 --input '{"prompt": "..."}' --no-wait infsh app run xai/grok-imagine-image-pro --input '{"prompt": "...", "aspect_ratio": "2:3"}' --no-wait # 2. Refine best concept with image-to-image editing infsh app run bytedance/seededit-3-0-i2i --input '{ "prompt": "make the sky more dramatic with storm clouds, increase contrast", "image": "path/to/best-concept.png" }' # 3. Upscale for print quality infsh app run falai/topaz-image-upscaler --input '{ "image": "path/to/final-cover.png", "scale": 4 }' ``` ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Problem | Fix | |---------|---------|-----| | Wrong genre signals | Readers skip it | Study bestsellers in your genre | | Title too small | Invisible at thumbnail | Title should fill top 1/3 | | Too much detail | Muddy at small sizes | Simplify, use negative space | | AI-generated text | Garbled letters | Add text in design tool | | Centered everything | Static, boring | Use asymmetry intentionally | | Following trends blindly | Dates quickly | Classic genre conventions endure | ## Checklist - [ ] Genre instantly recognizable from colors and composition - [ ] Title readable at 80px wide (thumbnail test) - [ ] No AI-generated text on cover - [ ] Works in both color and greyscale - [ ] Correct dimensions for target platform - [ ] Author name visible but not competing with title - [ ] High resolution (300 DPI for print, 2500px+ for digital) - [ ] Spine text readable (for print) ## Related Skills ```bash npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-image-generation npx skills add inference-sh/skills@prompt-engineering npx skills add inference-sh/skills@image-upscaling ``` Browse all apps: `infsh app list`