Graphic Design
What Makes a Great Book Cover
Have you ever bought a book for its cover? Maybe not. But chances are a cover has captured your attention, leading you to pick it up and scan the first few pages to see if you’d get hooked. Even if you can’t pinpoint the reasons for the appeal, there’s something about a well-rendered cover that seems fresh, witty, and full of substance. If you ask book designers to explain what makes for a great cover, however, they can tell you about how the various design elements—the typeface, the color scheme, and the composition—come together to create a visual metaphor for the text.