In recent times, e-books have become increasingly popular as they are a handy, portable, and often cheaper way for different consumers to enjoy many reading materials. For authors and publishers, turning a manuscript into an e-book, however, is not just a matter of conversion it involves layout, design, cover page, illustrations, and a myriad of other requirements in order to enhance the appealing factor of an e-book and ensure that it works well on different devices. In this post, we are going to focus on the other aspects instead and discuss the layout of an e-book and the best practices to follow for illustration or the creation of a cover page for the book.
Constraints Of E-Book Structure
An e-book, on the other hand, will have to be structured according to guidelines because, unlike a print book, it needs to be able to cater to a lot of devices – all e-readers, tablets, smartphones, and computers possess a unique set of screen sizes and resolutions.
With regard to the content cones in the layout differences of e-books, there is one aspect that is all the more crucial, and that is the absence of page numbers within an e-book. Text in e-books can be referred to as responsive text, meaning the text has the capacity to change in accordance with font size, settings from the reader, and, of course, the screen size. Consequently, this also means that cover art and illustrations should also be flexible, meaning image adaption is needed. The scaling of images is of utmost importance to authors as well as publishers because proper imaging can ensure text won’t be obstructed.
E-Book Covers: Technical Guidelines
In today’s market, the first thing any potential reader notices is the cover and this makes it a very powerful business tool. The cover has the ability to determine if the user is intrigued enough to get more information or not; therefore, a great cover can result in more people wanting to learn about the book online.
- Parameters and Pixels
Because an e-book cover is designed to be fit for all devices and platforms, there are set pixel and resolution guidelines that should be adhered to. As an illustration, Apple Books and KDP for Kindle Direct Publishers have set requirements that are standard across most e-books:
Aspect ratio: The height to width ratio has to be 1.6:1 which translates to 1600 x 2560 pixels.
Resolution: The absolute lowest should be 300 DPI dots per inch for pictures intended for high-quality screens.
File format: PNG or JPG are most suitable.
- Color Schemes
Covers for e-books ought to be designed using the RGB mode, as all electronic devices utilize the same. Using the CMYK approach may result in distorted color images, particularly when viewed online.
- Character Placement
E-book covers should be designed using bold colors and minimalistic fonts to accommodate the practice of storing them as thumbnails on online marketplaces while still making the title and name of the author easy to identify and remember.
Illustration Technical Specifications
Illustrations are a fundamental part of literature as they provide a visual representation of the text. In addition, illustrations enhance the reading experience since they are ideal for children’s books, comic books, graphic novels, and educational materials. However, the incorporation of illustrations in the e-book format has its limitations and technical considerations.
- Image File Sizes
The most widely used image formats for e-books are JPEG and PNG. Each has a number of features:
JPG: a format optimally suited for intricate images such as photographs as it is able to shrink the file size and ensure good quality.
PNG: This format is best for images that need high contrast such as hand drawings and diagrams; however, they are able to do with transparency.
- Compression and Size of Images
Image files with larger dimensions can increase the total size of e-books, and as a result, the cost of distribution can go up as well, especially for specific sites or channels that have a limit on file size. Therefore, authors and publishers should optimize images by doing the following:
– Trying to downscale to the minimum necessary resolution required so that the display remains clear.
– Compression tools are used to reduce the size without extensive impact on quality. Or change the image format from one to another using tools such as WebPtoPNGHero which is free and easy to use.
- Flow and Positioning
Illustrations should be included in a way that the reading experience is not heavily hampered. As textual content is reflowable in an e-book, illustrations should be able to be anchored to the given paragraph or section. Free-floating images and intricate layouts may not be effective.
- Accessibility with Alt Text
When creating e-books, one of the key aspects that should be taken into account is Accessibility. Visually impaired users who have to use screen readers find the images unclear to them and hence, adding a proper illustrative description can solve that issue.
Platforms and Formats
All e-publication channels accept different file standards and failing to recognize the specifics of these channels can cause inconveniences.
- EPUB
EPUB is the go-to format for most e-readers, apart from those made specifically by Amazon. Not only is it the most popular format for e-publications, but it also features reflowable text along with photos and even audio and video.
- MOBI and AZW
Kindle users should be aware that Amazon owns the rights to these particular formats. While MOBI is older, AZW and its successors (AZW3, KFX) have better support for intricate ratings and illustrations.
- Fixed EPUB E-book
In some cases, as in comic books or highly illustrated books, a fixed-layout EPUB might be better suited for e-books. Unlike standard EPUB, fixed-layout EPUBs tend to keep their formatting regardless of the device used. This could also mean, however, that they are not as versatile in response to other factors, such as the other devices’ screens.
Tools for E-book Cover and Layout Design
There are several tools that can aid authors and publishers to become more professional e-book designers by enabling them with custom design and illustration tools:
Adobe InDesign: It is a powerful tool that supports print and digital books with a myriad of layout and design options.
Canva: This tool is ideal for e-book cover design as it offers templates and various other customization options, ensuring its usability.
Sigil is an open-source EPUB editor that offers complete control over the formatting and layout of e-books.
E-book Layout Design Guidelines
In order to guarantee the optimal reading experience, below are some guidelines we encourage you to apply:
Try it on Various Devices: As the e-book in question can be read from all sorts of devices, always ensure that you check it on units of varying sizes and types so as to ensure perfect readability regardless of the unit it’s being read from.
Maintain File Size in Check: Use image optimization and the correct format to ensure file size remains within an adequate range.
Maintain Homogeneity: Maintain homogeneity across the e-book by maintaining the same font, margin, and style throughout the document.
Set Readability To The Fore: Crossword puzzles or too decorative fonts should be left out as they alter reading comfort.
Conclusion
An e-book isn’t simply a manuscript in electronic format, for it involves more than that from the author’s perspective. The ins and outs of technicalities such as e-book layout and cover design would include illustrations which are highly important for one to consider. Designing with these technical aspects in mind, whether you’re creating a book cover to capture attention or embedding illustrations to enhance the story, will produce better outcomes for the readers.
