If you’re self-publishing a printed book or an ebook, the Shutterstock Standard image license should cover all of your needs. With a Shutterstock image subscription, you can download a variety of photos, illustrations, textures, patterns, typographic elements, icons, and vector art to complete a one-of-a-kind cover. Stock images are one of the most cost-effective ways to design your book cover. In fact, your Shutterstock subscription comes free with Shutterstock Create, a powerful online design tool where you can create your cover using any stock photo you license (and your own images, too).īut first, discover a few tips for how to license your stock photos for commercial cover design. I’ll show you how I created three redesigned covers for the classic novels 1984, Wuthering Heights, and The Great Gatsby using Adobe InDesign. If you don’t have access to InDesign or a similar professional software, you can still create your book cover using stock images.

It’s quick and easy to download and license a stock image, compared to the time and money involved in commissioning or creating bespoke imagery.īelow, we take a look at how you can use stock images effectively in your designs.

There is a huge selection of photos, illustrations, vector graphics, textures, and fonts to choose from, giving you endless flexibility and choice.

There are two main advantages to using stock photos for your cover designs: You will normally be able to find the credit of the designer and whether the design uses bespoke or stock imagery. Just look on the reverse of a paperback or the inside tab of a hardcover’s dust jacket. Professional designers often use stock imagery to create book covers. Redesigned cover for 1984 by George Orwell, using a stock photo and a vector graphic from the Shutterstock library. Read on to discover our three redesigns of classic novels using stock images and fonts from the Shutterstock library. Here, learn how to choose and use stock photos effectively for your book covers, as well as pick up tips on how to license your images for cover design. Whether you’re aiming for a photographic, illustrated, or type-based design, you can build professional-standard covers using stock images alone. It’s an affordable and convenient way to approach cover design, especially if you’re self-publishing and looking for an eye-catching cover that stands out on shelves (both physical and digital). Using stock photos for book covers lets you mix and merge a huge range of images, from photos to illustrations to textures, allowing you to create a cover design that’s both conceptual and compelling. Learn ways to use stock images, vectors, fonts, and more in your book cover designs.

Designing a book cover? There’s no need to create everything from scratch.

1984 george orwell original book cover