A book cover has to do a lot of work in a very small space. On a bookstore page it’s a thumbnail, and it still needs to make someone click. Getting the dimensions right is the first step toward making it look professional.
The ideal ebook cover size
Amazon’s guidance for Kindle ebook covers recommends a height-to-width ratio of 1.6:1, with an ideal size of 2560 pixels tall by 1600 pixels wide. Most other ebook stores accept similar proportions. As always, check the current requirements on the store’s publishing help pages before you finalize, since they get revised.
Why 1.6:1?
That ratio produces a tall, narrow rectangle similar to many paperbacks. It makes the cover look properly shaped across stores and devices. If your cover is closer to a square or an unusual shape, stores may crop it, add bars or reject it. The idea is explained in what is aspect ratio.
Format and file size
JPG is the most common format for ebook covers, and TIFF is also accepted by some platforms. Keep the color mode RGB. Cover files can be fairly large but shouldn’t need to be huge. A well-saved 2560 x 1600 JPG is typically a few hundred kilobytes to a couple of megabytes. See RGB vs CMYK for why RGB is the right mode here.
Design for thumbnails
Most buyers first see your cover at roughly the size of a playing card, or smaller. Design for that:
- Make the title large and easy to read.
- Put the author name in a clear, legible font.
- Use contrast between text and background.
- Stay away from detail that turns to mush when shrunk.
- Check how it looks in both color and grayscale, since some e-readers are black and white.
Ebook vs print covers
A print cover is a different animal. It includes the back cover, spine and bleed, with a precise size based on your trim size and page count. Print-on-demand services provide their own templates and calculators. Don’t guess. Use the template they provide, and design at 300 PPI at full size. For print prep basics, see how to resize an image for printing.
Common mistakes
- Using a small image and enlarging it. Blurry covers look amateurish and may be rejected.
- Text too close to the edge. Some stores crop slightly. Keep a margin.
- A white background without a border. A white cover disappears against a white store page. Add a thin border or use a tinted background.
- Including pricing or promotional text on the cover. Most stores forbid it.
Preparing your final file
- Start with your cover design at the highest resolution available.
- Crop to the 1.6:1 ratio if it isn’t already.
- Resize to 2560 x 1600 with the aspect ratio locked.
- Export as high-quality JPG.
- Preview it at a small size to check readability.
Our free image resizer can handle the resize step, and you can create smaller versions for your website or social posts from the same master.