Summary
- Status
- won
- Status Comment
- Congratulations to the winner, Venanzio!
- Entries
- 43
- Prize
- $251
- Details
-
A closer look at this contest
- Created:
- Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:56:37 +0000
- Ends:
- Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:56:37 +0000
- Modified:
- Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:12:15 +0000
- Last Feedback:
- Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:31:58 +0000
- Comments:
- 15
- Feedback:
- 20
- Designers:
- 9
- Brief Summary
-
I need a "cover" to entice buyers to my eBook. It's a book about good luck and bad luck, especially about winning streaks and how to start them. The main theme is the fact that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning if he has already been struck before! I want a dramatic design with lots of impact.
- Brand Name
- Luck-Struck
- Description
-
I need a scathing-hot cover design for my eBook. See www.luck-struck.com to see what it's all about. I need designs for front, back, and binding; because if it does well as an eBook, it's going straight to traditional presses. This may be your chance to get your design work into the public eye!
Since it may be printed, I must ask that designs stay within the strict dimensional limits of 6"x9". Binding thickness may be between 0.5" and 1", so that portion of the design can be flexible.
The design should catch the eye and be exciting and interesting. Bold, legible text is a must. Photo-realism would be nice, but make sure I have full rights to use any art/photos.
The book is self-help, self-improvement stuff. It will appeal to readers of The Secret, et all. The cover should reflect that.
- Wants
-
- In-your-face graphics. Bold, violent, nothing subtle. THINK LIGHTNING!!! Think gambling. Think luck.
- Title: Luck-Struck
- Subtitle: How to Take Control and Create Your Own Luck
- Author: Skyler J. Reep
- Binding graphic should echo front cover.
- Back can be a little more informative: quotes, blurbs, advanced praise (I can supply the text).
- A picture of the author would be good (I'll supply some options).
- The bottom of the back should have some space for the ISBN barcode.
- Please pay attention to formatting from other eBook covers, especially in this particular genre.
- Be able to explain WHY you did everything. I want marketing, design, and psychology. If I just wanted pretty colors, I'd be hosting this contest for kindergarteners.
- A 3D example of the book. Two angles, please, so prospects can inspect both sides. Paperback, not hard-cover.
- Don't Wants
-
- Corny crap. I want professional design. If it can be replicated in MS Paint, I don't want it.
- Clutter or confusion.
- Photographs to which I do not have rights. If you use stock photography, give me the source.
- Dead space. Pay attention to layout. Make it tight without being crowded.
- Print Guidelines
-
* Please clarify if the contest holder's requirements differ.
- File Types
-
The final design should be provided in one of the following file formats:
Type Extension Note Adobe Illustrator Document *.ai Recommended Adobe Photoshop Document *.psd Recommended Portable Document Format *.pdf Recommended (Encapsulated) PostScript File *.eps, *.ps TIFF Image *.tif, *.tiff - Document Size
-
Common document dimensions have been provided below.
- Business Cards
-
Full Bleed Size
- 3.54” × 2.05”
- 90mm × 52mm
- 1062 × 615 pixels
- 3.43” × 1.93”
- 87mm × 49mm
- 1028 × 579 pixels
- Letterhead
-
Full Bleed Size
- 8.63” × 11.10”
- 219mm × 282mm
- 2588 × 3331 pixels
- 8.50” × 10.98”
- 216mm × 279mm
- 2551 × 3295 pixels
- Return Address
Labels -
Full Bleed Size
- 2.78” × 0.94”
- 71mm × 24mm
- 835 × 283 pixels
- 2.66” × 0.83”
- 68mm × 21mm
- 799 × 248 pixels
- Resolution
- Resolution refers to the number of dots per inch (dpi), or the amount of detail the image has.
- Most documents prepared for upload should be 300 dpi at 100% of the final print size. Higher resolution means a more detailed image, and also a larger file and longer upload time.
- Bleed
- The very edges of the document are called the bleed area. To prevent an unwanted white border from showing at the edge of your document, be sure to extend any background colors or design elements all the way to the edge.
- Trim Marks
- Trim lines are the finished size of the document. The document is cut close to the trim line, but because of the mechanical tolerances involved in printing, the actual cut can happen anywhere between the bleeds and the safe margin. This is why it is important to keep your text and important images within the safe margin.
- Full Bleed vs.
Trim Size -
When to create your document at the full bleed size
If you are working in an illustration program (such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw) or a photo editing program (Such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Photo-Paint), we recommend that you create your document at the full bleed size. This will prevent any white edges from showing at the borders after the final product is trimmed. -
When to create your document at the trim size
If you are working in a layout program (such as QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign) we recommend that you create your document at the trim size and include the specified amount of bleed for your product (.137”). When you export your document as a PDF for upload, make sure to include the bleed in your output settings so that the final upload PDF document is at the full bleed size for your product. - Safe Area &
Safe Margins - The safe margins are borders that are definitely inside the place where the cut will take place. Please remember to keep all important information, like names, addresses, phone numbers or logos within the safe margin (at least .137” from the edge) to ensure that they aren’t cut off when your document is trimmed.
- Color
- CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) are colors used in the printing process, whereas RGB (Red, Green and Blue) are colors used by screen displays, such as your monitor.
- All artwork should be CMYK, Pantone Spot, or Greyscale. This ensures the colors you see on the screen most closely match the final printed product. If you create your document in RGB, the colors in your printed product may vary slightly. Many of the bright values produced by your monitor cannot be reproduced in print.
- RGB, Index, or Duotone should be avoided.
- Avoid more than 300% total ink density. Too much ink can cause appearance issues, such as muddy colors or ink puddling.
-
There's more than one black… and different blacks print
with very different results.
- 100% K
- Use this black for all text and line work. This will minimize any small dots (from other colors) that may appear around the edges of your text.
- 100% K, 45% C
- Use this black for a deep black background. This avoids drying and scuffing problems due to too much ink coverage.
- default black
- Avoid this black. While it may be suitable for a website or screen-based graphics, it is not suitable for print due to misregistration, scuffing, and drying issues.
- Converting Fonts
to Outlines - Text can be converted to curves (paths) in some graphics programs. This will fix upload errors that result when fonts are not embedded in your file. Following these easy steps will help ensure that your text prints clearly.
-
How to convert fonts to outlines in Adobe Illustrator
- Select all text
- From the Type menu: Type › Create Outlines
- Note how the text now has an outlined path selection
- Save a copy and upload
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