This Working Thread is for preclaiming and submitting covers. If you want to ask questions, thank a cover maker, chat or provide hints etc. please do so here: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=64062
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Please don't make a cover for a project that already has one. We cannot show more than one cover.
There is a list of projects without a cover: http://librivox.nl/claim/
You can choose any project there to make a cover for. Just add your name in the last column. If you haven't posted yet in any forums please don't make a claim without posting in this thread so we can communicate with you.
If you are a BC of a group project or a soloist who wish to create your own cover for your project, then you can pre-claim the cover before cataloguing is complete. Simply post in this thread, your claim will be added. In this case, please try to have the cover ready by cataloguing time. You will then only need to add the final running time, which your MC can send you once it has been calculated by the cataloguing software.
For all covers, we suggest a 2-week deadline for completion as there are other steps (e.g., M4B production) that depend on having a cover. As at the moment we have more cover-makers than projects, we suggest a voluntary limit of 2 claims per person (excluding pre-claims) so that there is something for everybody. Thank you.
if you are waiting for a catalogued project to appear on the claims list, the claims list is only updated every 4 hours, so you may wait up to 4 hours depending on which part of the four hour cycle the project appears in the new release thread.
Quick guide to creating CD covers:
1. First, download a template so you have the exact measures.
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CDcover_template_groupbw.doc *
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CDcover_template_groupbw.rtf *
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CDcover_template_solobw.doc *
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CDcover_template_solobw.rtf *
* there is an error in the text of these templates , so please replace librivox.com with librivox.org. If you are able to edit the pdf's and change this , I would be grateful - just upload the edited ones to my folder and I will replace the incorrect ones
And some Origami templates:
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/OrigamiCdCase.pdf
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/OrigamiCdCaseFoldLayout.pdf
And we have zip-files with templates (Word and Open Office) for normal jewel case, little booklets and Origami paper cases. They have a suggestion for LibriVox small print.
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CdCoverTemplatesOpenoffice.zip
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/CdCoverTemplatesWord.zip
Make extra sure the picture you use is in the public domain!
See also the post here about modern images and photographs.
2. Have a look at our Wiki page for more templates, infos and picture sources: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/CD_Covers
3. Be creative
4. Resize your picture to 300x300 pixels and name it: booktitle_yymm.jpg (yymm = date = yearyearmonthmonth) Drop articles ( The and A etc).
4a. NEWsave 300X300 again as booktitle_yymm_itemimage.jpg (this will make it display corredtly on the Archive project page with the new way they are handling them
5. Resize it again to 150x150 pixel and name it: booktitle_yymm_thumb.jpg
6. Use your downloaded template to make a Jewel Case inlay (front and back) in pdf format and name it: booktitle_yymm.pdf.
You can copy the catalog description to the back side. A list of the files with the chapter titles and names of the readers would be nice (but not obligatory).
7. Please put all your files in one zip. When you have done more than one cover, all files should go into the same zip.
8. Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader (when your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread):
https://librivox.org/login/uploader
(If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
You'll need to select the MC, which for CD covers is: covers - covers
9. Post your masterpiece here in the thread and wait for an Admin to add it to the catalog. Include a link to the book's Librivox catalog page in your post.
10. Admire the result on the catalog page and Archive.org page.
Please be consistent with your file names. Make sure that they really are:
booktitle_yymm.jpg
booktitle_yymm_itemimage.jpg
booktitle_yymm_thumb.jpg
booktitle_yymm.pdf.
and not
Booktitle_yymm.jpg
booktitle_thumb_yymm.jpg
bookTitle_yymm.pdf.
Don't use special characters like &%$.
Use the logo:
Although it's not compulsary, we ask you to use the LibriVox logo or name on the cover. Covers are sometimes used outside LibriVox and we do like to tell the world where the cover and the audiobook come from.
Vector graphic:
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.wmf
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.svg
Pixel format:
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.gif
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.jpg
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.png
http://www.archive.org/download/librivox_cd_covers/templates/logo.tif
Useful software:
Gimp http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program.
https://pixlr.com/ Webbased immaging software.
https://inkscape.org/en/ Free vector graphic drawing program.
Digifoto http://www.chip.de/downloads/DigiFoto_13013697.html It can do layers. Downside: The adding-text-tool is very poor.
Paint.NET http://paint.net/ Free image editor for Windows systems, comparable to Adobe's Photoshop, including layer support.
IrfanView http://www.irfanview.de/ Image view/resize/convert/screen shot and many more.
PDFCreator http://www.freeware.de/download/pdfcreator_11310.html A sort of false printer. You click "print" and choose PDFCreator as printer and get a pdf. To get the result of a cover design program into a pdf.
CutePDF http://download.cnet.com/CutePDF-Writer/3000-6675_4-10206470.html does the same.
A free utility available for Microsoft Windows to convert to pdf: http://www.primopdf.com/index.aspx
A free software to zip your files:
http://www.izarc.org/
Do you know more useful software? Tell us, they will be added here.
Have you heard about the Origami paper cases?
I absolutely love them. They are so handy and easy to make.
Watch a YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tP94jiYlao&feature=player_embedded
I have made one for Multingual Fairy Tale Collection 2
http://www.archive.org/download/LibrivoxCdCoverArt/multilingual_fairytale_collection_002.pdf
Only a joke.
