Create Book Cover Mockups in Photoshop [Pro Techniques]
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- 0:00 Intro
- 0:33 What NOT to do
- 1:15 Create Guides to help you select the book cover
- 2:20 Use the Perspective Crop Tool to create the book cover layer
- 2:55 Copy and paste the cropped book cover
- 3:24 Convert the book cover layer into a Smart Object and distort it
- 4:08 Open Smart Object to place an image on the book cover
- 4:54 Use Warp to better match the book cover template
- 5:11 Add the book cover shadows with the Multiply Blending Mode
- 5:36 Use a Layer Mask and paint out imperfections
- 6:08 Replace the cover image
- 6:43 Final thoughts
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
Book cover mockups in Photoshop let you drop any cover image into a realistic, perspective-matched template in a few clicks.
Creating realistic book cover mock-ups in Photoshop can help you to imagine how your photography portfolio, novel, or non-fiction book will look like in the hands of your readers!
In this tutorial, I will teach you how to create a mock-up template that you can use whenever you want!
If you want to follow the tutorial step-by-step with the same files used, you can download the photo template here.
Unlike other tutorials, I will not be using the Distort option found under the Free Transform as it can mess up the original aspect ratio of your image.
This technique often results in an unnatural, stretched-out image that is not convincing enough to be a mock-up book cover.
Key Takeaways
- The Distort option under Free Transform stretches a cover image out of its correct aspect ratio, so a Perspective Crop template is the safer route.
- Converting the cover layer to a Smart Object before distorting it means you can swap in a new cover image later without rebuilding the perspective from scratch.
- Setting the layer’s Blending Mode to Multiply lets the original shadows and highlights from the photo show through the new cover.
- A Layer Mask painted in black and white brings back anything the new cover accidentally hides, like a thumb holding the book.
- Nudging the Output Levels in a Levels adjustment keeps the cover from reading as pure black or pure white, so it looks like printed paper instead of a flat graphic.
- Turning on Snap under the View menu makes the crop and transform handles lock onto your guides automatically.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Create an Aspect Ratio Template for the Book Cover
- Create a Selection
- Place the Book Cover
- Fix the Book Cover Details
- Retain the Shadow
- Imitate the Paper Effect
- How to Change the Book Cover Image
- Book Cover Mockups in Photoshop Starter Files
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to set up guides and an aspect-ratio template with the Perspective Crop tool
- How to turn a cropped cover into a reusable Smart Object template
- How to warp a new cover image to match the book’s perspective
- How to add realistic shadows with the Multiply blending mode and a layer mask
- How to fake a paper texture with a Levels adjustment
- How to swap in a new cover image without rebuilding the template
Requirements
Before you start
- This tutorial was recorded in Photoshop 22.1.1 (Photoshop 2021) or the current version. Perspective Crop, Free Transform, and Smart Objects all still work the same way today.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Show Rulers | Ctrl R | Command R |
| Flip guide orientation while dragging | Alt | Option |
| Select All | Ctrl A | Command A |
| Copy | Ctrl C | Command C |
| Undo | Ctrl Z | Command Z |
| Paste | Ctrl V | Command V |
| Free Transform | Ctrl T | Command T |
| Commit crop | Enter | Return |
| Save | Ctrl S | Command S |
| Show or hide guides | Ctrl ; | Command ; |
| Resize brush | [ or ] | [ or ] |
Create an Aspect Ratio Template for the Book Cover
Start by enabling your Rulers by going to View > Ruler, or you can press CtrlR (Windows) or CommandR (macOS).
Next, click-and-drag horizontal and vertical guides that align with the four corners of the book. If a guide is misaligned, you can easily use the Move tool to click-and-drag the guide to its right placement.
This step is essential as it will help you mark the area where you will copy pixels from.
Tip: If you want to create a vertical guide but end up dragging the horizontal instead, you do not need to discard the current guide.
Instead, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) to flip the orientation of the guide. This shortcut also works the other way around!
Make sure every single corner has vertical and horizontal guides marking these points before we move onto the next step.
Next, select the Perspective Crop tool, which is nestled right under the Crop tool. Click and drag the handles of the grid to each corner of the book, to the point where the converging lines meet.
The handles should snap in place. If this doesn’t happen, choose View > Snap to enable the feature.
Once each handle is in place, press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).
Upon pressing, you will immediately be taken into a cropped view of your book in its proper aspect ratio.
Create a Selection
Create a selection around the canvas by pressing CtrlA (Windows) or CommandA (macOS). Press CtrlC (Windows) or CommandC (macOS) to copy all of the pixels within the selection.
Then, press CtrlZ (Windows) or CommandZ (macOS) to undo the step.
Go back to the full image and press CtrlV (Windows) or CommandV (macOS) to paste the copied selection and rename the layer to “Book Cover.”
Then, right-click on the layer and select Convert to Smart Object. This new layer will now contain all the distortion, filters, and adjustments that I will apply without affecting the other elements of this composite.
Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) to transform the layer > right-click > Distort.
Now, I can drag the corner handles right to the points where I placed the guides earlier. With the Snap feature enabled, you should also be able to drag these corner handles into the exact points by “snapping” into place.
The Book Cover thumbnail is now a template that you will use for the book mock-ups. If you double-click on the Book Cover thumbnail, it should take you to another tab without a distorted perspective.
Choose View > Clear Guides to clear your document window from any guides or grids.
Place the Book Cover
Using the same image I used before, scale it up to fit the whole canvas of the book. Click the checkmark button on the Options tab to apply the changes.
Then press CtrlS (Windows) or CommandS (macOS) to save the Smart Object and apply the changes to your current working document.
Fix the Book Cover Details
Clear out the document window to hide the guide by pressing Ctrl; (Windows) or Command; (macOS), this will not delete the guides, it will only temporarily hide them. You can make them reappear by pressing the same shortcut, Ctrl; (Windows) or Command; (macOS).
Press CtrlT (Windows) or CommandT (macOS) > right-click > Warp. With this, you can warp the handles to match the edges of the book completely.
Tip: If you are working with bent book covers, go to the Options bar and click Split to create points where you can adjust the curvature of the image.
Retain the Shadow
On the original image, you will notice shadows created by the thumbs holding the book. To replicate it, simply change the Blending Mode of the layer to Multiply, and this works best because we have a white canvas as the book cover.
At this point, the right thumb is covered by the Book Cover layer. To fix this, go to the bottom of the Layers panel and click on the Layer Mask icon to create a layer mask.
Then, select the color black (#000000) as your foreground color and with the Brush tool, paint over the thumb to hide the pixels of the Book Cover layer.
Tip: Press [ or ] to resize your brush.
To reveal hidden pixels, use the white color (#ffffff) to paint over these areas.
Imitate the Paper Effect
One crucial factor to ensure is that the layer should react similarly to a paper cover. This means there is no absolute black nor white.
To achieve that, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels.
Bring your mouse pointer over to the Output Levels. By default, the handle points to the darkest color of your image, which is black. Now, drag it to the right to make it less dark. A value between 9-12 is a good start.
Do the same step for the white Output Level. Drag the slider to the left to make it less white and more like a lighter shade of gray.
Then click OK to apply the changes.
How to Change the Book Cover Image
This book cover mock-up is now a template you can freely use anytime. Here is how to use another image as a realistic book cover mock-up in Photoshop, without reverting to Step 1.
Double-click on the Smart Object thumbnail, and it will lead you to another tab where you can drag a new image onto the canvas.
Drag the corner handles to scale up the image until it fits the canvas. Once you have properly placed the image, go to the Options bar and click on the checkmark to apply the changes. Another method of saving the changes is by pressing CtrlS (Windows) or CommandS (macOS).
If you go back to the working document, you’ll see how the book cover has been updated with the recent changes, and the Levels adjustment has also been applied.
Note: Head to the Layers panel and unlink the layer from its layer mask before you apply more distortion or warping. Otherwise the transform also affects the mask that hides the pixels.
With this set as a template, you can easily create realistic book cover mock-ups in Photoshop in a few simple steps!
Book Cover Mockups in Photoshop Starter Files
You can download this file to follow along with this tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Draw guides onto the four corners of the book cover, then use the Perspective Crop tool to crop it into its true aspect ratio. Convert that cropped layer into a Smart Object and use Distort under Free Transform to warp it back onto the original photo, creating a reusable template.
Dragging a flat cover straight onto a photo with Distort stretches it to an aspect ratio that does not match the real cover, so it looks stretched and unnatural. Building a Perspective Crop template first keeps the proportions correct.
A Smart Object lets you apply distortions, filters, and adjustments without changing the original pixels. You can double-click it any time to swap in a different cover image.
Change the cover layer’s Blending Mode to Multiply. This lets the shadows and highlights already in the photo show through the new cover art.
The cover layer can cover details it should not, like a thumb holding the book. Add a Layer Mask and paint with black to hide the cover there and bring the photo back through.
Double-click the Smart Object thumbnail to open it in its own tab, drag in the new image, scale it to fill the canvas, then save. The main document updates automatically and keeps your layer mask and shadows.
This tutorial was recorded in Photoshop 22.1.1 (Photoshop 2021) or the current version. Perspective Crop, Free Transform, and Smart Objects all work the same way in the current release.
Conclusion
Building a book cover mockup template in Photoshop this way keeps every cover in the correct aspect ratio, so it reads as a real photograph instead of a flat sticker.
Once the Smart Object template is built, swapping in a new cover takes seconds, and the shadows and layer mask carry over automatically.
Watch the full video above, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn how to match a subject into any background in Photoshop.
Related Links
Final Image
Drag the slider to see before and after
![After: Create Book Cover Mockups in Photoshop [Pro Techniques]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Book-Mockup-after.jpg)
![Before: Create Book Cover Mockups in Photoshop [Pro Techniques]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Book-Mockup-before.jpg)
