In many ways, this is one of the best introductions to Canva Free for those who haven't used it before. So far, I've used it 5 times BUT as each book document takes a while to create, edit and save as a PDF, my use of Canva is very infrequent. (I publish illustrated books of poetry for children, so these are definitely not low/medium content . . . hence the time needed to get every document ready. This can stretch to several weeks or months and I forget many little tips and tricks for Canva). My problem with Canva is therefore that I need to remind myself of the main key steps. This is where your video is helpful, but can I offer a few positive critiques? 1) Unless I missed it, I don't think you suggested that the template to insert into your cover page in Canva MUST be the png file. My first ever mistake was to insert the PDF version - at which time I didn't understand the opacity control. 2) A purely personal thought is that your large avatar which stays on screen top right is a bit too distracting and covers up some of the page features being described. 3) For a true beginner, the very long section about gradients seemed to be too soon and complicated. It took up a huge part of your tutorial (during which it wasn't clear where the template was so that it could show it's relationship to what was being created). A few opacity reminders would have helped here. 4) One advantage of a gradient back cover, of course, is that you don't need to worry about creating space for the barcode - but if images or text are used, these MUST be allowed for. You didn't mention the barcode element at all, even though it's a key part of the template. 5) Personally, I also download Flattened PDFs. I think KDF prefer that but I don't think it's essential . . . not sure about that. 6) A final review of the finished cover as seen 'through' the png template would have been nice. APOLOGIES IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LONG LIST OF NITPICKED GRIPES. It isn't meant to be as, potentially, this upload is very good. To counterbalance everything, I have to admit that over the course of five, and the ongoing two covers, I use a slightly unorthodox method in that I use the initial template dimension guidelines to create all the separate elements of each cover either as jpg if no opacity is needed, or as png if it is. I then create a separate 'Canva' folder in my main working file into which I gather all the elements so that I don't have to hunt them down. My use of Canva is therefore a bit different to yours in that I insert images from my own folder rather than 'harvesting' them from within Canva itself. I then move/adjust them within the on-screen png of the main template. I try to leave it so that the only text I need to add is for the spine. Thanks for some key reminders that my ageing old brain needed. I hope you didn't mind the list of comments.
@@Augustineige Hope it helped. My current tally is 10 books, all but one for young or YA readers. As I think I mentioned, infrequent use of the Canva portal means that my increasingly ageing brain struggles sometimes to remember the initial steps when using a new template and uploaded cover images, but on the whole, the program has served me well.
the best video on this subject I have seen,. I wasted so many frustrating hours following other help videos until I found this germ,, then evrything fell into place in no time at all. Thank you and have a good life.
Good video. Could you move the picture? It is in the way. I'm not a graphic design person and it was really in the way of what you were doing. I need to see where you are clicking. Thank you for the information.
Girl when I say you deserve all the flowers. I have never had a video save my lucky stars as much as this video lol!! Thank you! I was so stressed and now I’m like ok I got it!
Great, but one question left: the template created by amazon is only for the cover? or use the same size for all content pages? OR create on file for cover and one file for content pages with smaller size 8.5 x 11.25 " ?
hey question I'm having trouble with creating my book cover and making it on Canva within the I've using the template on KDP and I'm still having difficulties with it
Some issues I ran into. I tried to change color of my book by decreasing opacity. Don't do that, select a new color. Make sure to "flatten" your pdf. If you have hundreds of pages your file will take a while to upload/process. For some reason the calculation was off, but when KDP allowed me to preview my cover it told be the exact number to edit to.
hello, thanks for the video, what is the best format to upload it to Amazon? PDF or JPG? My current JPG version is not as sharp even tho it is in high resolution. thanks you
I missed how yoyu delted the templated. I learned a lot, but genrally I get the cover back saying I have not removed all the parts of the template. Could you possibly comment? Thank you.
how come no one shows you once the book cover is done...how to actually download to KDP? that's the challenging. i have the cover made from canva. i've downloaded it to PDF, but when KDP wants me to upload the cover....it doesn't show up on the download the KDP upload pulls up. it's like i have to upload areas for downloads. this may not make sense, but it makes no sense that KDP will pull up my download file from some area from my computer, while i can pull up my download file with the canva PDF in another area. can you please help as soon as possible. no one that makes these instructional videos are replying back. thanks
@DecoratingSmall I get that I uploaded with the template and avoid the read and if it's to small it will tell you the size if it's wrong got it right eventually
Why didn’t you check the bleed and flatten option? I’m assuming it’s because you already have the bleed dimensions? I keep loosing the bottom bleed of my cover, sides and top are fine and image does bleed into them except the bottom. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
I am having a hard time getting the template to match my Canva canvas. All the dimensions are correct (I have tried several times). Can you please tell me how to correct this?
Same exact problem, this video glosses over this problem (at 3:58 min in) Someone help me please, otherwise there is no point in my continuing with this. Thank you
Happy Wednesday! Thank you so much for this easy to follow tutorial! This is the most updated tutorial I have found so far! I am getting started now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I found it difficult to use Canva Free and every template/element wanted me to upgrade to Canva Pro. I am not ready to commit yet and want to create a book cover first. But Canva Free keeps locking up the template. I am practising and getting better at this. I think you should include a section on how to add the blurb on the back cover.
After the initial problems using new software, I am glad to say that I use Canva for all of my KDP book covers by placing their template (prepared on the KDP Book Cover Calculator) onto my Canva book cover custom page. This set of instructions worked wonderfully!
@@naila_waqar1 Midjourney can provide me with artwork which I can upload into Canva for the book cover. I also upload the kdp template for my bookcover.
I've been trying to learn how to do this. However, Canva seems to have a problem with me adding images once the template is locked in place. I'm trying my hardest but it just won't seem to let me do so...
hi , i did follow step by step with you , about the caculate download , my file is like zipfile , can not upload to canva , may i ask how to fix this problem , so i can not see the caculate work . thanks
Why didn't you just open your zip file hit extract and then send it to canva instead of hitting all these dimensions your file goes straight to canva after you hit share the canva
I guess it depends on how you define a beginner. But this is too, too fast. I couldn't follow her if my life depended on it. Slow down!! Geez, loueeaz, this isn't teaching.
Thanks!
Thanks!
In many ways, this is one of the best introductions to Canva Free for those who haven't used it before. So far, I've used it 5 times BUT as each book document takes a while to create, edit and save as a PDF, my use of Canva is very infrequent. (I publish illustrated books of poetry for children, so these are definitely not low/medium content . . . hence the time needed to get every document ready. This can stretch to several weeks or months and I forget many little tips and tricks for Canva).
My problem with Canva is therefore that I need to remind myself of the main key steps. This is where your video is helpful, but can I offer a few positive critiques?
1) Unless I missed it, I don't think you suggested that the template to insert into your cover page in Canva MUST be the png file. My first ever mistake was to insert the PDF version - at which time I didn't understand the opacity control.
2) A purely personal thought is that your large avatar which stays on screen top right is a bit too distracting and covers up some of the page features being described.
3) For a true beginner, the very long section about gradients seemed to be too soon and complicated. It took up a huge part of your tutorial (during which it wasn't clear where the template was so that it could show it's relationship to what was being created). A few opacity reminders would have helped here.
4) One advantage of a gradient back cover, of course, is that you don't need to worry about creating space for the barcode - but if images or text are used, these MUST be allowed for. You didn't mention the barcode element at all, even though it's a key part of the template.
5) Personally, I also download Flattened PDFs. I think KDF prefer that but I don't think it's essential . . . not sure about that.
6) A final review of the finished cover as seen 'through' the png template would have been nice.
APOLOGIES IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LONG LIST OF NITPICKED GRIPES. It isn't meant to be as, potentially, this upload is very good.
To counterbalance everything, I have to admit that over the course of five, and the ongoing two covers, I use a slightly unorthodox method in that I use the initial template dimension guidelines to create all the separate elements of each cover either as jpg if no opacity is needed, or as png if it is. I then create a separate 'Canva' folder in my main working file into which I gather all the elements so that I don't have to hunt them down. My use of Canva is therefore a bit different to yours in that I insert images from my own folder rather than 'harvesting' them from within Canva itself. I then move/adjust them within the on-screen png of the main template. I try to leave it so that the only text I need to add is for the spine.
Thanks for some key reminders that my ageing old brain needed. I hope you didn't mind the list of comments.
This is really insightful 👏 thank you
@@Augustineige Hope it helped. My current tally is 10 books, all but one for young or YA readers. As I think I mentioned, infrequent use of the Canva portal means that my increasingly ageing brain struggles sometimes to remember the initial steps when using a new template and uploaded cover images, but on the whole, the program has served me well.
Your comment saved my life! Thanks so much for letting me know that I had to convert my PDF cover art into .png! 😌
You seriously took so much time just FOR gradients> OMW I cannot deal
the best video on this subject I have seen,. I wasted so many frustrating hours following other help videos until I found this germ,, then evrything fell into place in no time at all. Thank you and have a good life.
Thank you for teaching how to create kdp book cover it's helpful for me
Great video- super informative & helpful
Fab Thanks 🙏💖
Very helpful, I followed along and created my book cover, thank you!
Love your step-by-step, get-to-the-point, easy-to-understand style. Other content creators should take a lesson from you. This was super-helpful!
Thank you so much for these great info.
Super helpful for my first time. Thank you!
Excellent video. I was able to create one by following your video. It was so helpful. Thank you so much. God bless you.
Excellent! Thank-you so much!!
Very impactful
great instructions and straight to the point. Thank you!
Definitely the best tutorial on this subject. Clear, easy to follow, brilliantly done. Thank you!
very helpful, thank you!
This has been a great help, thank you so much!!
This is literally one of the BEST tutorials ever!! I really hope you do tutorials on everything in my life!! GREAT work!
VERY HELPFUL thank youuuu!!!
Exactly what I needed! Thank you
Great clear and easy tutorial! Thank you so much! It is super useful! Have a great day!
This was insightful especially for the spine part. 👏
really great mam
Good video. Could you move the picture? It is in the way. I'm not a graphic design person and it was really in the way of what you were doing. I need to see where you are clicking. Thank you for the information.
Thank you, miss ma'am. This video helped. I've published 5 books on KDP and this concept on Canva is fairly new to me.
Interesting… we have followed these instructions to the details and keep being rejected.
Very great tutorial!! Thanks
Thank you very much! It was exactly what I needed.
what borders are you staying in besides none?
Thank you for this!
Great video I just didn't know where you go to copy etc control you kept using can you tell me , thanks
Thanks so much!
Awesome! This was super helpful! Short and quick, but with enough detail to get me going.
Very helpful for real! Thanks!
So helpful, thank u
Very helpful. I liked how you locked the Canva template so it wouldn't move; never thought of that. Thanks.
I tried locking this but not ableto add anything ?
Thank You Its's helps me lot😊
Wow, your way has been the fastest, and best!
Thank you so much!!!❤
Thank you very helpful
Girl when I say you deserve all the flowers. I have never had a video save my lucky stars as much as this video lol!! Thank you! I was so stressed and now I’m like ok I got it!
Great, but one question left: the template created by amazon is only for the cover? or use the same size for all content pages? OR create on file for cover and one file for content pages with smaller size 8.5 x 11.25 " ?
Should the page size be the same as cover size? After calculating cover size.
Thank you!🥰
hey question I'm having trouble with creating my book cover and making it on Canva within the I've using the template on KDP and I'm still having difficulties with it
Some issues I ran into.
I tried to change color of my book by decreasing opacity. Don't do that, select a new color.
Make sure to "flatten" your pdf.
If you have hundreds of pages your file will take a while to upload/process.
For some reason the calculation was off, but when KDP allowed me to preview my cover it told be the exact number to edit to.
Question - is the choice for color or black/white for the cover or for the interior pages? The word "interior" is throwing me ...
Thanks so much🙂
hello, thanks for the video, what is the best format to upload it to Amazon? PDF or JPG? My current JPG version is not as sharp even tho it is in high resolution. thanks you
Thank you so much
I missed how yoyu delted the templated. I learned a lot, but genrally I get the cover back saying I have not removed all the parts of the template. Could you possibly comment? Thank you.
Do you get that custom size option only when you have a pro subscription? Please help
how come no one shows you once the book cover is done...how to actually download to KDP? that's the challenging. i have the cover made from canva. i've downloaded it to PDF, but when KDP wants me to upload the cover....it doesn't show up on the download the KDP upload pulls up. it's like i have to upload areas for downloads. this may not make sense, but it makes no sense that KDP will pull up my download file from some area from my computer, while i can pull up my download file with the canva PDF in another area. can you please help as soon as possible. no one that makes these instructional videos are replying back. thanks
I saw your design, but l didn't get how you avoided the margins at the middle, that is really the problem l 'm facing with the designing process.
@DecoratingSmall I get that I uploaded with the template and avoid the read and if it's to small it will tell you the size if it's wrong got it right eventually
Question do I need office suite to be able to upload to canva
Why didn’t you check the bleed and flatten option? I’m assuming it’s because you already have the bleed dimensions? I keep loosing the bottom bleed of my cover, sides and top are fine and image does bleed into them except the bottom. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Yes I encountered the same issue and Amazon keeps asking me to fix it. Do you mind sharing any solutions to resolve this? Thank you in advance.
Great tutorial!❤
But what about the safe area?? how to set it?
Can you create a video explain how to have image outside and inside the cover book?
BEST ONE GOD BLESS
I am having a hard time getting the template to match my Canva canvas. All the dimensions are correct (I have tried several times). Can you please tell me how to correct this?
Same exact problem, this video glosses over this problem (at 3:58 min in) Someone help me please, otherwise there is no point in my continuing with this. Thank you
Happy Wednesday! Thank you so much for this easy to follow tutorial! This is the most updated tutorial I have found so far! I am getting started now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
do i have to add the description onto the book? or will kdp do that for me?
When you get your design and you move it over the template how do you adjust the size?
What about the copyright issues
HI DEAR REALY HELPFULL TO ME I M JUST SEEN YOUR VDO...CLEAR EXPLAIN TNQ ...I M MOHAN FROM TAMIL NADU INDIA .......SUBSCRIBED UR CHANNEL .😍
I found it difficult to use Canva Free and every template/element wanted me to upgrade to Canva Pro. I am not ready to commit yet and want to create a book cover first. But Canva Free keeps locking up the template. I am practising and getting better at this. I think you should include a section on how to add the blurb on the back cover.
After the initial problems using new software, I am glad to say that I use Canva for all of my KDP book covers by placing their template (prepared on the KDP Book Cover Calculator) onto my Canva book cover custom page. This set of instructions worked wonderfully!
So you can design that design in your own way
@@naila_waqar1 Midjourney can provide me with artwork which I can upload into Canva for the book cover. I also upload the kdp template for my bookcover.
What if I have a ready image for a book cover? How can I download format it?
I've been trying to learn how to do this. However, Canva seems to have a problem with me adding images once the template is locked in place. I'm trying my hardest but it just won't seem to let me do so...
same
Why does kdp support higher size than a4 size?
hi , i did follow step by step with you , about the caculate download , my file is like zipfile , can not upload to canva , may i ask how to fix this problem , so i can not see the caculate work . thanks
Extract it.
You made a mess. Cant figure out margins and where to place front and back side design
Same 😡
😂😂😂
Can not thank you enough!!!
I upload the png and it says file not compatible?? Why? I defo added the correct size dimentions.
same
bro rename the file and save it then upload files instead of drag the document worked for me
I've done this and it says the wrap is wrong on the book, do you happen to know why?
The barcode wasn't in your final design. Is that okay?
When I am locking the page it is not allowing me to add anything on the image Can you please help ?
Kdp can't allowed image's or graphics by canva
Why didn't you just open your zip file hit extract and then send it to canva instead of hitting all these dimensions your file goes straight to canva after you hit share the canva
Errors are poping up all the time
how do I get rid of the template as I can't see what you're clicking on just past the grouping part? I also didn't lock the template.
Can I make a book cover for a twenty page ebook on Amazon kdp?
How can one make a book cover to a twenty page book on Amazon kdp?
I’m downloading it and it won’t upload to canva what do I do?
Please I'm having issue with margin can you help me
Why didn't those broken lines appear how did you do that
I need help making a cover 😊
so i have made a book cover, now how do i add the pages to this? no one on the internet shows this!!!
I can't upload file on canva
Why are you blocking part of the page with the photo of your personal photo?
I think it would be good if you could actually teach how to write on the spine.
7121 Padberg Summit
We followed every step and keep getting rejected over the cover margins.
801 Mavis Route
Where is barcode?
626 Otho Light
I should marry a woman like her!!
This was very fast and rushed.
I guess it depends on how you define a beginner. But this is too, too fast. I couldn't follow her if my life depended on it. Slow down!! Geez, loueeaz, this isn't teaching.
541 Kiehn Meadow