CoversLesson
How to make a 3D mockup of your book
Open 3D mockup from Download to see your cover as a book you can turn. Pick a format and a scene, then save a PNG. The picture does not change the cover.
In short
On a cover, open Download and click 3D mockup…, and the 3D mockup dialog draws the cover as a book you can turn. Download PNG saves a picture of the view you chose.
A flat wrap is what the printer needs. It is a poor picture of how the book will sit in someone's hand. The mockup builds that picture from the cover you already designed, including the spine thickness of this page count, so a thin book and a thick one do not look like the same object. You can turn it and save a picture before you order a proof.
Make the mockup#
Open 3D mockup
Open your cover. Click Download at the top right. Under MOCKUP AND CHECK, click 3D mockup…. The 3D mockup dialog opens, and the cover draws as a book. While it prepares the picture, the viewer says Rendering your cover….
Drag on the book to turn it. Scroll to zoom. Double-click, or click Reset view, to put it back.
Choose a format
Under FORMAT, the book opens as Paperback, Hardcover, or E-reader, matching what you are making. Click another one to see the same wrap on that object. Hardcover adds a line: it is a presentation style, your wrap on hardcover boards, and your print file is unchanged. An eBook cover offers E-reader only.
Choose a scene
Under SCENE, click Angled, Front, or Stack. Angled shows the spine. Front faces you. Stack sets a few copies together. E-reader has Angled and Front only. Reset view returns the turn and the zoom to the scene you picked, without changing that choice.
Set the background
Under BACKGROUND, click Studio, White, Transparent, or Custom. Studio is the gray the dialog opens on. White is a plain page. Transparent keeps that gray in the preview and saves the picture with no background. Custom opens a color control for a background of your own.
Download the picture
StudioThis step needs a Studio plan or higher. The rest of the lesson works on any plan.
Under DOWNLOAD, Size starts at 3000 px. The other choices are 2048 px and 4000 px. Shape starts at Square 1:1, with Portrait 4:5 and Landscape 16:9 beside it. Click Download PNG. The button reads Rendering… while it draws, then the picture saves. It also comes with Founders' Lifetime. On any other plan a lock sits beside the button and names the plan that unlocks the download. The viewer itself stays available.
Reading the dialog#
| In the dialog | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Paperback | Your wrap on a paperback, at this book's spine thickness |
| Hardcover | The same wrap on hardcover boards. A look only. The print file stays as it is |
| E-reader | The front of the cover on a device. No stack |
| Angled | The book turned so the spine shows |
| Front | The front cover facing you |
| Stack | Several copies together. Paperback and hardcover only |
| Reset view | Undoes the drag and the zoom, and keeps the scene you picked |
| Studio | The gray background the dialog opens on |
| White | A plain white background |
| Transparent | Gray while you look. The saved picture has no background |
| Custom | A background color you pick |
| 3000 px | The starting size. 2048 px is smaller and 4000 px is the largest |
| Square 1:1 | The starting shape. Portrait 4:5 is tall and Landscape 16:9 is wide |
| Download PNG | Saves the view you are looking at. The button reads Rendering… while it draws |
The picture uses the cover on the page at that moment. Change the cover, open 3D mockup… again, and the book updates. The sizes are pixels on a side of the saved picture, and the dialog says the downloads are marketing-ready PNGs at 300 dpi.
Close the mockup#
Click Close. No picture is kept inside the book, and no page moved. Open 3D mockup… again whenever you want another view, change SCENE or BACKGROUND, and click Download PNG.
For why the spine in that picture has to match the book, read Book Cover Mockup Generator: Get the Spine Right.
Common questions
Does the mockup change my cover file?
No. It draws a picture of the cover you already have. Closing the dialog leaves the page exactly as it was.
Does Hardcover change what KDP prints?
No. Hardcover puts your wrap on hardcover boards so you can see that look. The line under it says your print file is unchanged.
Can I download the picture on the Free plan?
No. The viewer is free on every plan. Download PNG comes with Studio and Founders' Lifetime. On other plans a lock sits beside the button and names the plan that unlocks it.
Can I stack the e-reader?
No. E-reader offers Angled and Front. Stack is there for Paperback and Hardcover.
Is the PNG the file I upload to KDP?
No. Download PNG saves a marketing picture of the view you chose. The file KDP prints is Print PDF (CMYK), from the same Download menu.
Try it on your own book
Open a book in SmartKDP and follow the steps above. It takes about 6 minutes.