Ciyo workflow
AI Book Cover Generator: Inspect the Ebook File, Then the Thumbnail
An indie author can approve a striking large cover and still receive a file that is awkward to revise or hard to read in a small listing. Before commissioning more concepts, test the actual front-cover export and its title at a smaller size.
We used Ciyo to create a fictional literary mystery, The Lantern Orchard by Rowan Vale. The pilot delivered editable vector source, a full-size JPEG and a separate small preview. It tests an ebook front cover, with no paperback wrap or publishing claim.
Choose the edition and deliverables first
An ebook front cover and a paperback wrap are different jobs. Our sample has a front only. It contains no spine, back cover, barcode or printer-specific geometry.
Amazon KDP lists 1600×2560 pixels as the ideal ebook-cover dimensions and accepts JPEG or TIFF in RGB. Those requirements informed this pilot. Check the current requirements of your own destination before commissioning an export.
| File | Purpose | Pilot target |
|---|---|---|
| Editable SVG | Revise title, author and artwork | 1600×2560 |
| Full JPEG | Inspect the actual ebook export | 1600×2560 RGB |
| Small JPEG | Judge title hierarchy at native size | 200×320 |
Give the title a real setting
The Lantern Orchard uses one amber lantern in a dark geometric orchard. That visual brief gives the reader a particular genre and object to recognise, while leaving the title in a separate text layer.
In the live run, the Design agent wrote SVG and rendered the JPEGs from it. It did not use an image-generation model. This is a demonstrated vector-illustration workflow; it does not establish how a photographic cover would behave.
Create a fictional ebook FRONT cover with original vector artwork, as editable SVG 1600×2560. Title: The Lantern Orchard. Author: Rowan Vale. Quiet literary mystery: one amber lantern hanging in a dark geometric orchard, ivory title, strong readable hierarchy. No spine, back cover, badges or extra claims. Supply the complete SVG, a full-size RGB JPEG and a 200×320 JPEG thumbnail on the canvas. Do not use an image-generation model for this vector illustration. Keep title and author as editable text.Download the original, not the display preview
Open Generated Files and download both named JPEGs. Our downloaded original is 1600×2560, RGB, and 218812 bytes. The separate 200×320 preview is 11673 bytes. These are checks of the actual files, not dimensions inferred from the canvas.
Open the large export at normal viewing size. Check the complete title and author, edge details, spacing and any unintended text. A file with the requested dimensions still needs an editorial review.
Inspect the thumbnail at its native size
At 200×320 the two large title lines remain readable in our inspected preview. The smaller author line is less prominent, and the orchard becomes a dark atmospheric setting. That is an observed tradeoff in this design, not evidence of higher sales or clicks.
Use the small preview as a separate buying test. If the title disappears, ask for stronger hierarchy or a simpler image before expanding the concept count. Enlarging the small file on a canvas does not reproduce a small listing.
Reopen the source before approving the package
The title lines and author are SVG text; the orchard is vector artwork. The source names EB Garamond with fallback fonts. Reopen it in the editor you plan to use and check whether font substitution changes the layout.
Check the task cost
Keep the editable source and the accepted JPEG together. This pilot has not been uploaded to KDP or printed. Billable LLM usage applies to planning and vector work in Ciyo, even when no image-generation model runs. Check pricing and any Generation quote before adding raster artwork or more concepts.
Book-cover buying questions
Does this ebook cover include a paperback spine and back?
No. The pilot produces a fictional front cover only. A paperback wrap needs its own trim, page-count, spine and printer specifications.
Is a correctly sized JPEG enough to approve a cover?
Inspect the wording, visual details and small-size hierarchy too. Reopen the editable source and check fonts before relying on future revisions.
Test one ebook-cover handoff
Bring a working title, author name and clear visual direction. Inspect the original export and a small preview before commissioning more concepts.