Page 2 - Adding the Photo to the Cover

• Now click on the photo that you have added the border to and copy and paste it as an object into your book cover. You can drag it to your book cover if you prefer that method. (Don't know how to do that? Right click on the photo, and click on copy. Now right click on the book graphic and click on paste.
• You will now need to manipulate the photo in the same way that you did the book to get it to fit correctly. It takes some fiddling with the resize, slant and distort to get it just right.

Example 3 After Photo has been sized and placed

Example 4 After fadeout has been applied.

• Once I got the picture sized to suit, I decide to try the fadeout. Go to edit, click on fadeout and use these settings

• If you look closely at examples 3 and 4 you will notice that the tabs (upper and lower) on the right side of the book cover show on example 4 but do not show on example 3. Once the fadeout was applied, the upper one was visible. I then used the lasso selection tool and copied the result. I dragged it off to the desktop to make another small graphic containing only the selection. I then pasted it over where the lower one should be.
• Then I held down th shift key and selected it as well as the entire book and right clicked then clicked on 'group'. The entire book can now be moved as a unit.
• Add title to your book and author's name if you choose. You could apply the same fadeout to the title as you did to the photo if you choose. Remember to slant the text slightly so it looks right on the book.

Click on the background of your graphic to make it active. Now go to the fill gallery and choose a backbround......This took me many many tries as I had trouble deciding which background I liked best. Just remember that Edit/Undo is a marvelous option. I use it lots. I finally decided on Magic Texture 080.

• Once you have decided upon your background and applied it, it is time to add the lighting to your graphic.
• Lots of experimentation here too.
• Select the book and then select the lightbulb1. Right click on the lightbulb1and click on 'modify properties and apply'. You will need to fool with the settings until you get something subtle that looks good with the colours that you chose for your book. I increased the softness. I will add a graphic showing my settings as soon as I figure out how.

• Now click on the background and then select the spotlight1. Apply it to the entire graphic. Choose settings that compliment your book cover. Experiment!!

• If you prefer to leave the book as it is after adding the background and before lighting, it still looks pretty good.

Finished Book Cover

This would make a lovely website splash page.