What is a book mockup?

A book mockup is a photo of a real book with your cover applied to it, so you can see the placement, the scale, and how the spine reads before anything gets printed. Kittl's book mockups use real product photography rather than flat illustrations.

Which book formats are available in Kittl's book mockups?

Kittl's book mockup library covers hardcover, paperback, and dust jacket bindings, in portrait, square, and landscape shapes. Checking more than one format matters, because a cover laid out for a square photo book won't hold together on a standard portrait paperback.

Can a book mockup show the spine?

Yes. Kittl offers book mockups that show the spine alongside the front cover. The spine matters more than most covers account for, because spine width changes with page count and paper stock, so a title that fits at 200 pages can crowd the edges at 120.

What size should my book cover be for a mockup?

Standard E-book / Front Cover: 2,560 x 1,600 px (or a minimum of 1,000 x 625 px) to match platforms like Amazon KDP. High-Resolution / Print Front Cover: 3,000 x 2,000 px or 4,800 x 3,200 px at 300 DPI for crisp detail. 3D / Full-Wrap Mockups (Hardcover/Paperback): Varies by software, but Photoshop PSD templates often use a total canvas size around 4,500 x 3,000 px to accommodate the front, spine, and perspective angle.

What's the difference between a hardcover and a paperback mockup?

A hardcover holds its shape across rigid boards, so the cover stays flat and the spine stays square. A paperback flexes, which curves the spine and pulls anything printed close to it out of true. A dust jacket adds a wrap over the boards, so the artwork catches the light differently and folds around flaps that a bare hardcover doesn't have.

Is Kittl's book mockup generator free?

Kittl's book mockup generator is free to use with a free account, which includes a hand-picked selection of mockups. Paid plans open the full library.

Should a book cover mockup be portrait, square, or landscape?

Match the shape to the book. Standard novels and non-fiction go portrait, photo books and many children's books go square, and coffee table books often go landscape. The shape changes how much room the cover art has, so a layout built for portrait rarely transfers to square without reworking the type.

How many book mockups do I need for a launch?

Usually three or four. A 3D angled shot for the retail listing, a flat cover for ads where the file gets cropped to a square, a spread if the interior is part of the pitch, and a lifestyle shot for social. The retail image and the ad image rarely work as the same file, because one needs depth and the other needs to survive a crop.

How do I keep a series looking like one series?

Use the same mockup scene, angle, and lighting for every book in the series, and change only the cover. Readers recognise a series by its shape before they read the title, so a book three shot from a different angle on a different background reads as someone else's book. The constraint matters more than the individual image.

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BOOK MOCKUPS IN EVERY FORMAT

Book mockups in hardcover, paperback, square, and landscape, shown standing, open, or laid flat. Check how your cover reads at the size you're actually printing.

Trusted by creators around the world

Every format and binding

Hardcover, paperback, dust jacket, square, and landscape, shown standing, open, or flat. Check your cover on the format you're actually printing or publishing.

Works in the Browser

Nothing to install and no PSD to open. Upload your cover, pick a book, and see the result.

No watermarks

Kittl doesn't watermark mockups. Previews render at low resolution, and high-resolution exports come with a paid plan.

How to make a book mockup with Kittl

Every cover, before you print it

Check your cover on the book you're actually publishing

Hardcover, paperback, and jacket

The same cover behaves differently depending on how it's bound. A dust jacket wraps and catches light across the boards, a paperback sits flatter and shows more of the spine curve, and a hardcover holds its shape without either. Check your cover on the binding you've ordered, not a generic stand-in.

3D covers, flat lays, open spreads

A 3D book mockup shows depth and thickness, which is what a retail listing needs. A flat lay reads cleanly for social. An open book mockup shows the spread, so your interior layout gets the same check as your cover. Most launches need all three.

Square, landscape, and your actual trim size

Photo books go square, children's books often go landscape, and a standard paperback goes portrait. Match the mockup to the trim size you ordered, and what you see is exactly what arrives in the box.

Book mockups for print, listings, and promotion

The same cover has to survive three decisions. What you send to print, what you list, and what you promote. Check each one before it costs you.

Before you print

See the cover on a real book before a print run exists. Spine placement, title scale, and how close your artwork sits to the trim you ordered.

Before you list

Book mockups give you retail listing images without a photoshoot. The same cover, shown the way Amazon, your shop, and your marketplace pages need it.

Before you promote

Turn the mockup into launch posts, ads, and press images. One cover, carried across every place a reader meets your book.

Turn your book mockup into a full launch kit with AI Workflows

Workflows are design paths built and tested by Kittl's design team. Bring the cover you just mocked up, and get the rest of what a launch needs. Social posts, ad creative, and a matching author graphic, all carrying the same cover.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A book mockup is a photo of a real book with your cover applied to it, so you can see the placement, the scale, and how the spine reads before anything gets printed. Kittl's book mockups use real product photography rather than flat illustrations.
Standard E-book / Front Cover: 2,560 x 1,600 px (or a minimum of 1,000 x 625 px) to match platforms like Amazon KDP.
High-Resolution / Print Front Cover: 3,000 x 2,000 px or 4,800 x 3,200 px at 300 DPI for crisp detail.
3D / Full-Wrap Mockups (Hardcover/Paperback): Varies by software, but Photoshop PSD templates often use a total canvas size around 4,500 x 3,000 px to accommodate the front, spine, and perspective angle.

Book mockup generator: every format and size | Kittl