Cover design is a crucial aspect of book publishing, but can challenge independent authors who manage every step of the process. While outsourcing to a professional is an option, the cost is not always recoverable through book sales. Alternatively, getting all the tools to create a cover design yourself can be expensive.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Canva offer tools to help you create usable covers, but lack features needed for a truly unique design. Limitations include:

• Limited font support.
• Limited placement control.
• Limited support in end-products. E.g., Ebook, paperback, laminate hardcover, Hardcover with a sleeve.

Inkscape is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) that supports multiple platforms. While it’s primarily designed to support the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), the capability exists to import bitmap images and overlay text, objects, filters, and effects.