Matte or Glossy? What type of Book Cover Finish Should a Self-Publishing Author Choose

Book Cover Printing: Matte or Glossy Cover?

On the left you can see an example of a shiny glossy book cover varnish, printed via KDP. On the right is a matte “silk” coating printed in a short run in Ontario Canada.

On the left you can see an example of a shiny glossy book cover varnish, printed via KDP. On the right is a matte “silk” coating printed in a short run in Ontario Canada.

I get this question a lot: “should I choose matte or glossy finish for my book cover finish?”

Just one of a bajillion decisions the self-publishing author must grapple with as they make their way through the self-publishing process, this question is (obviously) specific to printed books.

POD

An independent author is likely to be asking this question in the context of “Print-on-Demand” (POD) digital technology (rather than traditional offset printing).

POD is a digital technology which allows short print runs – anyone can order as few as a handful (or even one) book at a time – at a reasonable cost per book.

Most POD book printers (e.g., Amazon KDP, Blurb, IngramSpark etc.) offer the options for both glossy and matte book cover finishes. This was not always the case: up until 2015, KDP (then CreateSpace) only offered glossy covers.

Ask yourself:

  1. What are other printed books in my genre doing? Some genres are more likely to be using glossy or matte varnish on the cover.

  2. In some ways, this is a question of personal preference, so first ask yourself: when you peruse your bookshelf and touch your books, which do you prefer?

Here are a few more tips to help you better answer this question.

Glossy covers are:

  • Very shiny, which means the book is more reflective of light

  • More vibrant , which shows off the colours (making them “pop”) – good for artwork that is highly detailed

  • Smooth to the touch

  • Some people are convinced that the glossy cover finish shows smudged fingerprints easier than the matte, but I’ve never noticed a problem with this

If you like glossy book covers, and it makes sense for your genre, and your book’s cover art is vibrant and detailed, glossy may be the best option!

Matte covers are:

  • Non-shiny

  • Less reflective of light

  • Smooth and silky finish, which feels nice to the touch

  • Colours are slightly more muted

  • Some people believe that the matte cover shows fingerprints easier than the glossy but this really depends on the cover design. I’ve never noticed a problem with this

If you are one of those people who just hate glossy (for whatever reason), and it makes sense for your genre, matte has a unique sophisticated smooth feel to it.

Try Both

You can try both! The cover finish is (sometimes) one of the few printed book settings you can change after the book is live.

Special Effects

Please keep in mind that traditional publishers (who don’t generally print books via POD technology) have the ability to create special effects (spot varnish, metallic inks etc.) on book covers, which the indie author usually doesn’t have access to (or the up-front budget for).

If, however, at some point in your journey as an independent author, having special effects on your book cover becomes important to you, you could choose a different self-publishing pathway.

Good Luck!

Good luck! If you’re in the process of self-publishing a nonfiction book and you have more questions, please don’t be shy to contact me!