Debates: VERSUS?
If the purpose of a book cover is primarily to attract attention in a bookstore, or on a shelf, then a digital image is just fine — especially on larger color screens. The book content argument is tricky, however. Well-structured ebook files and capable e-reading software do give the user the power to create an aesthetically pleasant page. For narrative, text-heavy works, this is adequate. However, print designers currently have more tools for creating beautiful and effective pages, especially if one needs more fonts, has more illustrations, if reflowable text is inconsistent with overall design goals, or if the subject matter (e.g., maps or large images) benefits from a reading area larger than a tablet screen.
John Parsons (john@intuideas.com), former Editorial Director of The Seybold Report, is an independent writer, ghostwriter, and editor. He is the co-author of the interactive printed textbook, Introduction to Graphic Communication, on the art, science and business of print, which has been adopted by Ryerson, Arizona State, the University of Houston, and many other schools and vocational training centers. Custom editions of the book are under consideration by major printing companies and franchises for internal training purposes.