3D Printed A5 Embossed Book Cover – Primed & Ready to Paint

Create a book cover that becomes part of the artwork

Our 3D Printed A5 Embossed Book Covers are designed for bookbinders who want to add sculptural detail and dimension to handmade books, journals, albums and special-edition projects.

Instead of a conventional flat cover, each design features a raised 3D relief incorporating elements such as flowers, foliage, ravens, dragons, architecture, moons, books and decorative frames.

The designs have been developed specifically with physical 3D printing in mind, giving the finished cover real depth that can be highlighted beautifully with paint, metallic waxes, dry brushing, antiquing and other decorative techniques.

Supplied primed and ready for your creativity

Each cover is 3D printed in PLA+, then lightly finished and given a light coat of primer.

This gives you a prepared surface ready for your own decorative finish.

Paint the entire design, highlight only the raised details, create an aged metallic finish, use dry brushing to bring out the relief, or develop your own completely unique colour scheme.

The coloured cover images in the product gallery are design and painting inspiration and demonstrate how the different themes could look when finished. Your physical cover is supplied primed and unpainted, allowing you to choose the final appearance yourself.

Designed for A5 bookbinding

The cover measures approximately 148 × 210 mm, making it suitable for A5 bookbinding projects.

A plain section is incorporated along the left binding edge of the design. This provides a practical area for incorporating the decorative panel into your chosen binding construction.

Because bookbinding methods and board thicknesses differ, the cover is supplied as the decorative front component rather than as a complete book-cover assembly. This gives you the freedom to build it into your own book structure.

Choose your design

The collection includes a growing range of fantasy, botanical, gothic and literary-inspired designs. Choose your preferred artwork from the Design option before adding the cover to your basket.

Current designs include themes such as:

• Raven & Roses
• Secret Garden
• Moth & Moon
• Dragon's Keep
• Forgotten Library
• Enchanted Forest
• Witch's Garden
• Under the Sea
• Sun & Moon
• Butterfly Garden
• Gothic Cathedral
• Apothecary
• Wonderland
• Dracula
• Frankenstein
• Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• Peter Pan
• The Jungle Book
• Black Beauty
• Anne of Green Gables
• A Christmas Carol
• The Count of Monte Cristo

We can add the remaining designs you've created to this list once we check the final variation names.

Ideas for finishing your cover

These covers can be finished in many different ways. Acrylic craft paints are an easy starting point, while dry brushing is particularly effective for highlighting the raised relief. Metallic acrylics or waxes can bring out ornate borders and decorative details, and washes can settle into recessed areas to create an aged appearance.

You can also combine several techniques—for example, a dark base coat followed by lighter dry brushing and metallic highlights—to emphasise the sculpted depth.

Please note

These are 3D-printed craft components, so very small layer lines and minor variations are a normal characteristic of the manufacturing process.

Each purchase contains one decorative A5 front cover only. Back board, spine board, book cloth, text block, paints and other bookbinding materials are not included.

The coloured artwork shown represents the individual designs and provides painting inspiration. Your finished cover will be supplied primed and ready for you to paint.

How to Use Your 3D Printed Book Cover

The 3D printed cover is designed to become the actual front cover of your book. It is not intended to be glued on top of a completed chipboard cover.

A 35 mm (3.5 cm) smooth attachment section is already incorporated into the binding side of the printed cover. This allows you to connect the printed front cover to your spine and back board using book cloth, fabric or decorative paper.

Assembling Your Cover

Place the 3D printed cover embossed side down, protecting the raised design with a clean, soft surface while you work. When the cover is flipped over, the 35 mm smooth attachment section will be on the right-hand side.

Arrange your cover components in the following order:

3D Printed Front Cover → Hinge Gap → Spine Board → Hinge Gap → A5 Back Board

The 35 mm attachment section is already part of the printed front cover and does not require an additional piece of chipboard.

Leave approximately 6–8 mm between the front cover and spine board to form the first hinge. Leave another approximately 6–8 mm between the spine board and back board for the second hinge. These spaces contain no chipboard and allow the finished book cover to open and close. The exact hinge width can be adjusted to suit your board thickness and chosen covering material.

Cut your spine board to approximately 210 mm high, with the width determined by the thickness of your finished text block.

For an A5 book, the back board can be approximately 148 × 210 mm.

Adding Your Book Cloth, Fabric or Paper

Your covering material does not need to cover the embossed portion of the 3D printed front cover.

Begin the material on the 35 mm smooth attachment section of the printed cover. From there, it continues across the first hinge, over the spine board, across the second hinge and over the entire back board.

Allow additional material at the top, bottom and outside edge of the back board for turning in. An allowance of approximately 15–20 mm is a useful starting point.

To calculate the approximate width of covering material required:

35 mm attachment section + first hinge + spine width + second hinge + 148 mm back board + outer turn-in

For example, using a 30 mm spine, 7 mm hinges and a 20 mm outer turn-in:

35 + 7 + 30 + 7 + 148 + 20 = 247 mm

For the height, using 20 mm turn-ins at the top and bottom:

20 + 210 + 20 = 250 mm

In this example, your covering material would therefore be approximately 247 × 250 mm.

Apply the covering material securely to the 35 mm smooth section and continue across the spine construction and back board, carefully working the material into the hinge areas while maintaining the gaps so that the finished cover can flex freely.

Once assembled, the 3D embossed design remains completely visible as the front of your book, while your chosen covering material forms the connecting section, spine and back cover.

Optional: Creating Rounded Corners

Prefer a softer, rounded finish? The outside corners of the 3D printed cover can be carefully rounded by hand using fine sandpaper before painting and assembling your book.

Work gradually, removing a small amount of material at a time until you achieve the shape you want.

You can then round the corresponding outside corners of your back chipboard to match, creating a more consistent appearance when the book is closed.

For the neatest result, decide on your corner shape before assembling the book cover.

After sanding, remove all sanding dust and apply a small amount of primer to any exposed areas before painting.

We recommend keeping the corners nearest the spine and attachment area square, and rounding only the outside corners of the front and corresponding outside corners of the back board.