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Print your own cookbook

Print and bind your own cookbook?

Are you tired of having to scroll through the life story of each and every food blogger before you finally get to the actual recipe? Well, you’re not the only one. Why not gather your favourite recipes and print your own cookbook instead? It looks great, has no filler content, and it can even be sold to other foodies, should you be so inclined! We’ve gathered some cookbook templates which we think lead to a great final product.

Cookbook template ideas

Template 1

This exclusive layout doesn’t cut any corners. It’ll serve as your trusted kitchen companion for decades. That does make it more expensive to print and ship than the other templates, however.

  • Cover type: Hardback

    Made to handle being lugged around in the kitchen

  • Format: 193 x 260mm

    So that you can peruse the recipes while cooking

  • Paper type: Semi-gloss

    To make those food pictures shine

  • Cover finish: Glossy

    Food tends to look tastier if the picture is glossy

  • Colour settings: full colour

    Because black and white food pictures aren’t great

DOWNLOAD MANUSCRIPT LAY-OUT

Template 2

This no-nonsense layout is a lighter and cheaper alternative to Template 1. It retains the large format, however, making it easy to read when you have it lying open on the kitchen counter.

  • Cover type: Paperback

    Lighter and cheaper to print than a hardback

  • Format: 193 x 260mm

    So that you can peruse the recipes while cooking

  • Paper type: Semi-gloss

    To make those food pictures shine

  • Cover finish: Matte

    For a more subdued, classy look

  • Colour settings: full colour

    Because black and white food pictures aren’t great

DOWNLOAD MANUSCRIPT LAY-OUT

Template 3

Smaller than the other two templates, but even cheaper to print and ship. This template is perhaps best-suited as a sort of kitchen handbook listing your favourite recipes.

  • Cover type: Paperback

    Lighter and cheaper to print than a hardcover

  • Format: 155 x 235mm

    Easy to handle and cheap to ship

  • Paper type: Semi-gloss

    If you’re not planning on including photos, you can choose another paper type.

  • Cover finish: Glossy

    Makes this simple template a bit more interesting

  • Colour settings: Full colour

    Again, if you’re not including photos, you can opt for B&W

DOWNLOAD MANUSCRIPT LAY-OUT

Cookbook cover ideas

There are two main categories of cookbook covers. The straightforward version is just putting your most appetising food photo on the cover and letting it do the talking. You could also go the more abstract route and use a pattern or visual that evokes the theme of your cookbook. We’ve put together a few examples to help you get started. All of the covers you see below were created using our Cover Designer. 

cookbook cover mockup

The Showstopper

This cover is all about flaunting your most mouthwatering creation. You want a high-quality photo of a colourful and expertly plated dish. The idea is to get people to want to cook the dish, for which they will have to pick up your cookbook. Font choices are flexible, but make sure to use a neutral colour so that it doesn’t interfere with the photo.

Symbolic

For this type of cover, you’re going to want to distil the essence of your cookbook into one specific visual element. The interplay between font, visual, and colours is key here, so make sure they complement each other.

cookbook cover mockup

Abstract

Not all cookbooks have food pictures on the cover. Some instead try to invoke the idea, feeling, or culture behind the recipes they contain. If your cookbook focuses on a specific cuisine, for instance, there’s probably some easily recognizable cultural aesthetic that you can use to signal this to potential readers.