Front- and Backcover for LO 7.0

Howdy,

One final update for today - added the current text from the Base
guide back cover to the 7.0 back with a couple of changes:
URL for downloaded, changed from documentation page on main website to
extension site. Is that the correct URL?
Reworded the last sentence about downloading a free copy. (minor)
Added two paragraphs about Professional Support services to the end.

Updated https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/XkirCBX7QQqjc4p
with that change

Full text of Base back cover follows:
Base Guide
Managing your data
About this book:
This book is for beginners to advanced users of LibreOffice Base. If
you have never used Base before, or you want an introduction to all of
LibreOffice's components, you might like to read Getting Started with
LibreOffice first.
This book introduces you to the most common functions of LibreOffice Base:
Creating a database
Input and output of data
Using macros
Maintaining a database
And much more
About the authors:
This book was written by volunteers from the LibreOffice community.
Profits from sales of the printed edition will be used to benefit the
community.
A PDF version of this book can be downloaded free from:
https://extensions.libreoffice.org
About LibreOffice:
LibreOffice is the free, libre, and open source personal productivity
suite from The Document Foundation. It runs on Windows, macOS, and
GNU/Linux. Support and documentation is free from our large, dedicated
community of users, contributors and developers.
You too can get involved with volunteer work in many areas:
development, quality assurance, documentation, translation, user
support, and more.
You can download the free Community release of LibreOffice from:
https://libreoffice.org/download/
For commercial use: You are encouraged to work with a certified
LibreOffice professional for your business needs, from deployment or
conversion off other office suites, staff training, or custom
development needs.
You can find information on professional support services at:
https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/professional-support/

The back covers of v6.x also contain version number. I think it would look
good in v.7.x also.
Pulkit Krishna

Hi!

One final update for today - added the current text from the Base
guide back cover to the 7.0 back with a couple of changes:
URL for downloaded, changed from documentation page on main website to
extension site. Is that the correct URL?
Reworded the last sentence about downloading a free copy. (minor)
Added two paragraphs about Professional Support services to the end.

Updated https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/XkirCBX7QQqjc4p
with that change

I find the new covers to be a very important move from the v6 ones. In particular, the graphic is great and colourful.

But as the graphic first attracts view, the eye then goes to the second much contrasted item which is the version number. At that moment, the brains didn't catch what it is all about: just an image and a big 7.0 number.

All this to say that I find the actual guide names not to be prominent enough. Sure, the font type is nice and elegant (I do love it) but there's not enough contrast there.

I'd suggest having the title "boldified" and the version number "deboldified", if you see what I mean :slight_smile:
At the same time, make the title font grey more blackish, while the version number could be smaller in size (was the v6 guides defect already).

Sure, the enhancement for v.6 is a big step forward and, again, I do love it. Though, the respective weights of the graphic and text items should be reworked to make important things more visible (the title!).

HTH,

Howdy Pilkit, Jean

A version number of the back cover? Yes - I went with one option with
the white 7.0 upper to the right of the logo at the top of the page.
As you can see in the pdf example of the covers that is problematic
with the current Draw cover.

Then as for a font for the Title (and what about using the sub-title
also on the front cover?)

Actually fonts in general as open for some review also. For example
the original SVG files Olivier sent over use a Font which I do not
have, so right from the bat it was a case of using a nearly identical
replacement.

Anyway - I've gathered the text from the most recent Writer, Calc,
Impress, Draw, and Base guides for a place to begin.
Again the file https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/XkirCBX7QQqjc4p
is updated with all of those.

What is not done for these first drafts is
- update all the covers to use the proper logo at the top of the page
-- in that Base cover set I just used a bitmap of that community logo,
needing to find or make a vector drawing instead as part of that since
I assume if the covers are used for other languages they would want to
translate the 'The Documentation Team' line also.
- covers for the GS and Math guides
- fix the Version number on back cover (move or color it) given the
problem with Draw cover

Otherwise general feedback as this goes along is good.

Also - the svg files, as they are at this moment, and the ODG file
which currently adds the text for the back covers and produces the pdf
are on the NC server as file Cover7_colors_draft1_DJ18062020.zip

Hopefully that early email didn't post..

- the current svg files and the ODG file which adds text and generates
the PDF file are in the file Cover7_colors_DJ21062020.zip

Howdy,

HI Drew
The covers are getting really nice and beautiful... Thank you indeed.

We also need a color/cover for the Getting Started and Math Guide.

In the next LibreOffice Help pages I used a gray for the common (SHARED)
pages and a teal blue for Math.
https://help.libreoffice.org/7.0/en-US/text/smath/main0000.html?DbPAR=MATH

https://help.libreoffice.org/7.0/en-US/text/shared/01/profile_safe_mode.html?DbPAR=SHARED

Alright - I created the first cut for the Getting Started and Math
guide overs - now in the pdf file
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/XkirCBX7QQqjc4p

Grabbed the color setting from the two help web pages you linked above.
Also - for these two I left the Version number in place on the back
cover and altered the placement of the text - so folks can see if that
is preferable.

Drew

Drew and others,

You probably are not aware that IF anyone wants the print books to be
available through Amazon and other retailers, several requirements must be
met. These include:
1) The “author” (LibreOffice Documentation Team) must be given on the front
cover as well as the copyright page.
2) Enough space must be left at the bottom on the back cover for the ISBN
block.

We can continue publishing print books on Lulu and selling them only
through the Lulu store without meeting those requirements or even having an
ISBN. That’s certainly easier, and means the books are cheaper (about 60%
of the price).

Jean

Howdy Jean,

Drew and others,

You probably are not aware that IF anyone wants the print books to be available through Amazon and other retailers, several requirements must be met. These include:
1) The “author” (LibreOffice Documentation Team) must be given on the front cover as well as the copyright page.

The 'LbreOffice Documentation Team' as part of the logo on the page
has been mentioned a few times in this thread as a requirement, yes.

2) Enough space must be left at the bottom on the back cover for the ISBN block.

True

Also, the current 'covers' are sized for A4 and expected to be part of
a PDF file. You're right the layout didn't account for an ISBN block
per se.

Not to mention the other differences for a print job:
Page format changes (at least as I look to the books currently printed
there) to US Trade (smaller than A4)
Bleeding edges for full page graphics
Single cover file (front, spine, back)
ISBN block
etc

This is really, really, early for covers here I know - none the less
- accounting for the printer's needs now wouldn't hurt - but it is too
soon to try and generate the actual printer cover file IMO.

I am not sure, but I believe that you have been stuck handling all
that conversion from what was good for the PDF file to what was needed
for a commercial printer, so please keep up the nudges on that.

I think instead of giving a link to the extension website homepage, we
should give the link of the extension page with the documentation tag:-
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/?Tags[]=53
Pulkit Krishna
Pulkit Krishna

I think instead of giving a link to the extension website homepage, we
should give the link of the extension page with the documentation tag:-
https://extensions.libreoffice.org/?Tags[]=53

That's kind of ugly for typing it in - isn't it?
Maybe we could use the TDF URL shortener to generate a more legible
URL for this purpose.
Also - maybe add a QR code graphic for, and in addition to, one of the
URLs on the back cover?

Yes, that is a nice idea. The QR code would be great. Maybe add a little
text beneath it - generated using LibreOffice.
Pulkit Krishna

I have put in NextCloud (Contributor Resources > Cover7 folder) a
template (ODG) for 6x9-inch books printed at Lulu. Link below. This
template shows the bleed and trim areas for the covers. (The width of
the spine varies, of course, with the number of pages in the book.)

Ideally, in addition to producing covers for the PDF version of the
books, someone would produce front and back covers set to the correct
size for the print edition, with the correct proportions and the extra
margin for bleed and trim. I (or whoever) can then drop those into the
wrap-cover template and add the book name on the spine. I've been
doing this in a sloppy manner (by distorting the A4 cover) for 15
years, and will continue to do so if necessary.

https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/HTtTreGR4XN8Y4d

Jean

Howdy Jean,

Excellent.

So with that in mind I took a second pass on the covers, with the Base
Guide pages for an example.
For this pass I left the A4 front cover page unchanged.
For the A4 back cover page I stripped all the text out of the SVG
file, flipped the logo and wave graphic at the footer to form a mirror
image layout of the front cover.
This makes the two logos form what looks a bit like a label spanning the spine.
Added a shaded background graphic to the middle portion of the spine,
and a solid color block to carry the wave at the footer across the
spine.
So the graphics background is scaled to fit the new page size. In the
ODG file added the text back to the back cover and adjusted font size
and line spacing so all the text fits without encroaching into the
ISBN block.
Here is how that came out (just a rough draft)
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/Jrjnq4eeSFPo3zW

Sorry for two posts.

One thing worth mentioning - if we go with adding text to the graphics
background in LibreOffice instead of the graphics editor the advantage
for the PDF release is that the cover text is available to screen
readers - it is not when the text is buried in the graphics
background, and the ability to add non-distorted text on the printer
ready cover.

Howdy,

Just uploaded another png file from a second pass on layout of a print
wrap cover, choose Writer this time.
This time ripped all of the text out of the svg file, except the Logo
text, and moved it to the ODG file.
Used a single font for all text; Liberation Sans Narrow
Two text colors (except the logo, of course) LibreOffice Blue_0 and White.
Exported the Logo out separately, after a scale without losing the
proper ratio and added that back in inside the ODG file also.
So, there is still a bit of distortion on the background graphic but
none at all for any of the text rendering.
Worked a bit harder of making the spine background matchup with the
back cover, and adding a bit of adornment.
Exported it out as a full 13.25 x what ever it was ;-), 300 dpi print
ready file - which you can find here
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/tNZYEN2tCNmZrSW

I'm thinking there is time to do one more before the next team
meeting, so if anyone wants to propose something different (fonts or
font effects, ???) I'm open to giving it a try. Otherwise this is
probably it between now and then.

Drew

I know - I said last time, last time...but almost forgot to make the
A4 sized, for PDF, pages match the new look
Also, the idea of a QR code - so I updated both the wrap around print
cover with a QR code and the A4 also
The odg files for both the wrap (print) and A4 (pdf) are up in the
cover7 folder or just to look at them a pdf here
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/FtJW3Ce8DQ4REL7
and that is it, for real, for this :wink: till after the next meeting.

The contrast between text and background on the back cover is not very
good, and I think the QR code is overwhelmingly larger than necessary.
Otherwise, coming along nicely.
Jean

Hi Drew

Perhaps the background can be a bit lighter to enhance the blue font of
the back cover.

The logo on the spine should be rotated 90 degrees.

Can the QR code go to the blue bottom? The bottom looks "empty".

I think there should be more space between the sentence "Word processing
with style" and the main drawing. If the translated sentence is longer,
it will overlap the drawing.

Great stride you did!
Olivier

Hello Drew,

I know - I said last time, last time...but almost forgot to make the
A4 sized, for PDF, pages match the new look
Also, the idea of a QR code - so I updated both the wrap around print
cover with a QR code and the A4 also
The odg files for both the wrap (print) and A4 (pdf) are up in the
cover7 folder or just to look at them a pdf here
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/FtJW3Ce8DQ4REL7
and that is it, for real, for this :wink: till after the next meeting.

very nice!

Just a comment about the facetype: as the LibreOffice logo font is Vegur (https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Marketing/Branding#Fonts), this font could be used for the title and subtitle, as well as for the version number.
Well, just a suggestion.

Best,