Hands Holding Book Mockup
What's inside
- Applications Photoshop
- File Types PSD
- License Free (see author's terms)
- Author Pixeden
A hands holding book mockup, made for presenting a novel jacket. Drop in your artwork and the lighting and shadows stay as they are.
Useful for authors as much as for publishers. Quick tip: design the spine too, even if it’s narrow. Book mockups showing the side look unfinished with a blank spine.
Print jobs are expensive to redo, so a realistic preview before the order goes out is cheap insurance. If you’re building a full identity, pair it with an envelope or letterhead mockup for a matching set.
Good for
- A novel jacket
- A cookbook
- An annual report cover
This is a free file from Pixeden. When you click download you’ll land on their page to grab it.
What’s inside the Hands Holding Book Mockup PSD
The PSD is layered, so you can change:
- Your design, placed through the smart object
- Front and back artwork, where both sides are shown
- Shadows and highlights on their own layers
- Paper or background colour
Add your design to the Hands Holding Book Mockup
- Set up the design flat at the real print size and keep text inside a safe margin.
- Open the file in Photoshop and double-click the smart object thumbnail in the Layers panel.
- Drop your artwork in, fit it to the canvas, save and close. The mockup updates by itself.
- Save a JPG for clients and social media, and keep the PSD for later changes.
One more thing: if the paper has texture, drop the opacity of your art by a few percent so the grain shows through.
Where the Hands Holding Book Mockup works best
- Share a novel jacket on Instagram, Behance or Dribbble with a real-looking preview.
- Use it as the cover image for a cookbook in your portfolio.
- Show a book cover on your online shop or product page.
Quick notes on this mockup
- Made by Pixeden. The download size and format are listed on their page.
- Check the smart object size before you design, so your artwork fits without stretching.
- Check the licence on the author’s page. Personal and commercial terms differ from file to file.
Scroll down for similar book mockups from other designers.
Questions about this mockup
Can I use this book mockup for client work?
Pixeden sets the licence, and it can differ from file to file. Many free files allow personal and commercial use, but some are personal-only or ask for credit. Read the terms on the download page before a paid project.
How do I put my artwork on the book?
Find the smart object layer (it has a small icon on its thumbnail), double-click it, place your design, then save and close that tab.
Which Photoshop version do I need?
A recent Photoshop CC version is best. Older versions can open the file but sometimes have trouble with smart objects and effects.
Will my artwork look printed or pasted on?
Most print mockups keep the paper texture and lighting on separate layers above your design, so it takes on the grain and shadows. If it still looks too clean, lower the opacity of your artwork a little.
