More freedom in layout and content for front and back cover pages

Bloom Bloom Feature Requests
1

I was so excited during our training module today where we learned that we could make our own templates. I immediately thought to myself, all of the formatting things that I hate about the cover pages are now fixable, but then I found out that the cover pages are not included in the editable content of the template starter template.

When I started using bloom in 2015, not having a better Front Cover Option, Credits Page Option and Inside Back Cover Option were reasons that I never completed my books in Bloom. I would start them in Bloom and do all sorts of hacks to make the front and back covers do what I want them to do. This therefore lessens my motivation to provide shell books because my finished product doesn’t look like what exists in Bloom.

Things I need/want to be able to do in order of importance:

  1. I need to be able to have the Inside Back Cover behave the same as a Just Text page so that the last line of text from a Big Book’s story can go there and have a translation in English for when I try to upload it as a shell book. The reason for this is that I need to distribute the books for as cheaply as possible and very often that last page can add at least an extra page (big books) and even up to three extra pages (basic books) which looks bad in published form.
  2. I need a way to put a line space in the cover page without affecting how the title is displayed on the title page in order to allow the Title to word wrap at a reasonable break.
  3. I strongly desire to have the image for the front cover stretch to the borders of the cover page and then have a text box or text boxes on top which provide book title and language name so that my cover can take advantage of borderless printing or at least have equal margins around the four sides of the cover image.
  4. I want a Paper Saver Credits Page to have a place to feature a logo image and therefore it would be nice also to be able to move the boundaries of the boxes on this page.
  5. The Bloom Library Logo on the back page is an annoyance, but I understand that this can be changed through branding and it certainly isn’t a deal breaker anyways.

All of these features are impacted by the fact that even when we make our own templates, we don’t
get to change anything around with 4 pages of a template. Is there anything you can do for me about this?

2

I agree that there are situations in our ministries when it would be very helpful to have the option to modify the front and back covers, especially the front, to have graphics fill or nearly fill the front cover and with the possibility of putting the title and any other information in adjustable text boxes within the cover graphic. There are cultural constraints that nearly demand this for some types of print publications. For digital publishing, an alternative to a Bloom book in the Bloom Reader could be Reading App Builder.

3

The ability to add an image (or images) to a credits page is really needed for us in Ethiopia. For example, we have some funding provided by the EU but they want the EU logo on the credits page on all books that they fund. Currently we are needing to hack on the PDF in GIMP in order to meet their requirements.

4

The ability to add an image (or images) to a credits page is really needed for us in Ethiopia.

Rik, simply apply for a branding pack. SIL members should see https://gateway.sil.org/display/LSDEV/Bloom. Others can contact sil-lead.

5

It is good if the border should be on outside front and back cover pages.

6

:information_source: See also: