Scrivener stands out as a tool for managing long-form writing projects, and you can add images to your texts in several ways. These techniques are especially useful if you generate ebook files from your Scrivener projects.
In a previous article, we discussed the basics of using images in your Scrivener projects. We explained how you can store them in the research folder, add them to the Synopsis field and the Inspector, insert them in text files, and use them as backgrounds for certain parts of the Scrivener interface.
In this article, we will look at some more ways that you can use images, specifically if you want to generate an ebook from your project. We’ll discuss how to use cover images when compiling to ebook formats; how to place images in your projects that link to files in your Binder or on your computer; and how to use PDFs as images.
How to use cover images for ebooks
Scrivener can create EPUB and PDF files of your projects, which you can upload to ebook retailers using the app’s Compile feature. In addition to stitching together all your files, Scrivener includes front- and back-matter in your compiled files.
Front matter includes a book cover and a copyright page, and may include a table of contents, introduction, and/or forward. Back matter generally includes acknowledgments, notes, and an index where appropriate, but not all books have back matter.
It’s easy to use an image for your ebook’s cover. If the Scrivener template you’re using has a Front Matter folder, you can click the Cover Image tab in the Compile dialog and choose the First Image in the Front Matter Folder as a cover image.
What Scrivener means by “Front Matter Folder” depends on your template. If you just have a Front Matter folder with no sub-folders, then it’s the first image in that folder. If, as some templates have, your project has sub-folders in the Front Matter folder, such as Manuscript Format and Ebook, it’s the first image in those sub-folders.
This is the easiest location to place a cover image, but if you want to use one from a different location, the Cover Image menu shows all images in your project. Since you may have a lot of images in your Research folder, it’s a good idea to keep your cover image in the Front Matter folder.
Note that the Cover Image tab only displays in the Compile dialog for PDF or Ebook compile formats. If you want to compile your project to print it out, the Print format doesn’t offer a Cover Image option. Compile instead as a PDF and then print that file.
For more on front- and back-matter, see How to Use Front and Back Matter when You Compile Your Scrivener Projects.
How to use linked images in your Scrivener projects
You can drag images into text files in your Scrivener project, and we discuss this in How to Use Images in Your Scrivener Projects: The Basics.
Instead of dragging an image into a text file in your Scrivener project, you might want to use linked images from your computer. To do this, position your cursor where you want the image to be added, then choose Insert > Image Linked to File and select the image on your computer. Scrivener adds the image at the cursor location as above, but doesn’t insert the actual image; it inserts a lower resolution version of the image.
There are a couple of reasons why you might want to use this method of adding images to Scrivener. First, if your project contains a lot of images, this method means that they won’t take up as much space in your project. When you later compile your project, Scrivener will use the original, full-quality images.
Second, this method allows you to edit images on your computer and not have to worry about re-adding images you’ve changed. When you change an image, Scrivener won’t update its lower-resolution version right away, but the next time you open the project Scrivener updates all images added this way. So you can crop or edit images after you’ve inserted them into your Scrivener project, perhaps after you’ve done your writing, rather than worrying about making them perfect when you add them to your project.
The only constraint with linked images is that the original images must remain in the same location on your computer. If you transfer your project to another computer, the original images won’t be accessible, but the lower-resolution images will remain in the project. If you return the project to the computer with the original images, you can compile it using the full-resolution images.
If you want to embed linked images so they stay in your project, right-click an image and choose Convert to Embedded Image.
For more on using linked images, see section 15.6 of the Scrivener manual, Working with Images.
How to export images from your Scrivener projects
In some cases, you may have added images to your Scrivener project and not saved them on your computer. You may want to export an image to edit it, or, perhaps, to share it with someone.
To export an image from a folder in your project’s Binder, select the image, then choose File > Export > Files and choose a location on your computer to save the image.
If you’ve added an image directly to a file, you can save the image by right-clicking it and choosing Save as Picture, then choosing a location on your computer to save the file. This exports the original image and doesn’t take into account any changes you have made to the image size in Scrivener.
While Scrivener is not a desktop publishing program, it does allow you to use images in your projects in several ways. This is especially useful if you’re self-publishing a book containing images, or if you just want a cover for an ebook or PDF of your project.
Kirk McElhearn is a writer, podcaster, and photographer. He is the author of Take Control of Scrivener, and host of the podcast Write Now with Scrivener.