An EPUB cover is not just another image near the beginning of a manuscript. Body figures are referenced by chapters, while a cover is designated for the book and receives a cover-image role in the package. This workflow registers cover candidate A, replaces it with candidate B, and checks both the changed asset and unchanged book structure.
Keep candidates separate from figures
The four-chapter sample has two body figures plus cover-a.png and cover-b.png. Keep candidate filenames distinct until replacement is complete. Overwriting a single cover.png source makes it difficult to prove which artwork was used.
Cover dimensions and file limits depend on the destination store. This guide checks EPUB designation, not marketplace artwork approval.
Designate candidate A
After setting book information and chapter order, select candidate A as the volume cover. The exported cover page displayed Images/cover.png, and the package assigned that image properties="cover-image". The two chapter figures had no cover property.
Confirm the cover page, package role, and packaged asset together. A picture that merely appears first is not necessarily a designated cover.
Replace it with candidate B
Change the cover designation to candidate B and export the same four chapters again. The packaged cover content changed, while its packaged name and cover-image role remained. Four navigation entries and two body figures remained unchanged.
The packaged cover SHA-256 changed from a8c9355719e180f67753c823b87c29f40e21df91c20b44eb92d4cb36ef575d09 for candidate A to da9b9ce641489f87bc08fc580178e1dc24e24fda9a5bf609d0ddb37743153dcb for candidate B. This proves the selected bytes changed even though the packaged filename stayed Images/cover.png.
This test changed the selection with cover set; it did not test moving the source cover between folders or automatic reference following.
When an old cover appears, confirm that you opened the latest EPUB by filename and creation time. Preserve old and revised exports separately and compare their packaged cover content. Also inspect the artwork visually; bibliographic metadata cannot correct words baked into pixels.
Check the cover at thumbnail size
A cover may look correct at full-page size but become indistinguishable in a library grid. After proving its package role, inspect a reduced preview for readable title hierarchy and a recognizable central image. This visual decision is separate from EPUB registration; both need to pass before distribution.
Keep the old cover until the revised file has been checked. Label comparison exports clearly so candidate A is not delivered by mistake, and retain the artwork source if another size is required later.
The cover registration is complete when the intended image appears on the cover page, owns the cover-image role, and differs from body figures. After replacement, prove that only the cover changed. Body-image path repair and store-thumbnail configuration are separate workflows.
