Including beautiful cover art can inspire your learners to learn about the topic you are teaching, just as a beautiful school campus can encourage learning.
Your Path covers and design can also be a reflection of your brand.
Path covers
Below are a few examples of Learning Spaces using Path cover art:
Notes for use
Don’t include any text or meant-to-be-read details in the image. (Occasionally, one to two words of text may be okay, but be sure they are in the center and large enough at all sizes)
Path covers with a variety of colors and contrast work best
Path covers appear at a variety of sizes depending on context. It’ll help to select images or artwork that works well both large and small.
The recommended dimensions are: 600 pixels wide by 450 pixels tall.
Max file size is 4MB.
You’ll upload your images as .PNG, .JPG, or .GIF but do not include any transparent backgrounds. .JPG images are recommended for most images.
The Path cover will blur to produce an atmospheric background behind the Path. You can edit this default background if needed.
To add your Path cover image
Open your Path Settings (gear icon), which can be accessed just below the title of the path if you're viewing the Source, or can be selected from the drop down menu just below the title of the Path if you're viewing a Cohort.
Select "Replace" on the current cover image, then select "Upload" to upload a new image, or pick an existing image from the Media Manager.
Click on the insert (+) icon on the image thumbnail to insert it, and save your changes.
Path banner and background
Your path was generated with a colorful default cover on the outside, and matching banner and background on the path inside. Here's how to update the path, where your learners will spend most of their time, with your own brand-appropriate image or color.
Notes for use
Banner image width and height is flexible—no matter the size or shape the image will be resized to fit "automagically." But in terms of resolution, 1400 x 400 pixels or larger is a safe size.
Don’t include any text or meant-to-be-read details on the image.
Making sure that images you use aren’t too high-contrast and don’t contain too much detail will help the text set on top of them read more easily. For example, here’s a safe image, and here’s a risky one.
If you want to get nerdy about it, try picking or editing images to have primarily midtones.
You’ll upload your images as .PNG, .JPG, or .GIF, but do not include any transparent backgrounds. .JPG images are recommended for most images.
The path banner can be blurred to produce an atmospheric background behind the path.
You can also edit the banner by adding an overlay in order to improve contrast or coloring.
To edit your banner and background
Open your Path Settings.
Select "Edit background" then "Upload background image" to upload a new image, or pick an existing image from the Media Manager.
Click on the insert (+) icon on the image thumbnail to insert it, and save your changes.
You can add or remove the blur setting and optionally use the color overlay to add a solid or semi-transparent color. This can be used to tint or darken your image, so text shows up with better contrast.
To use a solid-color overlay, pull the transparency slider all the way to the right.
To remove an overlay entirely, pull the transparency slider all the way to the left for 100% transparency.
Save and exit to view your work.
Finding great cover art
By the way, if you don't know where to get beautiful cover art, we highly recommend checking out https://unsplash.com/. They have free high-resolution photos that you are able to use for your path covers and backgrounds.
Can't find the right picture? You can also use a free account at https://www.canva.com/ to create custom cover art.