20 Great Examples of the Trompe L’oeil Effect in Book Cover Design

One of my very favorite effects in book cover design is the trompe l’oeil effect—French for “trick the eye.”

If you slept through Art History, it’s the technique of using realistic imagery to create an optical illusion of depth. Often, the execution of this effect is as simple as adding a drop shadow—but this trickery can be further enhanced with multi-level embossing and other extras during the production process. Whether you’re holding an actual copy in your hand or viewing onscreen, the following examples are sure to cause a double take.