# Choosing a gallery cover

> Pick the cover photo your client sees first when they open their CoreHue gallery, upload a separate cover image, and set a focal point for every screen.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/galleries/choosing-a-gallery-cover/

The cover is the first thing your client sees: your photo, full screen, with the gallery name over or beside it. It's also the image in the share email and in link previews when someone shares the gallery in a message or on social media, so it's worth choosing on purpose.

## How the cover is chosen if you don't pick one

Until you choose a cover, CoreHue uses the first photo in the gallery to finish processing. That's often a getting-ready detail rather than your strongest frame, so pick your own before you publish.

## Pick a cover from the gallery

1. Open the gallery's **Layout** tab. You can also click the cover tile at the top of the **Chapters** sidebar, which says **Choose cover** or **Edit cover**.
2. Under **Cover Image**, click the pencil on the cover card.
3. In **Choose cover image**, choose **Pick from gallery**.
4. Browse the full-screen **Select cover** view, switching chapters with the menu at the top, and click the photo you want.
5. Choose **Set cover**.

Faster still: on the **Chapters** tab, open any photo's **⋯** menu and choose **Set as cover**.

Only photos that have finished processing can be picked, so a photo that's still uploading won't be in the list yet.

## Upload a cover from your device

Sometimes the right cover isn't one of the delivered photos: a styled detail shot, a different crop, or a frame you'd rather not include in the gallery itself.

1. On the **Layout** tab, click the pencil on the cover card.
2. Choose **Upload from your device** and pick a PNG or JPEG up to 50 MB.

The uploaded image takes over as the cover once it has processed. An uploaded cover counts toward your storage, because it isn't also a photo in the gallery. See [How storage works for photos and videos](/docs/plans-and-billing/how-storage-works).

## Set the focal point

Each cover layout crops the image differently, and a phone crops it differently again. The focal point tells CoreHue which part of the photo matters, so that part stays in view on every screen.

1. On the **Layout** tab, click the focal point button on the cover card, next to the pencil.
2. In **Set focal point**, drag the marker onto the important part of the photo, usually a face or the couple.

The focal point saves and the preview reloads. The button appears once a cover is set, and it's most useful when your subject sits near an edge of the frame.

## What your client sees

The cover fills the first screen of the gallery, styled by the [cover layout](/docs/galleries/gallery-cover-layouts) you've chosen. On a phone, full-screen layouts show a tall slice of the image, so a landscape cover depends on a good focal point. Check it with the mobile preview on the **Layout** tab or on your own phone. See [Previewing your gallery](/docs/galleries/previewing-your-gallery).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I use a photo that isn't in the gallery as the cover?

Yes. Choose **Upload from your device** in **Choose cover image**. It can be a PNG or JPEG up to 50 MB.

### Why can't I find a photo in the cover picker?

The cover picker only shows photos that have finished processing. Wait for the upload to finish, or check the photo hasn't failed to process. See [When photos fail to process](/docs/galleries/photos-failed-to-process).

### Does the cover use up storage?

Only an uploaded cover does. A cover picked from the gallery doesn't add anything, since the photo is already counted. A cover you upload from your device counts toward your storage.

### My client's face is cut off on mobile. How do I fix it?

Set the cover's focal point on their face. If it's still tight, try a layout that sets the photo in a smaller frame or shape, which changes less between a laptop and a phone, like **Postcard**, **Folio** or **Window**. See [Gallery cover layouts](/docs/galleries/gallery-cover-layouts).