Album Cover Design Trivia 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which album cover famously features a banana on a white background, designed by Andy Warhol?
- The Velvet Underground & Nico (Correct answer)
- Sticky Fingers
- Banana Splits
- Yellow Submarine
Correct answer: The Velvet Underground & Nico
Andy Warhol designed the iconic peelable banana cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico's 1967 debut album.
Question 2: The 'bleed' area in album cover design refers to what?
- Extra artwork extending beyond the trim edge (Correct answer)
- Red color correction in printing
- A distortion audio effect shown visually
- The gap between spine text and cover art
Correct answer: Extra artwork extending beyond the trim edge
Bleed is artwork that extends past the intended cut line so trimming never leaves white edges.
Question 3: Which Rolling Stones album cover was banned in some countries for its zipper design?
- Sticky Fingers (Correct answer)
- Exile on Main St.
- Let It Bleed
- Beggars Banquet
Correct answer: Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers (1971) featured a real working zipper over a close-up of jeans, designed by Andy Warhol.
Question 4: What does 'safe zone' mean in the context of album cover artwork?
- The inner area where no critical content will be cut off (Correct answer)
- A color profile safe for all screen types
- A region reserved for explicit content warnings
- The area inside the CD tray window
Correct answer: The inner area where no critical content will be cut off
The safe zone is the inner margin where all essential text and imagery must stay to avoid being trimmed.
Question 5: Nirvana's Nevermind cover sparked controversy due to its depiction of what?
- A naked baby swimming toward a dollar bill (Correct answer)
- A band member holding a gun
- An exploding hospital
- Graffiti on a church wall
Correct answer: A naked baby swimming toward a dollar bill
The 1991 cover shows an infant swimming underwater reaching for a dollar bill on a fishhook, commenting on consumerism.
Question 6: Which file format is typically preferred for submitting final album cover print files?
- PDF with embedded fonts and CMYK color (Correct answer)
- JPEG at 72 DPI for web preview
- PNG with RGB transparency
- GIF with indexed colors
Correct answer: PDF with embedded fonts and CMYK color
PDF preserves embedded fonts, vector elements, and CMYK color data required by professional print houses.
Question 7: The cover of David Bowie's Aladdin Sane is best known for featuring what?
- A lightning bolt across his face (Correct answer)
- A space helmet visor reflection
- A melting clock
- Two faces merged together
Correct answer: A lightning bolt across his face
The 1973 Aladdin Sane cover by Brian Duffy shows Bowie with a vivid red-and-blue lightning bolt painted across his face.
Album Cover Design Trivia 2
Which album cover famously features a banana on a white background, designed by Andy Warhol?