You're deep in a manuscript. The tension is thick, the dialogue is snappy, and then—bam. You hit a wall. You need to jump three hours ahead or switch to a different character’s perspective, but a simple double-return feels naked. It’s too abrupt. This is exactly where the scene break image for books comes into play, and honestly, most people treat it as an afterthought. They just slap three asterisks (the classic dinkus) in the center of the page and call it a day. But if you’re trying to build a brand or give your reader a specific "vibe," those three little stars are a wasted opportunity.
Design matters. It really does. Readers might not consciously notice a well-placed flourish, but they definitely feel the lack of professional polish when a book looks like a raw Word document.
The Psychology Behind the Scene Break Image for Books
Why do we even use them? It’s about cognitive load. When a reader sees a scene break image for books, their brain gets a micro-second of rest. It’s a signal that says, "Hey, catch your breath, we’re moving on." Without that visual cue, the transition can feel jarring. I’ve seen beta readers complain about "teleporting characters" simply because the scene break wasn't distinct enough.
In the industry, these are often called "fleurons" or "glyphs." They serve as the punctuation of the page layout. If you look at high-end hardcovers from Penguin Random House or Tor, you’ll notice they rarely settle for the standard ***. They use something that matches the genre. A gritty thriller might use a jagged, minimalist line. A high fantasy epic? You’re probably looking at a stylized sword or a knotwork design. It builds an atmosphere before the next paragraph even starts.
Technical Snafus You Want to Avoid
Here is the thing: adding images to a book file is a nightmare if you don't know the specs. If you’re formatting for Kindle, those images need to be small. Not just physically small, but low in file size. If you pack a 2MB high-res PNG into every scene break, your final ebook file will be massive. Why does that matter? Because Amazon charges a "delivery fee" based on file size for certain royalty tiers. You’re literally paying money to have heavy images.
Keep them simple.
Use black and white. Don't even bother with shades of gray unless you have to, because E-ink screens (like the basic Kindle or Kobo) handle gradients poorly sometimes. A crisp, high-contrast black SVG or a transparent PNG is usually the gold standard. You want a resolution of about 300 DPI for print, but for digital, it's more about the aspect ratio and ensuring it doesn't look like a giant blotch on a phone screen.
The "Dinkus" vs. Custom Graphics
The term "dinkus" sounds ridiculous, I know. It's the actual typographical name for those three stars. While it's the safest bet, it’s also the most boring. If you’re writing a cozy mystery set in a bakery, a tiny rolling pin as your scene break image for books adds a layer of "omg that's cute" that readers love. It’s those little "Easter eggs" that turn a casual reader into a superfan who buys the physical copy just to see the formatting.
But don't go overboard. I once read an indie sci-fi book where the author used a giant, detailed spaceship for every break. It was distracting. It broke the flow. A scene break should be a whisper, not a scream. If the image is taller than two lines of text, it's probably too big. You want it to sit comfortably in that "white space" without pushing the text so far down that the reader loses their place.
Where to Actually Find These Things
You don't need to be a graphic designer. Sites like Flaticon or The Noun Project are goldmines for minimalist icons. Just make sure you check the licensing. You can't just rip a silhouette off Google Images and stick it in a book you're selling. That’s a fast track to a legal headache nobody wants.
👉 See also: Chicken Parm Without Breading: Why Your Italian Dinner Is Actually Better Naked
If you’re using Vellum or Atticus—the two big players in book formatting software—they actually have built-in libraries for this. Vellum, specifically, is famous for its "book styles" that include pre-vetted flourishes. It’s why so many indie books look suspiciously similar lately; everyone is using the same "floral" or "traditional" preset. If you want to stand out, you’ve gotta go custom. Hire an illustrator on Fiverr or Reedsy to draw a one-of-a-kind glyph that belongs only to your series.
Print vs. Digital: The Great Divide
Formatting for a paperback is a different beast than an ebook. In a physical book, you have total control. That scene break image for books will stay exactly where you put it. In an ebook? Users can change the font size. They can change the line spacing. They can switch to "dark mode."
If your image has a white background instead of being transparent, it’s going to look like a glowing white box in dark mode. It looks terrible. Always use transparent backgrounds for digital files. And test it. Test it on an iPad, a Paperwhite, and an Android phone. If it looks wonky on one, it’ll look wonky to thousands of readers.
Genre Expectations are Real
Don't put a skull and crossbones in a sweet romance. I mean, unless the hero is a pirate, maybe? But generally, you want to stay in your lane.
- Romance: Filigree, hearts (subtle ones!), or floral vines.
- Horror: Something sharp, minimalist, or maybe a blood-drip aesthetic (keep it clean though).
- Non-Fiction: Usually just a simple geometric line or a bolded version of the dinkus.
- Sci-Fi: Hexagons, circuit board patterns, or sleek horizontal bars.
The goal is consistency. Use the same image throughout the entire book. Some authors like to change the image for different "parts" of the book, which is fine, but don't change it every chapter. That just feels messy and unprofessional.
Step-by-Step Implementation
- Settle on a Concept: Think about one symbol that represents your book's soul. Is it a compass? A quill? A specific flower?
- Get the File: Aim for a PNG with a transparent background.
- Resize: Keep it under 200 pixels wide for digital. You don't need it to span the whole page.
- Insert and Center: Whether you're in Word, Scrivener, or Vellum, ensure the image is centered with equal padding above and below.
- Check the "Alt Text": For accessibility, screen readers need to know what that image is. Label it "scene break" so it doesn't just read out a weird file name like "image_001_final_final.png" to a visually impaired reader.
Honestly, the scene break image for books is one of those tiny details that separates the amateurs from the pros. It shows you cared enough about the reading experience to polish every single square inch of the page. It’s a low-cost, high-impact way to make your interior layout feel like a piece of art.
Actionable Next Steps
Start by looking at your favorite books on your shelf. Flip through them and see how they handle transitions. You’ll probably find that the most "expensive" feeling books use custom flourishes. If you're currently formatting a manuscript, try replacing your asterisks with a simple, clean icon that matches your theme. Download a few options from a stock site, test them in a "Send to Kindle" preview, and see how they hold up in different font sizes. Once you find one that works, stick with it—it becomes part of your visual voice as an author.