diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/covers.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/covers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..41bb0e4a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/covers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
+                        print_function)
+
+__license__ = 'GPL v3'
+__copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
+
+import re
+from collections import namedtuple
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from math import ceil
+from future_builtins import map
+from itertools import chain
+
+from PyQt5.Qt import (
+    QImage, Qt, QFont, QPainter, QPointF, QTextLayout, QTextOption,
+    QFontMetrics, QTextCharFormat
+)
+
+from calibre import force_unicode
+from calibre.ebooks.metadata import fmt_sidx
+from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.formatter import SafeFormat
+from calibre.gui2 import ensure_app, config, load_builtin_fonts
+from calibre.utils.cleantext import clean_ascii_chars, clean_xml_chars
+from calibre.utils.config import JSONConfig
+
+# Default settings {{{
+cprefs = JSONConfig('cover_generation')
+cprefs.defaults['title_font_size'] = 60  # px
+cprefs.defaults['subtitle_font_size'] = 40  # px
+cprefs.defaults['footer_font_size'] = 60  # px
+cprefs.defaults['cover_width'] = 600  # px
+cprefs.defaults['cover_height'] = 800  # px
+cprefs.defaults['title_font_family'] = 'Liberation Serif'
+cprefs.defaults['subtitle_font_family'] = 'Liberation Sans'
+cprefs.defaults['footer_font_family'] = 'Liberation Sans'
+cprefs.defaults['title_template'] = '<b>{title}'
+cprefs.defaults['subtitle_template'] = '''{series:'test($, strcat("<i>", $, "</i> - ", raw_field("formatted_series_index")), "")'}'''
+cprefs.defaults['footer_template'] = '''program:
+# Show at most two authors, on separate lines.
+authors = field('authors');
+num = count(authors, ' & ');
+authors = cmp(num, 2, authors, authors, sublist(authors, 0, 2, ' & '));
+authors = re(authors, ' & ', '<br>');
+re(authors, '&&', '&')
+'''
+Prefs = namedtuple('Prefs', ' '.join(sorted(cprefs.defaults)))
+# }}}
+
+# Draw text {{{
+def parse_text_formatting(text):
+    pos = 0
+    tokens = []
+    for m in re.finditer(r'</?([a-zA-Z1-6]+)/?>', text):
+        q = text[pos:m.start()]
+        if q:
+            tokens.append((False, q))
+        tokens.append((True, (m.group(1).lower(), '/' in m.group()[:2])))
+        pos = m.end()
+    if tokens:
+        if text[pos:]:
+            tokens.append((False, text[pos:]))
+    else:
+        tokens = [(False, text)]
+
+    ranges, open_ranges, text = [], [], []
+    offset = 0
+    for is_tag, tok in tokens:
+        if is_tag:
+            tag, closing = tok
+            if closing:
+                if open_ranges:
+                    r = open_ranges.pop()
+                    r[-1] = offset - r[-2]
+                    if r[-1] > 0:
+                        ranges.append(r)
+            else:
+                if tag in {'b', 'strong', 'i', 'em'}:
+                    open_ranges.append([tag, offset, -1])
+        else:
+            offset += len(tok)
+            text.append(tok)
+    text = ''.join(text)
+    formats = []
+    for tag, start, length in chain(ranges, open_ranges):
+        fmt = QTextCharFormat()
+        if tag in {'b', 'strong'}:
+            fmt.setFontWeight(QFont.Bold)
+        elif tag in {'i', 'em'}:
+            fmt.setFontItalic(True)
+        else:
+            continue
+        if length == -1:
+            length = len(text) - start
+        if length > 0:
+            r = QTextLayout.FormatRange()
+            r.format = fmt
+            r.start, r.length = start, length
+            formats.append(r)
+    return text, formats
+
+class Block(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, text='', width=0, font=None, img=None, max_height=100):
+        self.layouts = []
+        self._position = 0, 0
+        self.leading = 0
+        for text in text.split('<br>') if text else ():
+            text, formats = parse_text_formatting(text)
+            l = QTextLayout(text, font, img)
+            l.setAdditionalFormats(formats)
+            to = QTextOption(Qt.AlignHCenter | Qt.AlignTop)
+            to.setWrapMode(QTextOption.WrapAtWordBoundaryOrAnywhere)
+            l.setTextOption(to)
+
+            fm = QFontMetrics(font, img)
+            l.beginLayout()
+            height, leading = 0, fm.leading()
+            while height + 3*leading < max_height:
+                line = l.createLine()
+                if not line.isValid():
+                    break
+                line.setLineWidth(width)
+                height += leading
+                line.setPosition(QPointF(0, height))
+                height += line.height()
+            max_height -= height
+            l.endLayout()
+            if self.layouts:
+                self.layouts.append(leading)
+            else:
+                self._position = l.position().x(), l.position().y()
+            self.layouts.append(l)
+
+    @property
+    def height(self):
+        return int(ceil(sum(l if isinstance(l, (int, float)) else l.boundingRect().height() for l in self.layouts)))
+
+    @dynamic_property
+    def position(self):
+        def fget(self):
+            return self._position
+        def fset(self, (x, y)):
+            self._position = x, y
+            if self.layouts:
+                self.layouts[0].setPosition(QPointF(x, y))
+                y += self.layouts[0].boundingRect().height()
+                for l in self.layouts[1:]:
+                    if isinstance(l, (int, float)):
+                        y += l
+                    else:
+                        l.setPosition(QPointF(x, y))
+                        y += l.boundingRect().height()
+        return property(fget=fget, fset=fset)
+
+    def draw(self, painter):
+        for l in self.layouts:
+            if hasattr(l, 'draw'):
+                l.draw(painter, QPointF())
+
+def layout_text(prefs, img, title, subtitle, footer, max_height, hmargin=50, vmargin=50):
+    width = img.width() - 2 * hmargin
+    title_font = QFont(prefs.title_font_family)
+    title_font.setPixelSize(prefs.title_font_size)
+    title_block = Block(title, width, title_font, img, max_height)
+    title_block.position = hmargin, vmargin
+    subtitle_block = Block()
+    if subtitle:
+        subtitle_font = QFont(prefs.subtitle_font_family)
+        subtitle_font.setPixelSize(prefs.subtitle_font_size)
+        gap = 2 * title_block.leading
+        mh = max_height - title_block.height - gap
+        subtitle_block = Block(subtitle, width, subtitle_font, img, mh)
+        subtitle_block.position = hmargin, title_block.position[0] + title_block.height + gap
+
+    footer_font = QFont(prefs.footer_font_family)
+    footer_font.setPixelSize(prefs.footer_font_size)
+    footer_block = Block(footer, width, footer_font, img, max_height)
+    footer_block.position = hmargin, img.height() - vmargin - footer_block.height
+
+    return title_block, subtitle_block, footer_block
+
+# }}}
+
+# Format text using templates {{{
+def fill_background(prefs, img):
+    img.fill(Qt.white)
+
+def sanitize(s):
+    return clean_xml_chars(clean_ascii_chars(force_unicode(s or '')))
+
+_formatter = None
+_template_cache = {}
+
+def formatter():
+    global _formatter
+    if _formatter is None:
+        _formatter = SafeFormat()
+    return _formatter
+
+def format_fields(mi, prefs):
+    f = formatter()
+    def safe_format(field):
+        return sanitize(f.safe_format(
+            getattr(prefs, field), mi, _('Template error'), mi, template_cache=_template_cache
+        ))
+    return map(safe_format, ('title_template', 'subtitle_template', 'footer_template'))
+
+@contextmanager
+def preserve_fields(obj, fields):
+    if isinstance(fields, basestring):
+        fields = fields.split()
+    null = object()
+    mem = {f:getattr(obj, f, null) for f in fields}
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        for f, val in mem.iteritems():
+            if val is null:
+                delattr(obj, f)
+            else:
+                setattr(obj, f, val)
+
+def format_text(mi, prefs):
+    with preserve_fields(mi, 'authors formatted_series_index'):
+        mi.authors = [a for a in mi.authors if a != _('Unknown')]
+        mi.formatted_series_index = fmt_sidx(mi.series_index or 0, use_roman=config['use_roman_numerals_for_series_number'])
+        return tuple(format_fields(mi, prefs))
+# }}}
+
+def generate_cover(mi, prefs=None):
+    ensure_app()
+    load_builtin_fonts()
+    prefs = prefs or cprefs
+    prefs = {k:prefs.get(k) for k in cprefs.defaults}
+    prefs = Prefs(**prefs)
+    title, subtitle, footer = format_text(mi, prefs)
+    img = QImage(prefs.cover_width, prefs.cover_height, QImage.Format_ARGB32)
+    fill_background(prefs, img)
+    hmargin = vmargin = 50
+    title_block, subtitle_block, footer_block = layout_text(
+        prefs, img, title, subtitle, footer, img.height() // 3, hmargin, vmargin)
+    p = QPainter(img)
+    for block in (title_block, subtitle_block, footer_block):
+        block.draw(p)
+    p.end()
+    return img
+
+def test():
+    from PyQt5.Qt import QLabel, QApplication, QPixmap, QMainWindow
+    from calibre.ebooks.metadata.book.base import Metadata
+    app = QApplication([])
+    mi = Metadata('Test title for מתכוני מיצים', ['Author One', 'Author A. Two', 'Author'])
+    mi.series = 'A Series of Tests'
+    mi.series_index = 3
+    img = generate_cover(mi)
+    l = QLabel()
+    l.setPixmap(QPixmap.fromImage(img))
+    m = QMainWindow()
+    m.setCentralWidget(l)
+    m.show()
+    app.exec_()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    test()