From Discogs:

Daydream Nation was Sonic Youth’s sixth full-length, their first double-LP, and their last for an indie label before signing with Geffen.

Widely considered to be their watershed moment, the album catapulted them into the mainstream and proved that indie bands could enjoy wider commercial success without compromising their artistic vision.

Process on the front, Eckmann-Schrift on the inside and back of the gatefold, and also on the LPs themselves.

From Wikipedia:

The cover for Daydream Nation features the 1983 Gerhard Richter painting Kerze (“Candle”). The back cover art is a similar Richter painting from 1982. The vinyl version’s four sides and the compact disc inner tray contain four symbols each representing one of the members of the band, in an homage to—and parody of—the four symbols from the fourth Led Zeppelin album. The symbols are infinity (∞) for Ranaldo (referencing his 1987 album From Here to Infinity), female (♀) for Gordon, uppercase omega (Ω) for Moore (referencing Leo, his zodiac sign), and a drawing of a demonic–angelic baby holding drumsticks for Shelley.

The sleeve layout is credited to Slim Smith.

Gatefold opened, with photography by Michael Lavine

CD re-issue featuring the same four symbols for the band members as the LPs show

Front cover

From Wikipedia:

Sonic Youth is the debut EP by American rock band Sonic Youth. It was recorded between December 1981 and January 1982 and released in March 1982 by Glenn Branca’s Neutral label. It is the only recording featuring the early Sonic Youth lineup with Richard Edson on drums. Sonic Youth differs stylistically from the band’s later work in its greater incorporation of clean guitars, standard tuning, crisp production and a post-punk style. […] It was released in Europe on the German Zensor label in 1984.

All-caps Eurostile Extended Regular is used for all text on both the front and the back cover. See sonicyouth.com for more info about this record.

[More info on Discogs]

Back cover