For authors, designers & indie publishers
Everything you need to turn a manuscript into a real book.
Trim sizes, paper sizes, spine widths, cover templates, ISBN tools, fonts and a directory of publishers, awards and literary magazines — 9,900+ reference pages built from open data and careful book math.
Today · November 3
What's new →On this day
- Ann Scott (French novelist)born 1965
- Hal Hartleyborn 1959
- Kevin Murphy (actor)born 1956
- Gary Rossborn 1956
1986 — Iran–Contra affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.
More from November 3 →Trending on Open Library
- Atomic Habits James Clear
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki
- How to Win Friends and Influence People Dale Carnegie
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene
- O Alquimista Paulo Coelho
New public-domain books
- Geographical studies
- The journey of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and his companions
- Gateway to Yamara
- Summer storms
- Collected papers, Volume III
Poem of the day
Upon the Hill and Grove at Bill-borow
To the Lord Fairfax.
See how the arched Earth does here
Rise in a perfect Hemisphere!
The stiffest Compass could not strike
…
Term of the day · Printing & prepress
The four process inks — cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black) — used in colour printing. Screen colours (RGB) must be converted, and some bright RGB colours cannot be…
Latest update: 40 poems; 19 cover art; 6 popular books; 5 audiobooks; 3 new books; 2 new award winners.
Free calculators
All tools →Explore the reference
Popular trim sizes
All trim sizes →Guides
All guides →- How to Choose a Book Trim SizeA practical decision guide to picking the right trim size for your paperback or hardcover — by genre, page cou
- Book Spine Width Explained (with Formulas)How spine width is calculated for paperbacks and hardcovers, why paper choice changes it, and how to design a
- Bleed, Trim and Safe Zones: Print Files Done RightWhat bleed, trim and safe zones are, how much bleed printers need, and how to set up interior and cover files
- Paper Weight Explained: GSM vs PoundsWhy 20 lb bond and 50 lb text are nearly the same paper, how to convert GSM to pounds, and which paper weights
- ISBN Guide for Self-PublishersWhat an ISBN is, when you need one, how many to buy, free vs purchased ISBNs, barcodes and how ISBNs connect t
- Front Matter and Back Matter: The Complete OrderThe standard order of a book's front matter and back matter — what each page is for, which side it goes on, ho
- Book Interior Typography: Fonts, Size, Leading and MarginsPractical typesetting rules for book interiors — choosing a body font, type size and leading, line length, mar
Directory highlights
Publishers
Browse all →Literary awards
- Nobel Prize in Literature
- Pulitzer Prize
- Booker Prize
- Hugo Award
- Prix Goncourt
- Nebula Award
- Miguel de Cervantes Prize
- Hans Christian Andersen Award
Fonts for book interiors
Browse all →About this site
Leaf & Spine is an independent, free reference for people who make books. The numbers come from published printer specifications and transparent formulas — see how we calculate — and the directories are compiled from open data sources credited on every page.