5.25 x 8 in · 40 pages

40-page 5.25 x 8 in book: spine width & cover size

A 40-page 5.25 x 8 in paperback has a spine of 0.0901 in (2.29 mm) on white paper or 0.1 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 10.84 x 8.25 in.

0.09 inSpine, white paper2.29 mm
0.1 inSpine, cream paper2.54 mm
10.84 x 8.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
54 gEstimated weight1.9 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER5.25 x 8 inFRONT COVER5.25 x 8 inSPINE 0.09 inFull cover 10.84 x 8.25 in incl. 0.125 in bleed
Red: bleed (trimmed off) · dashed: 0.25 in safe zone · shaded: spine. Download a full-size template from the calculator.

Spine and cover by paper type

PaperSpineSpine (mm)Full cover (in)Full cover (mm)At 300 ppi
White paper, black ink0.0901 in2.29 mm10.84 x 8.25 in275.3 x 209.6 mm3,252 x 2,475 px
Cream paper, black ink0.1 in2.54 mm10.85 x 8.25 in275.6 x 209.6 mm3,255 x 2,475 px
Standard color (white)0.0901 in2.29 mm10.84 x 8.25 in275.3 x 209.6 mm3,252 x 2,475 px
Premium color (white)0.0939 in2.38 mm10.844 x 8.25 in275.4 x 209.6 mm3,253 x 2,475 px

Per-page factors are those published by KDP; IngramSpark and offset printers use their own paper calipers.

Other printers: spine by paper PPI

Paper PPITypical stockSpineSpine (mm)
350 PPIBulky / heavy stock (~70 lb text)0.1143 in2.9 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)0.1 in2.54 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)0.0901 in2.29 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.08 in2.03 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.0667 in1.69 mm

If your printer quotes pages per inch (PPI), spine = pages ÷ PPI. Ask for the exact PPI of your chosen stock.

Designing this cover

  • Build the cover canvas at 10.84 x 8.25 in — or 3,252 x 2,475 px at 300 ppi.
  • The back cover runs from the left edge to 5.375 in; the spine from 5.375 to 5.465 in; the front cover after that.
  • At this page count the spine is too thin for text on KDP.
  • Keep titles and faces at least 0.25 in inside the trim; KDP places the barcode in a 2 x 1.2 in area at the lower right of the back cover.
  • Export as a flattened PDF (PDF/X-1a is safest) with fonts embedded.

Nearby page counts

PagesSpine (white)Spine (cream)Full cover (white)
24 pages0.054 in0.06 in10.804 x 8.25 in
32 pages0.0721 in0.08 in10.822 x 8.25 in
48 pages0.1081 in0.12 in10.858 x 8.25 in
56 pages0.1261 in0.14 in10.876 x 8.25 in
64 pages0.1441 in0.16 in10.894 x 8.25 in
72 pages0.1621 in0.18 in10.912 x 8.25 in
80 pages0.1802 in0.2 in10.93 x 8.25 in
90 pages0.2027 in0.225 in10.953 x 8.25 in
100 pages0.2252 in0.25 in10.975 x 8.25 in

40 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in0.0901 in10.34 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in0.0901 in10.46 x 8.06 in
5.5 x 8.5 in0.0901 in11.34 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in0.0901 in12.34 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in0.0901 in12.62 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in0.0901 in13.72 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in0.0901 in14.34 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in0.0901 in15.34 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in0.0901 in16.34 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in0.0901 in17.34 x 8.75 in
8.5 x 11 in0.0901 in17.34 x 11.25 in

Spine width depends only on page count and paper; the cover width changes with the trim.

Frequently asked questions

How wide is the spine of a 40-page 5.25 x 8 in book?
On white paper it is 0.0901 in (2.29 mm); on cream paper 0.1 in (2.54 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 10.84 x 8.25 in (275.3 x 209.6 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 10.85 x 8.25 in.
Can I put text on the spine?
Not on KDP. KDP allows spine text only for books with more than 79 pages. Keep thin spines plain or use a solid colour that wraps slightly onto the covers.
How heavy is a 40-page 5.25 x 8 in paperback?
About 54 g (1.9 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.

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