5.25 x 8 in · 540 pages

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

A 540-page 5.25 x 8 in paperback has a spine of 1.2161 in (30.89 mm) on white paper or 1.35 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 11.966 x 8.25 in.

1.216 inSpine, white paper30.89 mm
1.35 inSpine, cream paper34.29 mm
11.97 x 8.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
564 gEstimated weight19.9 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER5.25 x 8 inFRONT COVER5.25 x 8 inSPINE 1.216 inFull cover 11.966 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 ink1.2161 in30.89 mm11.966 x 8.25 in303.9 x 209.6 mm3,590 x 2,475 px
Cream paper, black ink1.35 in34.29 mm12.1 x 8.25 in307.3 x 209.6 mm3,630 x 2,475 px
Standard color (white)1.2161 in30.89 mm11.966 x 8.25 in303.9 x 209.6 mm3,590 x 2,475 px
Premium color (white)1.2674 in32.19 mm12.017 x 8.25 in305.2 x 209.6 mm3,605 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)1.5429 in39.19 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)1.35 in34.29 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)1.2162 in30.89 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)1.08 in27.43 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.9 in22.86 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 11.966 x 8.25 in — or 3,590 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 6.591 in; the front cover after that.
  • Spine text is allowed — centre it and keep 0.0625 in clear on each side.
  • 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)
480 pages1.081 in1.2 in11.831 x 8.25 in
490 pages1.1035 in1.225 in11.853 x 8.25 in
500 pages1.126 in1.25 in11.876 x 8.25 in
520 pages1.171 in1.3 in11.921 x 8.25 in
560 pages1.2611 in1.4 in12.011 x 8.25 in
580 pages1.3062 in1.45 in12.056 x 8.25 in
600 pages1.3512 in1.5 in12.101 x 8.25 in

540 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in1.2161 in11.466 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in1.2161 in11.586 x 8.06 in
5.5 x 8.5 in1.2161 in12.466 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in1.2161 in13.466 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in1.2161 in13.746 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in1.2161 in14.846 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in1.2161 in15.466 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in1.2161 in16.466 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in1.2161 in17.466 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in1.2161 in18.466 x 8.75 in
8.5 x 11 in1.2161 in18.466 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 540-page 5.25 x 8 in book?
On white paper it is 1.2161 in (30.89 mm); on cream paper 1.35 in (34.29 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 11.966 x 8.25 in (303.9 x 209.6 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 12.1 x 8.25 in.
Can I put text on the spine?
Yes. KDP allows spine text only for books with more than 79 pages; keep it at least 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) from each spine edge.
How heavy is a 540-page 5.25 x 8 in paperback?
About 564 g (19.9 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.

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