Leaf & Spine

5.5 x 8.5 in Digest · 580 pages

580-page 5.5 x 8.5 in book: spine width & cover size

A 580-page 5.5 x 8.5 in paperback has a spine of 1.3062 in (33.18 mm) on white paper or 1.45 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 12.556 x 8.75 in.

1.306 inSpine, white paper33.18 mm
1.45 inSpine, cream paper36.83 mm
12.56 x 8.75Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
673 gEstimated weight23.7 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER5.5 x 8.5 inFRONT COVER5.5 x 8.5 inSPINE 1.306 inFull cover 12.556 x 8.75 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 ink1.3062 in33.18 mm12.556 x 8.75 in318.9 x 222.3 mm3,767 x 2,625 px
Cream paper, black ink1.45 in36.83 mm12.7 x 8.75 in322.6 x 222.3 mm3,810 x 2,625 px
Standard color (white)1.3062 in33.18 mm12.556 x 8.75 in318.9 x 222.3 mm3,767 x 2,625 px
Premium color (white)1.3613 in34.58 mm12.611 x 8.75 in320.3 x 222.3 mm3,783 x 2,625 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)1.6571 in42.09 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)1.45 in36.83 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)1.3063 in33.18 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)1.16 in29.46 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.9667 in24.55 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 12.556 x 8.75 in — or 3,767 x 2,625 px at 300 ppi.
  • The back cover runs from the left edge to 5.625 in; the spine from 5.625 to 6.931 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)
520 pages1.171 in1.3 in12.421 x 8.75 in
540 pages1.2161 in1.35 in12.466 x 8.75 in
560 pages1.2611 in1.4 in12.511 x 8.75 in
600 pages1.3512 in1.5 in12.601 x 8.75 in
620 pages1.3962 in1.55 in12.646 x 8.75 in
640 pages1.4413 in1.6 in12.691 x 8.75 in

580 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in1.3062 in11.556 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in1.3062 in11.676 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in1.3062 in12.056 x 8.25 in
6 x 9 in1.3062 in13.556 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in1.3062 in13.836 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in1.3062 in14.936 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in1.3062 in15.556 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in1.3062 in16.556 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in1.3062 in17.556 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in1.3062 in18.556 x 8.75 in
8.5 x 11 in1.3062 in18.556 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 580-page 5.5 x 8.5 in book?
On white paper it is 1.3062 in (33.18 mm); on cream paper 1.45 in (36.83 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 12.556 x 8.75 in (318.9 x 222.3 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 12.7 x 8.75 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 580-page 5.5 x 8.5 in paperback?
About 673 g (23.7 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.