8.5 x 11 in Letter · 24 pages

24-page 8.5 x 11 in book: spine width & cover size

A 24-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback has a spine of 0.054 in (1.37 mm) on white paper or 0.06 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 17.304 x 11.25 in.

0.054 inSpine, white paper1.37 mm
0.06 inSpine, cream paper1.52 mm
17.3 x 11.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
85 gEstimated weight3 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER8.5 x 11 inFRONT COVER8.5 x 11 inSPINE 0.054 inFull cover 17.304 x 11.25 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 ink0.054 in1.37 mm17.304 x 11.25 in439.5 x 285.8 mm5,191 x 3,375 px
Cream paper, black ink0.06 in1.52 mm17.31 x 11.25 in439.7 x 285.8 mm5,193 x 3,375 px
Standard color (white)0.054 in1.37 mm17.304 x 11.25 in439.5 x 285.8 mm5,191 x 3,375 px
Premium color (white)0.0563 in1.43 mm17.306 x 11.25 in439.6 x 285.8 mm5,192 x 3,375 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)0.0686 in1.74 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)0.06 in1.52 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)0.0541 in1.37 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.048 in1.22 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.04 in1.02 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 17.304 x 11.25 in — or 5,191 x 3,375 px at 300 ppi.
  • The back cover runs from the left edge to 8.625 in; the spine from 8.625 to 8.679 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)
32 pages0.0721 in0.08 in17.322 x 11.25 in
40 pages0.0901 in0.1 in17.34 x 11.25 in
48 pages0.1081 in0.12 in17.358 x 11.25 in
56 pages0.1261 in0.14 in17.376 x 11.25 in
64 pages0.1441 in0.16 in17.394 x 11.25 in
72 pages0.1621 in0.18 in17.412 x 11.25 in
80 pages0.1802 in0.2 in17.43 x 11.25 in

24 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in0.054 in10.304 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in0.054 in10.424 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in0.054 in10.804 x 8.25 in
5.5 x 8.5 in0.054 in11.304 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in0.054 in12.304 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in0.054 in12.584 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in0.054 in13.684 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in0.054 in14.304 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in0.054 in15.304 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in0.054 in16.304 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in0.054 in17.304 x 8.75 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 24-page 8.5 x 11 in book?
On white paper it is 0.054 in (1.37 mm); on cream paper 0.06 in (1.52 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 17.304 x 11.25 in (439.5 x 285.8 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 17.31 x 11.25 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 24-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback?
About 85 g (3 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.