8.5 x 11 in Letter · 32 pages

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

A 32-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback has a spine of 0.0721 in (1.83 mm) on white paper or 0.08 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 17.322 x 11.25 in.

0.072 inSpine, white paper1.83 mm
0.08 inSpine, cream paper2.03 mm
17.32 x 11.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
103 gEstimated weight3.6 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER8.5 x 11 inFRONT COVER8.5 x 11 inSPINE 0.072 inFull cover 17.322 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 ink0.0721 in1.83 mm17.322 x 11.25 in440 x 285.8 mm5,197 x 3,375 px
Cream paper, black ink0.08 in2.03 mm17.33 x 11.25 in440.2 x 285.8 mm5,199 x 3,375 px
Standard color (white)0.0721 in1.83 mm17.322 x 11.25 in440 x 285.8 mm5,197 x 3,375 px
Premium color (white)0.0751 in1.91 mm17.325 x 11.25 in440.1 x 285.8 mm5,198 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)0.0914 in2.32 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)0.08 in2.03 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)0.0721 in1.83 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.064 in1.63 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.0533 in1.35 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 17.322 x 11.25 in — or 5,197 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 8.697 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 in17.304 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
90 pages0.2027 in0.225 in17.453 x 11.25 in

32 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in0.0721 in10.322 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in0.0721 in10.442 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in0.0721 in10.822 x 8.25 in
5.5 x 8.5 in0.0721 in11.322 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in0.0721 in12.322 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in0.0721 in12.602 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in0.0721 in13.702 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in0.0721 in14.322 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in0.0721 in15.322 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in0.0721 in16.322 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in0.0721 in17.322 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 32-page 8.5 x 11 in book?
On white paper it is 0.0721 in (1.83 mm); on cream paper 0.08 in (2.03 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 17.322 x 11.25 in (440 x 285.8 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 17.33 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 32-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback?
About 103 g (3.6 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.