Leaf & Spine

8.5 x 11 in Letter · 450 pages

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

A 450-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback has a spine of 1.0134 in (25.74 mm) on white paper or 1.125 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 18.263 x 11.25 in.

1.013 inSpine, white paper25.74 mm
1.125 inSpine, cream paper28.58 mm
18.26 x 11.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
1,050 gEstimated weight37 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER8.5 x 11 inFRONT COVER8.5 x 11 inSPINE 1.013 inFull cover 18.263 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 ink1.0134 in25.74 mm18.263 x 11.25 in463.9 x 285.8 mm5,479 x 3,375 px
Cream paper, black ink1.125 in28.58 mm18.375 x 11.25 in466.7 x 285.8 mm5,512 x 3,375 px
Standard color (white)1.0134 in25.74 mm18.263 x 11.25 in463.9 x 285.8 mm5,479 x 3,375 px
Premium color (white)1.0562 in26.83 mm18.306 x 11.25 in465 x 285.8 mm5,492 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)1.2857 in32.66 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)1.125 in28.58 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)1.0135 in25.74 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.9 in22.86 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.75 in19.05 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 18.263 x 11.25 in — or 5,479 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 9.638 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)
390 pages0.8783 in0.975 in18.128 x 11.25 in
400 pages0.9008 in1 in18.151 x 11.25 in
410 pages0.9233 in1.025 in18.173 x 11.25 in
420 pages0.9458 in1.05 in18.196 x 11.25 in
430 pages0.9684 in1.075 in18.218 x 11.25 in
440 pages0.9909 in1.1 in18.241 x 11.25 in
460 pages1.0359 in1.15 in18.286 x 11.25 in
470 pages1.0584 in1.175 in18.308 x 11.25 in
480 pages1.081 in1.2 in18.331 x 11.25 in
490 pages1.1035 in1.225 in18.353 x 11.25 in
500 pages1.126 in1.25 in18.376 x 11.25 in

450 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in1.0134 in11.263 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in1.0134 in11.383 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in1.0134 in11.763 x 8.25 in
5.5 x 8.5 in1.0134 in12.263 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in1.0134 in13.263 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in1.0134 in13.543 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in1.0134 in14.643 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in1.0134 in15.263 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in1.0134 in16.263 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in1.0134 in17.263 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in1.0134 in18.263 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 450-page 8.5 x 11 in book?
On white paper it is 1.0134 in (25.74 mm); on cream paper 1.125 in (28.58 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 18.263 x 11.25 in (463.9 x 285.8 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 18.375 x 11.25 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 450-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback?
About 1,050 g (37 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.