Leaf & Spine

8.5 x 11 in Letter · 64 pages

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

A 64-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback has a spine of 0.1441 in (3.66 mm) on white paper or 0.16 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 17.394 x 11.25 in.

0.144 inSpine, white paper3.66 mm
0.16 inSpine, cream paper4.06 mm
17.39 x 11.25Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
175 gEstimated weight6.2 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER8.5 x 11 inFRONT COVER8.5 x 11 inSPINE 0.144 inFull cover 17.394 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 ink0.1441 in3.66 mm17.394 x 11.25 in441.8 x 285.8 mm5,218 x 3,375 px
Cream paper, black ink0.16 in4.06 mm17.41 x 11.25 in442.2 x 285.8 mm5,223 x 3,375 px
Standard color (white)0.1441 in3.66 mm17.394 x 11.25 in441.8 x 285.8 mm5,218 x 3,375 px
Premium color (white)0.1502 in3.82 mm17.4 x 11.25 in442 x 285.8 mm5,220 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)0.1829 in4.64 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)0.16 in4.06 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)0.1441 in3.66 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.128 in3.25 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.1067 in2.71 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 17.394 x 11.25 in — or 5,218 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 8.769 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
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
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
100 pages0.2252 in0.25 in17.475 x 11.25 in
110 pages0.2477 in0.275 in17.498 x 11.25 in
120 pages0.2702 in0.3 in17.52 x 11.25 in

64 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in0.1441 in10.394 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in0.1441 in10.514 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in0.1441 in10.894 x 8.25 in
5.5 x 8.5 in0.1441 in11.394 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in0.1441 in12.394 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in0.1441 in12.674 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in0.1441 in13.774 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in0.1441 in14.394 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in0.1441 in15.394 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in0.1441 in16.394 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 8.5 in0.1441 in17.394 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 64-page 8.5 x 11 in book?
On white paper it is 0.1441 in (3.66 mm); on cream paper 0.16 in (4.06 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 17.394 x 11.25 in (441.8 x 285.8 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 17.41 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 64-page 8.5 x 11 in paperback?
About 175 g (6.2 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.