8.5 x 8.5 in Square · 48 pages

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

A 48-page 8.5 x 8.5 in paperback has a spine of 0.1081 in (2.75 mm) on white paper or 0.12 in on cream. Full cover with bleed: 17.358 x 8.75 in.

0.108 inSpine, white paper2.75 mm
0.12 inSpine, cream paper3.05 mm
17.36 x 8.75Full cover, inchesincl. bleed
107 gEstimated weight3.8 oz

Cover template (white paper)

Barcode areaBACK COVER8.5 x 8.5 inFRONT COVER8.5 x 8.5 inSPINE 0.108 inFull cover 17.358 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 ink0.1081 in2.75 mm17.358 x 8.75 in440.9 x 222.3 mm5,207 x 2,625 px
Cream paper, black ink0.12 in3.05 mm17.37 x 8.75 in441.2 x 222.3 mm5,211 x 2,625 px
Standard color (white)0.1081 in2.75 mm17.358 x 8.75 in440.9 x 222.3 mm5,207 x 2,625 px
Premium color (white)0.1127 in2.86 mm17.363 x 8.75 in441 x 222.3 mm5,209 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)0.1371 in3.48 mm
400 PPICream book paper (~55 lb)0.12 in3.05 mm
444 PPIWhite book paper (~50 lb)0.1081 in2.75 mm
500 PPILightweight text (~45 lb)0.096 in2.44 mm
600 PPIThin text (~40 lb)0.08 in2.03 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 17.358 x 8.75 in — or 5,207 x 2,625 px at 300 ppi.
  • The back cover runs from the left edge to 8.625 in; the spine from 8.625 to 8.733 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 8.75 in
32 pages0.0721 in0.08 in17.322 x 8.75 in
40 pages0.0901 in0.1 in17.34 x 8.75 in
56 pages0.1261 in0.14 in17.376 x 8.75 in
64 pages0.1441 in0.16 in17.394 x 8.75 in
72 pages0.1621 in0.18 in17.412 x 8.75 in
80 pages0.1802 in0.2 in17.43 x 8.75 in
90 pages0.2027 in0.225 in17.453 x 8.75 in
100 pages0.2252 in0.25 in17.475 x 8.75 in

48 pages in other trim sizes

TrimSpine (white)Full cover (white)
5 x 8 in0.1081 in10.358 x 8.25 in
5.06 x 7.81 in0.1081 in10.478 x 8.06 in
5.25 x 8 in0.1081 in10.858 x 8.25 in
5.5 x 8.5 in0.1081 in11.358 x 8.75 in
6 x 9 in0.1081 in12.358 x 9.25 in
6.14 x 9.21 in0.1081 in12.638 x 9.46 in
6.69 x 9.61 in0.1081 in13.738 x 9.86 in
7 x 10 in0.1081 in14.358 x 10.25 in
7.5 x 9.25 in0.1081 in15.358 x 9.5 in
8 x 10 in0.1081 in16.358 x 10.25 in
8.5 x 11 in0.1081 in17.358 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 48-page 8.5 x 8.5 in book?
On white paper it is 0.1081 in (2.75 mm); on cream paper 0.12 in (3.05 mm), using KDP's per-page factors.
What size should the full cover be?
For white paper: 17.358 x 8.75 in (440.9 x 222.3 mm) including 0.125 in bleed on every side. For cream paper: 17.37 x 8.75 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 48-page 8.5 x 8.5 in paperback?
About 107 g (3.8 oz) on white paper with a standard cover — useful for estimating postage.