Free for everyone — Canada
Book cover templates, paper-aware. for Canadian Authors
Generate a print-ready cover template for the Canadian market — Amazon.ca, IngramSpark, or any custom trim. Canadian authors get free ISBNs through Library and Archives Canada; this generator outputs the matching cover file in PDF, PSD, or IDML format.
The template generator
How spine width is calculated
The formula
Spine = pages × paper thickness
Two inputs decide the spine: page count and paper weight. The generator runs the same arithmetic every printer uses — KDP and IngramSpark publish slightly different per-page thicknesses, which is why the same book gets a different spine on each platform.
KDP white
0.002252″ / page
250 pages = 0.563″
KDP cream
0.0025″ / page
250 pages = 0.625″
Hardcover adds 0.25″ for the wrap. Paperback bleed is 0.125″ per edge. KDP requires 79+ pages before spine text is allowed.
Your calculation
250 × 0.0025″ = 0.625″
Example shown: 250-page cream paperback on KDP. The tool above runs this for your exact inputs.
Quick reference
Paperback, before bleed. Hardcover adds 0.25″ for the wrap.
| Pages | KDP white | KDP cream | Ingram white | Ingram cream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.225″ | 0.250″ | 0.235″ | 0.260″ |
| 150 | 0.338″ | 0.375″ | 0.352″ | 0.390″ |
| 200 | 0.450″ | 0.500″ | 0.469″ | 0.520″ |
| 250 | 0.563″ | 0.625″ | 0.587″ | 0.651″ |
| 300 | 0.676″ | 0.750″ | 0.704″ | 0.781″ |
| 400 | 0.901″ | 1.000″ | 0.939″ | 1.041″ |
| 500 | 1.126″ | 1.250″ | 1.173″ | 1.301″ |
| 600 | 1.351″ | 1.500″ | 1.408″ | 1.561″ |
Cover Templates for Canadian Authors
Canadian authors publishing through Amazon.ca use the same KDP cover specifications as Amazon.com. Trim sizes, paper thickness values, bleed requirements, and resolution standards are identical across all Amazon marketplaces. The most popular trim sizes for Canadian trade paperbacks are 5.5" x 8.5" and 6" x 9", following North American publishing conventions. The generator above outputs the same template whether you select Amazon KDP and ship from Canada or the US.
Canada's free ISBN programme through Library and Archives Canada is a significant advantage for cover design. Unlike US authors who must purchase ISBNs from Bowker ($125 each), Canadian authors can obtain unlimited free ISBNs. Each format (paperback, hardcover, ebook) requires its own ISBN, and each ISBN needs its own barcode on the back cover. Generate your cover template here, then use our ISBN Barcode Generator to produce the matching back-cover barcode.
For Canadian authors selling on both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com (highly recommended — the US market is 10x larger), you only need one template file. KDP cover specifications are identical across marketplaces. The single PDF, PSD, or IDML download will print correctly in both the US and Canadian print-on-demand facilities.
IngramSpark is particularly valuable for Canadian authors who want bookshop distribution through Indigo/Chapters. IngramSpark's paper thickness differs slightly from KDP (0.002347" vs 0.002252" for white paper), so if you're publishing on both platforms, switch the generator to IngramSpark and use the larger spine width for your cover design.
Print-on-demand delivery in Canada typically takes 5-7 business days from Amazon.ca's Canadian fulfillment centres. Cover quality is identical to US printing. The IDML template is especially useful if your designer or formatter works in InDesign or Affinity Publisher — it opens as a properly-sized spread with spine and trim guides already in place.