Free for everyone — United States
Book cover templates, paper-aware. for US Authors
Generate a print-ready cover template for the US market — KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, or any custom trim. All current 2026 specifications baked in. Pick a trim, enter pages, and download the file as PDF, layered Photoshop PSD, or InDesign IDML — with crop marks, spine guides, and safe zones already laid out.
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 US Authors
The US market is dominated by Amazon KDP, which accepts over 30 trim sizes for paperback covers. The three most popular sizes for US trade paperbacks are 5.5" x 8.5", 6" x 9", and 5" x 8". Your full-wrap template dimensions depend on the trim size, page count, and paper choice — cream paper is thicker (0.0025" per page vs 0.002252" for white), producing a wider spine and a wider overall template.
KDP requires all paperback covers to include 0.125" (3.175 mm) bleed on all four sides. The template generator above handles bleed automatically. For a 6" x 9" book with 250 pages on cream paper, the spine is 0.625" and the full file is 12.375" x 9.25" (3713 x 2775 pixels at 300 DPI). The PDF, PSD, and IDML downloads all open at those exact dimensions.
Safe zones — the area where text and important graphics should stay — are 0.25" from the trim edge on all sides and 0.0625" from each edge of the spine. Anything outside this area risks being cut off during printing. The barcode area on the back cover should be positioned in the lower-right quadrant, at least 0.25" from all edges. Every template the generator produces includes safe-zone guides and a barcode placement rectangle.
For US authors using IngramSpark alongside KDP, note that IngramSpark uses slightly different paper thickness: 0.002347" per page for white and 0.002602" per page for cream. This means the IngramSpark spine will be marginally wider than KDP for the same page count. If you're publishing on both platforms, design your cover at the larger IngramSpark spine — switch the Platform tab to IngramSpark before downloading the template and verify the file meets both platforms' requirements.
Hardcover (case laminate) covers on KDP have additional requirements. The cover wraps around a rigid board, adding approximately 0.25" to the spine width. Hardcovers also require a larger bleed area of 0.625" on all four sides. Select the Hardcover Case binding to have the generator handle these differences automatically.