What size should my book cover be?

Your book cover size depends on three factors: trim size, page count, and paper type. The full cover file includes the front cover, spine, back cover, and bleed area. For example, a 6" x 9" paperback with 250 pages on cream paper needs a full cover file of 12.375" x 9.25" (3713 x 2775 pixels at 300 DPI). Use the template generator above to get exact dimensions for your specific book and download the print-ready file.

How do I calculate spine width for my book?

Spine width is calculated by multiplying your page count by the paper thickness per page. On Amazon KDP, white paper is 0.002252" per page and cream paper is 0.0025" per page. For example, a 300-page book on cream paper has a spine width of 0.75" (19.05 mm). IngramSpark uses slightly different values: 0.002366" for white and 0.002602" for cream.

What is bleed on a book cover?

Bleed is the extra area around your cover that extends beyond the trim line. It ensures no white edges appear after cutting. Amazon KDP requires 0.125" (3.175 mm) bleed on all four sides for paperbacks. This means your submitted cover file must be 0.25" wider and 0.25" taller than the final printed size. Any background colours or images that reach the edge of the cover must extend into the bleed area.

What DPI should my book cover be?

Book covers must be at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) for print-quality output. Both Amazon KDP and IngramSpark require 300 DPI minimum. Higher resolutions (600 DPI) are acceptable but increase file size without visible quality improvement for most cover designs. Never submit a cover below 300 DPI — it will appear blurry when printed, especially on text and fine details.

What's the difference between KDP and IngramSpark cover requirements?

KDP and IngramSpark use slightly different paper thickness values, resulting in different spine widths for the same page count. KDP white paper is 0.002252"/page while IngramSpark white is 0.002366"/page. Both require 0.125" bleed for paperbacks, 300 DPI minimum, and PDF file format. If publishing on both platforms, design your cover using the larger (IngramSpark) spine width.

How wide should my book spine be for 200 pages?

For a 200-page book on Amazon KDP: white paper spine = 0.45" (11.43 mm), cream paper spine = 0.50" (12.70 mm). On IngramSpark: white paper spine = 0.47" (11.94 mm), cream paper spine = 0.52" (13.21 mm). These are the minimum spine widths — your cover design should match these precisely.

What file format should I submit my book cover in?

Amazon KDP accepts PDF (preferred) or TIFF for print covers, and JPEG or TIFF for eBook covers. IngramSpark requires PDF only for print covers. All files must be 300 DPI minimum, in CMYK colour space for print, and RGB for eBook/digital. PDF/X-1a is the recommended PDF standard for print production as it ensures all fonts are embedded and colours are CMYK.

Do I need a barcode on my back cover?

If you use a KDP-assigned free ISBN, Amazon prints the barcode automatically — do not include one in your cover file. If you use your own ISBN, you must include an EAN-13 Bookland barcode on the back cover. Position it in the lower-right area, at least 0.25" from the trim edge. Use our free ISBN Barcode Generator to create a print-ready barcode.

What is the safe zone on a book cover?

The safe zone (or safe area) is the region where all important text and graphics should stay to avoid being cut off during printing. On KDP paperbacks, the safe zone is 0.25" inside the trim edge on all four sides. Near the spine, keep text and images at least 0.0625" from the spine edge. This accounts for minor cutting and folding variations in print-on-demand production.

How do I make a full wrap book cover template?

A full wrap (wraparound) cover includes the back cover, spine, and front cover in a single file. The fastest method is to use the template generator above, enter your trim, pages, paper, and platform, then click Download PDF / PSD / IDML — the file opens with the spread already laid out, with crop marks, spine guides, and safe zones built in. Manual method: create a canvas at full cover width (back + spine + front + bleed on both sides) by full cover height (trim height + bleed top + bottom).

How wide should my book spine be?

Spine width is determined by page count and paper choice — there is no "ideal" width, only the correct width for your specific book. As a rule of thumb on KDP: 100 pages ≈ 0.23–0.25", 200 pages ≈ 0.45–0.50", 300 pages ≈ 0.68–0.75", 500 pages ≈ 1.13–1.25". KDP allows spine text only above 79 pages (about 0.18"). Anything thinner than 0.25" gives almost no room for a readable title, so most designers add filler pages to push the count above 130 if spine typography matters.

Why does my cream-paper spine differ from KDP's own calculator?

If the values differ by a few hundredths of an inch, the most common cause is paper-type mismatch — KDP uses 0.0025"/page for cream and 0.002252"/page for white, while IngramSpark uses 0.002602" and 0.002366". A second cause is hardcover wrap: KDP adds 0.25" to the spine on hardcovers for the case wrap. Always confirm both the paper type and the binding style match before assuming the numbers are wrong.

Can I use this for a custom trim size?

Yes. Switch to the Custom Size tab and enter any trim width and height in inches or millimetres — square books, A-format, custom hardcover, art books, or anything your printer supports. You can enter spine width directly (if your printer gave you a spec) or compute it from page count and your paper's PPI (pages per inch). PPI presets are included for standard white, standard cream, and heavy coated stocks. The generator outputs full-wrap dimensions, bleed, safe zones, and a print-ready template just like the preset path.

Does the template generator output InDesign and Photoshop templates?

Yes. Every template — preset or custom — can be downloaded as PDF, layered PSD (Photoshop / Affinity Photo), or IDML (InDesign / Affinity Publisher). The PSD ships with named layers for Bleed, Back Cover, Spine, Front Cover, Safe Zones, Crop Marks, and Flaps where applicable, sized to exact dimensions at 300 DPI. The IDML opens as a properly-sized spread with vertical guides at the spine and trim boundaries, so artwork can be dropped in immediately without rebuilding the canvas.

Free tool - 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.

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How it works

Run the tool before you read the local guidance.

Step 1

Enter the book details

Start with the details the publishing platform or reader will actually see.

Step 2

Tune the market settings

Use the local version when pricing, compliance, metadata, or platform expectations change by region.

Step 3

Run the cover template generator

Generate the output while the publishing decision is still easy to change.

Step 4

Apply the result

Use the recommendation before you lock the listing, cover file, or launch plan.

Local guidance

Cover Templates for US Authors

Use this context after the tool output so the result matches the market you are publishing into.

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: 0.002366" 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.

FAQ

Cover template FAQs for United States

Calculation logic

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″	0.237″	0.260″
150	0.338″	0.375″	0.355″	0.390″
200	0.450″	0.500″	0.473″	0.520″
250	0.563″	0.625″	0.592″	0.651″
300	0.676″	0.750″	0.710″	0.781″
400	0.901″	1.000″	0.946″	1.041″
500	1.126″	1.250″	1.183″	1.301″
600	1.351″	1.500″	1.420″	1.561″

Other production tools

Print Cost Calculator

Calculate per-copy KDP printing costs for your trim size.

ISBN Barcode Generator

Print-ready EAN-13 barcode for your back cover.

Royalty Calculator

Earnings projection across Amazon and other platforms.

Next step

Use the result before the next publishing decision

The local notes below explain what changes for this market. Run the tool first, then use the guidance to avoid rework later.

Related route

Create a 3D mockup next

Next destination

See cover design services

Free tool - United States

Book cover templates, paper-aware. for US Authors

Cover Specifications

Platform

Trim Size

13 standard sizes for Amazon KDP

Page Count

Total pages including front and back matter — Amazon KDP allows 24–828

Paper Type

Cover Type

ISBN Barcode (optional)

Leave blank for a placeholder barcode area. Add an ISBN to render the real EAN-13 in every download.

Download Cover Template

Print-ready file at your exact dimensions. Opens as a reference layer in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Canva — with crop marks, spine guides, safe zones, and barcode placement built in.

PDF — print-ready, opens in any design tool. PSD — layered Photoshop / Affinity Photo template. IDML — InDesign / Affinity Publisher template with guides. All at 12.8750" × 9.2500" (3863 × 2775 px at 300 DPI).

Email Your Cover Specs

Get your exact cover dimensions, spine width, and a template guide sent to your inbox.

Spine Width

0.6250inches

15.88 mm

Cover Spread Diagram

Bleed — extend art to hereSafe area — keep text insideSpine

Preview styled to match Amazon KDP’s own cover template. Downloaded files carry the same guide layers — remove them before submitting your finished cover.

Full Cover Dimensions

Full cover widthBack + Spine + Front + Bleed

12.8750" / 327.02 mm

Full cover heightTrim height + 0.250" bleed

9.2500" / 234.95 mm

Pixel width (300 DPI)

3863 px

Pixel height (300 DPI)

2775 px

Bleed (each side)

0.1250" / 3.17 mm

Safe zone (from trim)

0.2500" / 6.35 mm

Safe zone (from spine)

0.0625" / 1.59 mm

Copy all specs

Quick Reference — Spine Width by Page Count

Pages	White	Cream
100	0.2252" / 5.72 mm	0.2500" / 6.35 mm
150	0.3378" / 8.58 mm	0.3750" / 9.52 mm
200	0.4504" / 11.44 mm	0.5000" / 12.70 mm
250	0.5630" / 14.30 mm	0.6250" / 15.88 mm
300	0.6756" / 17.16 mm	0.7500" / 19.05 mm
350	0.7882" / 20.02 mm	0.8750" / 22.22 mm
400	0.9008" / 22.88 mm	1.0000" / 25.40 mm
500	1.1260" / 28.60 mm	1.2500" / 31.75 mm

Need a Professional Book Cover?

Our designers handle dimensions, bleed, spine width, and production specs — so you can focus on your book. Covers from £127.

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