8.5″ × 11″ book cover dimensions on white paper
Full-wrap cover dimensions for a 8.5″ × 11″ perfect-bound paperback printed on white paper, for every page count. Spine width, total canvas size and the pixel dimensions to design at.
Use the calculator for an exact page count →
Worked example at 200 pages
Every page count for 8.5″ × 11″ on white paper
Find your page count in the first column. If yours falls between two rows, use the formula above — or the calculator, which takes any number.
| Pages | Spine (in) | Spine (mm) | Cover W × H (in) | Cover W × H (mm) | Pixels at 300 DPI | Spine text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 0.054″ | 1.37 | 17.304 × 11.25 | 439.5 × 285.8 | 5,191 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 30 | 0.0676″ | 1.72 | 17.318 × 11.25 | 439.9 × 285.8 | 5,195 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 40 | 0.0901″ | 2.29 | 17.34 × 11.25 | 440.4 × 285.8 | 5,202 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 50 | 0.1126″ | 2.86 | 17.363 × 11.25 | 441 × 285.8 | 5,209 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 60 | 0.1351″ | 3.43 | 17.385 × 11.25 | 441.6 × 285.8 | 5,216 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 70 | 0.1576″ | 4 | 17.408 × 11.25 | 442.2 × 285.8 | 5,222 × 3,375 | Too narrow |
| 79 | 0.1779″ | 4.52 | 17.428 × 11.25 | 442.7 × 285.8 | 5,228 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 80 | 0.1802″ | 4.58 | 17.43 × 11.25 | 442.7 × 285.8 | 5,229 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 90 | 0.2027″ | 5.15 | 17.453 × 11.25 | 443.3 × 285.8 | 5,236 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 100 | 0.2252″ | 5.72 | 17.475 × 11.25 | 443.9 × 285.8 | 5,243 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 110 | 0.2477″ | 6.29 | 17.498 × 11.25 | 444.4 × 285.8 | 5,249 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 120 | 0.2702″ | 6.86 | 17.52 × 11.25 | 445 × 285.8 | 5,256 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 130 | 0.2928″ | 7.44 | 17.543 × 11.25 | 445.6 × 285.8 | 5,263 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 140 | 0.3153″ | 8.01 | 17.565 × 11.25 | 446.2 × 285.8 | 5,270 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 150 | 0.3378″ | 8.58 | 17.588 × 11.25 | 446.7 × 285.8 | 5,276 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 160 | 0.3603″ | 9.15 | 17.61 × 11.25 | 447.3 × 285.8 | 5,283 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 170 | 0.3828″ | 9.72 | 17.633 × 11.25 | 447.9 × 285.8 | 5,290 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 180 | 0.4054″ | 10.3 | 17.655 × 11.25 | 448.5 × 285.8 | 5,297 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 190 | 0.4279″ | 10.87 | 17.678 × 11.25 | 449 × 285.8 | 5,303 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 200 | 0.4504″ | 11.44 | 17.7 × 11.25 | 449.6 × 285.8 | 5,310 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 220 | 0.4954″ | 12.58 | 17.745 × 11.25 | 450.7 × 285.8 | 5,324 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 240 | 0.5405″ | 13.73 | 17.79 × 11.25 | 451.9 × 285.8 | 5,337 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 250 | 0.563″ | 14.3 | 17.813 × 11.25 | 452.5 × 285.8 | 5,344 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 260 | 0.5855″ | 14.87 | 17.836 × 11.25 | 453 × 285.8 | 5,351 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 280 | 0.6306″ | 16.02 | 17.881 × 11.25 | 454.2 × 285.8 | 5,364 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 300 | 0.6756″ | 17.16 | 17.926 × 11.25 | 455.3 × 285.8 | 5,378 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 320 | 0.7206″ | 18.3 | 17.971 × 11.25 | 456.5 × 285.8 | 5,391 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 340 | 0.7657″ | 19.45 | 18.016 × 11.25 | 457.6 × 285.8 | 5,405 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 360 | 0.8107″ | 20.59 | 18.061 × 11.25 | 458.7 × 285.8 | 5,418 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 380 | 0.8558″ | 21.74 | 18.106 × 11.25 | 459.9 × 285.8 | 5,432 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 400 | 0.9008″ | 22.88 | 18.151 × 11.25 | 461 × 285.8 | 5,445 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 450 | 1.0134″ | 25.74 | 18.263 × 11.25 | 463.9 × 285.8 | 5,479 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 500 | 1.126″ | 28.6 | 18.376 × 11.25 | 466.8 × 285.8 | 5,513 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 550 | 1.2386″ | 31.46 | 18.489 × 11.25 | 469.6 × 285.8 | 5,547 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 600 | 1.3512″ | 34.32 | 18.601 × 11.25 | 472.5 × 285.8 | 5,580 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 700 | 1.5764″ | 40.04 | 18.826 × 11.25 | 478.2 × 285.8 | 5,648 × 3,375 | Yes |
| 800 | 1.8016″ | 45.76 | 19.052 × 11.25 | 483.9 × 285.8 | 5,716 × 3,375 | Yes |
Page counts are always even. Every sheet of paper has two sides, so an odd manuscript page count gets rounded up by the printer. Work out your spine from the rounded number, not the one your word processor shows.
The same trim on other paper
Changing stock changes the spine, so the cover has to be rebuilt. Here is what 8.5″ × 11″ looks like at 200 pages on each:
| Paper | Per page | Spine at 200pp | Cover width | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (this page) | 0.002252″ | 0.4504″ | 17.7″ | — |
| Cream | 0.0025″ | 0.5″ | 17.75″ | View |
| Standard Color | 0.002252″ | 0.4504″ | 17.7″ | View |
| Premium Color | 0.002347″ | 0.4694″ | 17.719″ | View |
What 8.5″ × 11″ is normally used for
Workbooks, planners, logbooks, activity books.
Other trim sizes
Common questions
What is the spine width for a 8.5″ × 11″ book on white paper?
Multiply the page count by 0.002252″. A 200-page book comes to 0.45″ (11.44 mm). There is no constant to add — the spine is purely page count × paper thickness.
Does the spine formula include an extra 0.06 inches?
No. A version of this formula that adds 0.06″ circulates widely, but that constant does not appear in the printer’s specification. Adding it makes the cover about 1.5 mm too wide, which shifts your spine text off-centre and can push the file into rejection.
Why does white paper give a different spine to the other stocks?
Each stock has its own caliper. White is 0.002252″ per page — standard for most fiction and non-fiction. Same page count, different stock, different spine — so pick the paper before you build the cover.
Can I put text on the spine?
Only from 79 pages up. Below that the spine is too narrow to print reliably and the file will be rejected. At and above it, keep at least 0.0625″ clear on each side of the text.
What pixel canvas should I design on?
At 300 DPI a 200-page 8.5″ × 11″ cover is 5,310 × 3,375 px. Start the document at that size. Designing smaller and scaling up loses detail the printer will show.