Print Cover Sizes › Book spine width chart
Spine widths
Book spine width chart (KDP and IngramSpark)
The spine is the only part of your cover that changes with your page count. Here it is for both big printers and every common paper, side by side.
KDP spine = pages x 0.002252" (white), 0.0025" (cream) or 0.002347" (premium color). IngramSpark spine ≈ pages ÷ 512 (50# white), 444 (50# creme), 400 (groundwood) or 377 (70# color). A 200-page book on KDP white paper has a 0.450" spine.
| Pages | KDP white | KDP cream | KDP color | IngramSpark White 50# | IngramSpark Creme 50# | IngramSpark Groundwood 38# | IngramSpark Color 70# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 0.054" | 0.06" | 0.056" | 0.047" | 0.054" | 0.06" | 0.064" |
| 48 | 0.108" | 0.12" | 0.113" | 0.094" | 0.108" | 0.12" | 0.127" |
| 80 | 0.18" | 0.2" | 0.188" | 0.156" | 0.18" | 0.2" | 0.212" |
| 100 | 0.225" | 0.25" | 0.235" | 0.195" | 0.225" | 0.25" | 0.265" |
| 150 | 0.338" | 0.375" | 0.352" | 0.293" | 0.338" | 0.375" | 0.398" |
| 200 | 0.45" | 0.5" | 0.469" | 0.391" | 0.45" | 0.5" | 0.531" |
| 250 | 0.563" | 0.625" | 0.587" | 0.488" | 0.563" | 0.625" | 0.663" |
| 300 | 0.676" | 0.75" | 0.704" | 0.586" | 0.676" | 0.75" | 0.796" |
| 350 | 0.788" | 0.875" | 0.821" | 0.684" | 0.788" | 0.875" | 0.928" |
| 400 | 0.901" | 1" | 0.939" | 0.781" | 0.901" | 1" | 1.061" |
| 500 | 1.126" | 1.25" | 1.173" | 0.977" | 1.126" | 1.25" | 1.326" |
| 600 | 1.351" | 1.5" | 1.408" | 1.172" | 1.351" | 1.5" | 1.592" |
Inches. IngramSpark figures are page count ÷ pages per inch and are close estimates; IngramSpark's cover template for your book is the final word.
When can I put text on the spine?
| Printer | Spine text allowed from | Spine at that point (white paper) |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 80 pages (more than 79) | About 0.18" |
| IngramSpark (paperback) | 48 pages | About 0.094" |
Allowed isn't the same as readable. Under about 0.25" (roughly 110 pages on KDP white), spine text has to be tiny. Many authors leave thin spines plain, or use just the title.
Spine text that fits
- Leave at least 1/16" (0.0625") clear on each side, between the text and the fold.
- So the tallest letters can be at most spine width minus 0.125".
- Example: a 0.45" spine allows text about 0.325" tall, which is roughly 24 to 28 point type.
Text sliding onto the front cover? How to fix the spine. Exact number for any count? Use the free spine width calculator.
Find out what's wrong with your files before the printer does
SparkPrep checks your cover and every interior page against the exact rules Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu use, tells you each problem in plain English, and can fix it for you.
Scan my book free See how SparkPrep worksThe scan is free and shows how many problems your files have. To see every problem and where it is, the audit is $1.99 ($3.99 after January 1). The Advanced Audit checks every page, up to 300, for $9.99.
Questions people ask
How wide is the spine of a 200-page book?
On KDP white paper, 0.450 inch. On KDP cream, 0.500 inch. On IngramSpark 50 lb white, about 0.391 inch.
Does cream paper make a thicker book?
Yes. Cream pages are thicker, so the spine is wider for the same page count.
Free help from SparkPrep
Last updated 2026-11-01. Written by Joshua Davis, founder of SparkPrep. Numbers come from each printer's own published guides; always double-check your printer's current rules before you upload.