Tracing book cover size for KDP
A KDP paperback cover is one PDF: back, spine and front side by side, with 0.125" of bleed on every outside edge. Its width depends on the trim, the page count and the paper, because the spine is as thick as the pages. These are the sizes for the tracing books Trace Press makes, from 26 to 78 pages.
A 26-page 8.5" × 11" cover as the free version makes it, PREVIEW mark included (PDF).
The arithmetic, from KDP's cover help page
- Spine = page count × paper thickness: 0.002252" a page on white paper, 0.0025" on cream.
- Cover width = 0.125" bleed + trim width (back) + spine + trim width (front) + 0.125" bleed.
- Cover height = 0.125" + trim height + 0.125".
White paper
Cover width with bleed, for each page count. The last row is the spine. I checked two of these figures against KDP’s own cover calculator, and they match.
| Trim | 26 pages | 30 pages | 36 pages | 40 pages | 78 pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5" × 11" cover 11.25" tall | 17.309" | 17.318" | 17.331" | 17.34" | 17.426" |
| 8" × 10" cover 10.25" tall | 16.309" | 16.318" | 16.331" | 16.34" | 16.426" |
| 7" × 10" cover 10.25" tall | 14.309" | 14.318" | 14.331" | 14.34" | 14.426" |
| 6" × 9" cover 9.25" tall | 12.309" | 12.318" | 12.331" | 12.34" | 12.426" |
| 5.5" × 8.5" cover 8.75" tall | 11.309" | 11.318" | 11.331" | 11.34" | 11.426" |
| 5" × 8" cover 8.25" tall | 10.309" | 10.318" | 10.331" | 10.34" | 10.426" |
| Spine | 0.059" | 0.068" | 0.081" | 0.09" | 0.176" |
Cream paper
| Trim | 26 pages | 30 pages | 36 pages | 40 pages | 78 pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5" × 11" cover 11.25" tall | 17.315" | 17.325" | 17.34" | 17.35" | 17.445" |
| 8" × 10" cover 10.25" tall | 16.315" | 16.325" | 16.34" | 16.35" | 16.445" |
| 7" × 10" cover 10.25" tall | 14.315" | 14.325" | 14.34" | 14.35" | 14.445" |
| 6" × 9" cover 9.25" tall | 12.315" | 12.325" | 12.34" | 12.35" | 12.445" |
| 5.5" × 8.5" cover 8.75" tall | 11.315" | 11.325" | 11.34" | 11.35" | 11.445" |
| 5" × 8" cover 8.25" tall | 10.315" | 10.325" | 10.34" | 10.35" | 10.445" |
| Spine | 0.065" | 0.075" | 0.09" | 0.1" | 0.195" |
Which page count is your book?
- 26: A to Z, one letter a page.
- 30: with four pages of pre-writing lines before A.
- 36: with the numbers 0 to 9 after Z.
- 40: lines and numbers both, like the preschool tracing worksheets.
- 78: the most it makes, with practice words filling the rest.
A “This book belongs to” page adds one. Anything in between follows the same arithmetic.
The spine stays blank
KDP allows text on the spine only from 79 pages. Every tracing book here is 78 pages or fewer, so its spine is left blank. KDP also asks for words at least 0.125" inside the trim and a clear 2" × 1.2" area for the barcode on the back; Trace Press keeps the front's words 0.375" in and leaves that box empty.
Make the cover to fit
Trace Press makes the interior and this cover together in your browser, so the spine always matches the page count: pick the trim and paper, type a title, subtitle and author, and download. If you add pages, make the cover again. It's free to try, with PREVIEW on the cover and a small footer on the pages; $19 once removes both.
Make a tracing book and its coverFor the rest of the book, size, lines, upload and price: how to make a tracing book for KDP.