Use this page for book cover template: the specifications and tools you need are below. This cover template automatically calculates the correct dimensions for your book. Choose a format or enter your block size, give the number of pages and the interior paper, and you immediately get the spine width, the trimbox and the total dimensions including bleed.
Book details
Advanced (adjust margins)
Calculated dimensions
Indicative values. Extend photos and backgrounds at least 12 mm into the turn-in. Do not place crop marks outside the trimbox, in the turn-in area. If in doubt, check the exact production margins.
Why use a cover template?
A cover is not designed at page size. It forms a single continuous surface made up of the back cover, the spine and the front cover, extended by bleed on all four sides. For a hardcover you also add the overhang around the block, the hinge and the turn-in, meaning the part folded inside the boards. A cover template brings all of this together and gives you the final dimensions directly.
Trimbox, bleed and turn-in
The trimbox is the final format after cutting: this is what the reader will hold. Bleed is the extra area, usually 3 mm, that you let run past the edge so no white line appears after trimming. The turn-in, exclusive to hardcovers, is the strip folded behind the board; extend your photos and backgrounds at least 12 mm into it to avoid surprises.
Never place crop marks or registration marks in the turn-in area: they would end up visible inside the cover. Also keep any important text at least 5 mm away from the spine folds.
Frequently asked questions about the cover template
What is the difference between a square and a rounded spine?
A square spine follows the thickness of the interior block exactly. A rounded spine is curved during finishing and needs slightly more material; the template accounts for this automatically.
Can I override the spine width myself?
Yes. If you already know the exact width, for example because we have given it to you, enter it in the field provided and the template recalculates the rest.
Are the values final?
They are indicative values, very close to actual production. For a large print run or a complex cover, request a proof copy before signing off.
One last point: always use the cover template that matches the paper you are actually ordering. Bulky paper swells more than a coated sheet of the same weight, and across three hundred pages the difference in spine width shows immediately on the finished book. For more on standard formats, see the ISO 216 standard.
What a book cover template shows
A book cover template is the blueprint for your cover. From left to right you see the back board, the spine and the front board in one continuous surface. Around it sits the bleed: 3 mm extra on every side, trimmed away after printing. On a hardcover there is also the turn-in, the part folded around the boards and glued down on the inside. The trim box is the line the guillotine follows: anything outside it disappears, and anything sitting exactly on it risks being cut unevenly.
Using the template in your design
Take the total measurement from the calculation as the document size in your layout program. Then place guides at the spine positions, so your title sits neatly centred and does not end up half on the front board. Keep text and logos at least 5 mm away from the trim line: a small deviation during cutting and folding is normal, and that margin absorbs it. Backgrounds and photographs should run the other way, right out to the edge of the bleed.
Spine width, paper and page count
The spine width follows from the page count and the thickness of the paper. The same 200 pages give a noticeably thicker spine on woodfree 90 g/m² than on coated 115 g/m², because woodfree paper is bulkier. If you change paper later or add a section, recalculate the template; a spine that is 2 mm out is immediately visible on the cover. For the spine alone, use the spine width calculator, and the properties of each paper are listed under paper and materials.
Supplying your cover
Export your cover as a PDF at exactly the calculated size, with embedded fonts and images of at least 300 dpi in CMYK. Adobe’s guide to PDF export explains how to include bleed and crop marks. The full requirements are under supplying files.