Creative · official-source review · reviewed 2026-10-26
A spine that is a millimetre wrong is a cover that will not wrap, and the page count and paper decide it.
Turn page count, paper caliper, and a cover allowance into a text block thickness and spine width.
Self-publishers, zine makers, and designers preparing a printed cover.
Use the source document or official route that applies to your situation. This guide does not contact another person or verify external information.
Use the final page count, including blank pages at the end.
Ask the printer for the thickness of one sheet of the stock you chose.
A leaf has two pages, so the text block is half the page count.
Add the printer's allowance for the cover boards and the hinge.
Compare the spine with the printer's template before you send the file.
A 320-page book at 0.1 mm a sheet has 160 leaves. With a 2 mm cover allowance the spine is 18.00 mm.
Use your own source and details. The example is not a record about a real person or organization.
Two books on different paper. Both are examples.
Both cases are examples, not records about a real person. The bars show the same numbers the free App computes.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / printing industry standards · reviewed 2026-10-26
What this source supports: 300 pixels per inch is standard for high-quality print viewing at close range; large posters viewed from further away can use lower PPI.
Source limit: Viewing distance, printer, and paper stock change acceptable resolution.
These sources support the statements above. They do not show that every person needs this guide. They do not show a specific result.
This guide multiplies the caliper you enter. It does not replace a printer's template or a proof.
Viewing distance, printer, and paper stock change acceptable resolution.
Use current instructions from the responsible organization. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision or a substitute for qualified advice.
Turn page count, paper caliper, and a cover allowance into a spine width.
This App multiplies the caliper you enter. It does not replace a printer template or a physical proof.
You enter every number yourself. The sources support the method and the limits. They do not produce a result for your specific case. Keep the original documents next to the sheet you build.
The App computes the worked example with your own numbers, in your browser.
APP 1
Turn page count, paper caliper, and a cover allowance into a spine width.
Free · no account · no upload
Open Book Spine WidthThe App runs in this browser. It does not send or save entries. Copy, download, or print only when you choose.
This guide uses short, direct instructions as an ASD-STE100-style writing target. It is not a formal certification.
Companion App: Book Spine Width. It runs in this browser and does not upload your entries.
This guide is edited for clarity and checked against the sources it links. It is not a substitute for official instructions or qualified advice. A linked source does not show that every person needs this guide.