People search for "book cover size" expecting one number. There are two, and mixing them up is the commonest cover mistake in self-publishing: a beautiful ebook image uploaded as a paperback cover, or a print spread squeezed into a store thumbnail.
The ebook cover is a picture of the front. The print cover is a sheet that wraps around the physical book. Size each one for its own job.
What is the standard book cover size?
| Cover | Standard size | Ratio | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ebook (Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books) | 1,600 × 2,560 | 1:1.6 | Pixels |
| Paperback, most common trim | 6 × 9in (152.4 × 228.6mm) | 1:1.5 | Inches or mm, per panel |
| Paperback, smaller trim | 5.5 × 8.5in (139.7 × 215.9mm) | 1:1.55 | Inches or mm, per panel |
| Paperback, compact trim | 5 × 8in (127 × 203.2mm) | 1:1.6 | Inches or mm, per panel |
For an ebook, the pixel size is the whole answer. For a paperback, the trim size is only the front panel: the file you upload is wider, because it includes the back and the spine.
What size should an ebook cover be in pixels?
Make one file at 1,600 × 2,560 pixels, RGB, saved as a high-quality JPEG. It clears every major store's requirement:
| Store | Asks for | Does 1,600 × 2,560 work? |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP | 1:1.6 ratio, 1,000px minimum on the long side, 2,560 ideal | Yes |
| Apple Books | At least 1,400px on the short side | Yes |
| Kobo | 1,600 × 2,400 recommended | Yes |
| Google Play Books | 1,024px minimum on the long side | Yes |
Ebook cover sizes that work in every store covers the thumbnail test and the file settings in detail.
Platforms outside the stores use other shapes. A cover for a reading app or a social post may need a different crop, so keep the title and author well inside the frame, and you can re-crop without redesigning.
How do you calculate a paperback cover size?
A paperback cover file is one spread: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, plus bleed around the outside.
- Width = trim width × 2 + spine width + 3mm bleed on the left + 3mm on the right.
- Height = trim height + 3mm bleed at the top + 3mm at the bottom.
- Spine width = page count × the paper's thickness per page. Your printer publishes the figure for each paper stock.
A worked example: a 6 × 9 inch book with a 12mm spine is 2 × 152.4mm + 12mm + 6mm of bleed, which is 322.8mm wide, by 228.6mm + 6mm, which is 234.6mm tall.
The spine is the number that changes, so calculate it from your final page count, not an estimate. Spine width, bleed and the print cover template walks through the whole layout, including where the barcode goes.
Which trim size should your book use?
The trim size sets the front panel, so choose it before anyone designs the cover.
| Trim size | Common for |
|---|---|
| 6 × 9in | Non-fiction, memoir, most trade paperbacks |
| 5.5 × 8.5in | Novels, shorter non-fiction |
| 5 × 8in | Fiction, poetry, compact books |
| 8.5 × 11in (Letter) | Workbooks, manuals, course material |
A4, Letter or a trim size explains why office paper sizes rarely suit a bound book.
What resolution does a book cover need?
- Ebook: resolution in DPI does not matter for a pixel image. The pixel dimensions do. 1,600 × 2,560 is enough for any screen.
- Print: 300 DPI at the final printed size. A 6 × 9 inch front panel at 300 DPI is 1,800 × 2,700 pixels, and the full spread is larger.
This is why an ebook cover can't simply be printed. At 1,600 pixels wide it covers only about 5.3 inches of paper at 300 DPI, which is less than a 6-inch front panel, before you even add the spine and back.
What goes wrong most often?
| Mistake | Result |
|---|---|
| Uploading the ebook image as the print cover | Rejected, or a blurry front with no spine or back |
| Title placed close to the trim edge | Letters cut off when the book is trimmed |
| Spine width guessed before the page count was final | Spine text creeping onto the front |
| Designing the ebook cover at 6 × 9 proportions | Bars or a crop in stores that expect 1:1.6 |
Where does bukpress fit?
bukpress builds the inside of the book from a Markdown file, with your cover image on the first page of the PDF and set as the EPUB's native cover. How to add a cover to a Markdown PDF shows how. Exports carry no watermark, the free plan included.
bukpress does not make the cover artwork, and its pages are A4, so a print paperback cover at a trade trim size is a job for your designer or your print-on-demand service's cover template.
Common questions
What is the standard size for a book cover?
For an ebook, 1,600 × 2,560 pixels. For a paperback, the front panel matches the trim size, most often 6 × 9 inches, and the full print cover adds the spine, the back and 3mm of bleed.
What is the book cover size in pixels?
1,600 × 2,560 pixels for an ebook. A print cover at 300 DPI is far larger: about 1,800 × 2,700 pixels for a 6 × 9 inch front panel alone.
What ratio is a book cover?
Ebook covers use 1:1.6. A 6 × 9 inch paperback front is 1:1.5, so the same art usually needs a slightly different crop for print.
Is a Kindle cover the same size as a paperback cover?
No. The Kindle cover is a front-only image in pixels. The paperback cover is a full wrap in inches or millimetres that includes the spine and the back.
What size is a 6 x 9 book cover?
The front is 6 × 9 inches. The whole cover file is 12 inches plus the spine width, plus 3mm of bleed on each outer edge.