How the Lulu cover template generator works
A Lulu paperback cover is one flat sheet: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, with 0.125 in of bleed around the outside edges. Your Lulu book size sets the two panels, and the page count sets the spine. The Lulu cover template generator does that math with Lulu’s own formula and draws the template to match.
Lulu cover width = 0.125 in bleed + trim width + spine + trim width + 0.125 in bleed. Lulu cover height = trim height + 0.25 in.
Lulu spine width
Lulu spine width = pages ÷ 444 + 0.06 in, the same for 60# white, 60# cream and 80# coated white paper. Paperbacks run 32–800 pages.
Lulu cover size for a 6 × 9 book
| Pages | Lulu spine width | Lulu cover size with bleed |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.285 in | 12.535 × 9.25 in |
| 200 | 0.51 in | 12.76 × 9.25 in |
| 300 | 0.736 in | 12.986 × 9.25 in |
| 400 | 0.961 in | 13.211 × 9.25 in |
| 500 | 1.186 in | 13.436 × 9.25 in |
Lulu book sizes
| Lulu book size | Millimeters | Lulu cover size at 200 pages |
|---|---|---|
| 5 × 8 in | 127 × 203 mm | 10.76 × 8.25 in |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 140 × 216 mm | 11.76 × 8.75 in |
| A5, 5.83 × 8.27 in | 148 × 210 mm | 12.42 × 8.52 in |
| 6 × 9 in | 152 × 229 mm | 12.76 × 9.25 in |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in | 156 × 234 mm | 13.04 × 9.46 in |
| 7 × 10 in | 178 × 254 mm | 14.76 × 10.25 in |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in | 216 × 216 mm | 17.76 × 8.75 in |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 216 × 279 mm | 17.76 × 11.25 in |
Lulu’s pricing calculator shows which Lulu book sizes each binding and paper are offered in.
Designing on the Lulu book cover template
Keep text and logos inside the safe area, 0.5 in inside the trim lines, and off the spine unless the book has more than 80 pages. Run backgrounds all the way into the bleed. The downloadable Lulu cover template has the fold lines and safe areas drawn in, to use as a guide layer in any editor. “Design this cover” opens a cover editor on this page at your Lulu cover size, with the same guides, and exports a PDF with bleed for upload to Lulu.
