KDP Margins for 8.5 × 11 in Books
The minimum gutter and outside margins KDP accepts for an 8.5 × 11 in paperback, for every page count, with and without bleed. Open the calculator to get the numbers for your exact page count.
8.5 × 11 in at a glance
- Trim size
- 8.5 × 11 in (215.9 mm × 279.4 mm)
- Page size with bleed
- 8.625 × 11.25 in
- Outside margins
- 0.25 in · 0.375 in with bleed
- Most pages
- 600
- Shape
- Portrait, large trim
Your exact page count
Open the calculator with 8.5 × 11 in already picked, then type your page count.
Open the margins calculator →| Pages | Gutter | Text area, no bleed | Text area, bleed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–150 | 0.375 in (9.6 mm) | 7.875 × 10.5 in | 7.75 × 10.25 in |
| 151–300 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | 7.75 × 10.5 in | 7.625 × 10.25 in |
| 301–500 | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) | 7.625 × 10.5 in | 7.5 × 10.25 in |
| 501–700 | 0.75 in (19.1 mm) | 7.5 × 10.5 in | 7.375 × 10.25 in |
| 701–828 | 0.875 in (22.3 mm) | Not possible: 8.5 × 11 in books stop at 600 pages | |
8.5 × 11 in spread, 200 pages
Drawn to scale, no bleed. Gutter 0.5 in, other margins 0.25 in.
How to use it
- 1
Find your page count
Look up your final page count in the table. 8.5 × 11 in books can have up to 600 pages, depending on paper.
- 2
Pick bleed or no bleed
With bleed the page is 8.625 × 11.25 in and the outside margins grow to 0.375 in.
- 3
Set your margins
Enter the gutter as the inside margin and the outside value for the top, bottom and outside edge. Bigger is fine.
About 8.5 × 11 in books
US Letter size. The usual choice for workbooks, colouring books, planners and large-print books.
Every 8.5 × 11 in page loses at least 0.25 in to the top, bottom and outside margins, plus the gutter on the inside. For a 200-page book without bleed, that leaves a text block of up to 7.75 × 10.5 in, or 87% of the page. At 400 pages the gutter grows to 0.625 in and the text block narrows to 7.625 in.
Page counts by paper
| Paper and ink | Pages |
|---|---|
| Black ink, white paper | 24–590 |
| Black ink, cream paper | 24–550 |
| Black ink, groundwood paper | 24–578 |
| Standard color, white paper | 72–600 |
| Premium color, white paper | 24–590 |
Because 8.5 × 11 in books stop at 600 pages, the 701–828 page gutter never applies at this size.
With bleed
If any picture or background touches the page edge, set the page to 8.625 × 11.25 in (219.1 mm × 285.8 mm): 0.125 in extra on the outside edge and 0.125 in on the top and bottom. The top, bottom and outside margins then go up to 0.375 in, measured from the trim line. Bleed needs a print-ready PDF.
Setting up an 8.5 × 11 in file
- Set the page size to 8.5 × 11 in, or 8.625 × 11.25 in with bleed. A full-page picture at 300 DPI is 2550 × 3300 px without bleed and 2588 × 3375 px with bleed.
- Turn on mirror margins, enter the gutter for your page count as the inside margin, and at least 0.25 in (0.375 in with bleed) for the rest.
- Make the cover last, once the page count is final. An 8.5 × 11 in book with 200 pages on white paper needs a full cover of 17.7 × 11.25 in; the cover calculator works it out for any page count.
Other sizes
Questions and answers
What margins does an 8.5 × 11 in KDP book need?
At least 0.25 in on the top, bottom and outside without bleed (0.375 in with bleed), and an inside gutter of 0.375 in for 24–150 pages, rising to 0.75 in for the thickest 8.5 × 11 in books.
What is the page size of a 8.5 × 11 in book with bleed?
8.625 × 11.25 in (219.1 mm × 285.8 mm). Without bleed, the page is 8.5 × 11 in.
How big can the text area be on an 8.5 × 11 in page?
With 200 pages and no bleed, up to 7.75 × 10.5 in. It gets narrower as the page count, and so the gutter, goes up.
How many pages can an 8.5 × 11 in KDP paperback have?
Black ink, white paper: 24–590. Black ink, cream paper: 24–550. Black ink, groundwood paper: 24–578. Standard color, white paper: 72–600. Premium color, white paper: 24–590.
Is 8.5 × 11 in a large trim size?
Yes. KDP treats books over 6.12 in wide or over 9 in tall as large trim sizes, which have different printing costs. The margin rules are the same.
Related tools
Margins calculator
Find out how much space to leave around your text so nothing gets cut off.
Open toolInterior template
A free page template with the safe margins already marked for your book size.
Open tool