Popular Book Trim Sizes And When To Use Them

WDP offers a wide range of paper trim sizes, bindings, interior, and cover options. The most common trim sizes for standard trade fiction and nonfiction books include: 5" x 8", 5.5" x 8.5", and 6" x 9". But there are a number of other trim size options you can choose from, shown in the chart below. From novels to cookbooks, we can recommend the best options to suit your needs.

The most common types of books we print are: ​

Pocket Book — 4.25” x 6.87”
These are the books you see on the specialty racks near the checkout line at the grocery store or at the airport. This is unusual trim size for self-published books. If you have a short work of Young Adult Fiction, this trim size is worth considering. Recommended paper types: 50# or 60# white or cream.

US Trade — 6” x 9”
This size is ideal for both fiction and nonfiction. A popular choice for novels, self-help books and memoirs. Recommended paper types for memoirs, fiction and nonfiction: 50# or 60# white or cream. Recommended paper types for self-help books: 50# or 60# white or cream; 70# offset (uncoated) if you are asking readers to write in the book.

Square — 8.5” x 8.5”
Square trim sizes are great for books with a lot of beautiful imagery. This is especially true for children’s books, art books, cookbooks, and photography books. The larger page size allows for easy referencing and shows off your gorgeous pictures. Recommended paper types for children’s books and cookbooks: 70# gloss or matte paper for books with more text than images, 80# or 100# gloss or matte for books that have more images than text. Recommended paper types for photography books and art books: 100# gloss or matte.
​

Digest — 5.5” x 8.5”
Excellent choice for both Fiction and Nonfiction, Poetry books and Spiritual Journals provided they aren’t overly long. Recommended paper types: 50# or 60# white or cream.

​Small Square — 7.5” x 7.5”
Also a good trim size for Children’s Books. Recommended paper types for children’s books: 70# gloss or matte paper for books with more text than images, 80# or 100# gloss or matte for books that have more images than text.

Landscape — 9” x 7”
This format works beautifully for Art and Photography Books. Recommended paper types for photography books and art books: 100# gloss or matte.

US Letter — 8.5” x 11”
This trim size is perfect for study guides, textbooks, and technical manuals. The larger page size allows for a two-column layout, which is needed when getting across large amounts of information. Recommended paper types for textbooks: 50# white or cream. If readers will be writing in the book, we recommend thicker paper of 60#. For a study guide, if there is a lot of writing, we may recommend 70# white.
 ​

Our commitment and goal is to deliver quality products in the most efficient and effective manner at low cost to our authors, so that they can make the most on their royalties. 

• ​Trade paperback books available with perfect binding, are our most popular offering.
• Hardcover books are also available in case laminate, cloth, or jacketed.
• Premium Color books are available in saddle-stitch and perfect bindings with a minimum of only 4 pages required for saddle stitch and 24 for perfect-bound books.
• Standard Color offers a more economical choice for publishers who do not require the high quality of premium color.

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Paperback Books
Current sizes:

• 5 x 7" (178 x 127mm)
• 5 x 8" (203 x 127mm)
• 5.06 x 7.81" (198 x 129mm)
• 5.25 x 8" (203 x 133mm)
• 5.5 x 8.5" (216 x 140mm)
• 5.83 x 8.27" (210 x 148 mm) A5
• 6 x 9" (229 x 152mm)
• 6.14 x 9.21" (234 x 156mm)
• 6.69 x 9.61" (244 x 170 mm) (Pinched Crown)
• 7 x 10" (254 x 178 mm)
• 7.44 x 9.69" (246 x 189mm)
• 7.5 x 9.25" (235 x 191mm)
• 8 x 10" (254 X 203mm)
• 8.5 x 9" (229 x 216mm)
• 8.25 x 11" (280 x 210mm)
• 8.268 x 11.693 " (297 x 210 mm) A4
• 8.5 x 11" (280 X 216m)

Standard Color Books
Current sizes:

• 5 x 7" (178 x 127mm)
• 5 x 8" (203 x 127mm)
• 5.06 x 7.81" (198 x 129mm)
• 5.25 x 8" (203 x 133mm)
• 5.5 x 8.5" (216 x 140mm)
• 5.83 x 8.27" (210 x 148 mm) A5
• 6 x 9" (229 x 152mm)
• 6.14 x 9.21" (234 x 156mm)
• 6.69 x 9.61" (244 x 170 mm) (Pinched Crown)
• 7 x 10" (254 x 178 mm)
• 7.44 x 9.69" (246 x 189mm)
• 7.5 x 9.25" (235 x 191mm)
• 8 x 10" (254 X 203mm)
• 8.25 x 11" (280 x 210mm)
• 8.268 x 11.693 " (297 x 210 mm) A4
• 8.5 x 8.5" (216 x 216mm)
• 8.5 x 9" (229 x 216mm)
• 8.5 x 11" (280 X 216mm)

Premium Color Books
Current sizes:

• 4 x 7" (178 x 102mm)
• 5 x 8" (203 x 127 mm)
• 5.5 x 8.25" (210 x 140mm)
• 5.5 x 8.5" (216 x 140mm)
• 5.83 x 8.27" (210 x 148 mm)
• 6 x 9" (229 x 152mm)
• 6.14 x 9.21" (234 x 156mm)
• 6.5 x 6.5" (165 x 165 mm)
• 6.625 x 10.25" (260 x 168mm) (Graphic Novel)
• 7 x 10" (254 x 178 mm)
• 7.5 x 9.25" (235 x 191mm)
• 8 x 8" (203 x 203mm)
• 8 x 10" (254 x 203 mm)
• 8.25 x 10.75" (273 x 210mm)
• 8.5 x 8.5" (216 x 216mm)
• 8.5 x 9" (229 x 216mm)
• 8.5 x 11" (280 x 216mm)

Hardcover Books 
Current sizes:

• 5.5 x 8.5" (216 x 140mm) Casebound
• 5 x 8" (203 x 127 mm) Casebound
• 6 x 9" (229 x 152mm) Casebound
• 6.14 x 9.21" (234x156mm) Casebound
• 6.69 x 9.61" (244x170 mm) Casebound
• 7 x 10" (254x 178mm) Casebound
• 8.5 x 11" (280 X 216mm) Casebound
• 5.5 x 8.5" (216 x 140mm) Dustjacket
• 6 x 9" (229 x 152mm) Dustjacket
• 6.14 x 9.21" (234 x 156mm) Dustjacket

Contact WDP today to get started!