What Is the Best Paper Size for a Cookbook? (2024)

FAQs

What Is the Best Paper Size for a Cookbook? ›

The best paper size for cookbooks is 8.5 × 11 inches but it can also be opinionated because it all comes down to your favorite paper size rather than following from generic cookbook paper sizes.

Weight: Choose a heavier paper stock, typically around 115-150 gsm, to give your cookbook a substantial and durable feel. Coating: Consider using a coated paper with a gloss or matte finish. Coated paper is more resistant to moisture and staining, making it a practical choice for cookbooks.

Cookbook Sizes Standard

Portrait Size – The traditional portrait cookbook size is A4 or 8.5 × 11 inches. Landscape Size – The ideal landscape cookbook size measures around 11 × 8.5 inches. Square Size – Also a popular option is the square cookbook size which is around 12 × 12 inches.

However, the standard cookbook size is the medium cookbook size of 7.5 x 9.25 inches. Some cookbook authors prefer a roomier size and opt for the 7.75 x 10.25 inch trim size to best make use of white space.

The font size can vary depending on the context (recipe headnote vs body text vs ingredients) though 10 to 14 is usually used. For headings, a larger or bolder version of the body font can be used or a more stylized font such as Bookman Old Style or Century Schoolbook.

For books over 92 pages, perfect binding, spiral binding, and wire-o binding are recommended.

The best paper size for cookbooks is 8.5 × 11 inches but it can also be opinionated because it all comes down to your favorite paper size rather than following from generic cookbook paper sizes.

Keep in mind that the average size of a cookbook is about 75 to 200 pages. On average, a typical cookbook will have around 150 recipes, but that varies as well, from small cookbooks with just 15 recipes to more than 300.

Sales fluctuate a little year to year, but they're generally stable — around 20 million or so. In the first year of the pandemic, cookbook sales spiked about 16%.

What should the first page of a cookbook be? ›

The standard expectation is that a cookbook should have between 70 and 100 recipes, but larger compendiums have at least 200. Think carefully about how many you want to include. You might want to save some back for cookbook number two!

When it comes to plotting your book, we recommend using one page (great for when a recipe doesn't have a photo) or a full spread per recipe (your recipe on one side and photo on the other). As you mentally plot your format, start dropping in placeholders or text notes into the spreads to guide your creation.

Select a preset design by choosing the “+ sign” on your Canva Dashboard and then selecting the ebook template under Blogging and ebooks. Scroll through the options and select a template that you feel will meet most of the criteria for your recipe book, keeping in mind that you can change it as you go.

For most books, a font size between 10 and 12 is generally used for fiction and non-fiction printed books. Basic recommendations for font selection: Fiction, memoirs, and (auto)biographies: A classic serif font that is easy to read is the safest choice.

Optimal font sizes for desktop

There are no exact rules for font sizing, but there are some generally good practices to think about when designing for desktop: Body text - Font sizes should be around 16px to 18px for legibility (or 1.6rem to 1.8rem using our sizing rules mentioned above).

A: Fine laid or wove paper is best

It's thicker and sturdier than standard text and writing weight papers, making it ideal for holding adhesive during the bookbinding process. I usually recommend a white, off-white or ivory so they're versatile enough to coordinate with different coverings.

What Type of Paper are Books Printed on? Most printed books, use uncoated paper stocks for the inside pages of the book, and a coated cover stock for the book cover. Uncoated stocks come in different finishes and paper weights. Uncoated paper comes in two different finishes, either a vellum or smooth finish.

50lb Uncoated: At the lowest weight, 50lb uncoated paper is the best option for conserving spine width and thickness. This weight is commonly used in textbooks, manuals or books with ~600+ pages. 60lb Uncoated: This weight is the most popular paper stock choice and often considered the “sweet spot” for most books.

Our recommendation is to use an 80# Cover (Gloss or Matte) with 100# Gloss Text for the inside paper. The cardstock cover will give your product a more formal and substantial feel. 80# Cover is also not so thick that the paper flexes open when the booklet is closed.