Digest size is a type of magazine size. It is smaller than a regular or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book. The size is about 14 cm × 21 cm (5 + 1⁄2 by 8 + 1⁄4 inches). It also includes sizes of 13.65 cm × 21.27 cm (5 + 3⁄8 by 8 + 3⁄8 inches) and 14 cm × 19 cm (5 + 1⁄2 by 7 + 1⁄2 inches), which are similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes developed from the end of printing press operations. Some printing presses call digest size "catalog size." The digest format was useful because it was easy for readers to carry or keep within reach.
Examples
Reader's Digest is the most well-known digest-sized magazine. The term "digest" likely comes from this publication. TV Guide used the same format when it began in 1953 and continued until 2005. Bird Watcher's Digest was an international magazine that kept the digest size from its start in 1978 until it stopped publishing in 2021.
Digest size is not as commonly used today as it was in the past. Magazines like Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Analog, and Asimov's Science Fiction, along with some puzzle and horoscope magazines, changed to a slightly taller format. Magazines that still use digest size include Prevention, Guideposts Magazine, and some Archie comics digests.
Children's Digest was originally in digest size but later changed to a larger format. It still uses the word "Digest" in its name. Writer's Digest is another publication with the word "Digest" in its name, but it is not printed in digest size.
Science fiction digests
From the 1950s, the format was used by many science fiction magazines. Those that are still published in 2023 include:
Magazines that were once published in digest format but are no longer published include:
Comics digests
From the late 1960s, many comic book companies began publishing "comics digests." These were usually made up of reprinted material and measured about 6 and a half inches by 5 inches (17 by 13 centimeters). Gold Key Comics created three digest-sized comics that lasted until the mid-1970s: Golden Comics Digest, Mystery Comics Digest, and Walt Disney Comics Digest. DC Comics made several digests in the early 1980s, including DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest and The Best of DC. Harvey Comics also published a few digests during this time, such as Richie Rich Digest Magazine. Archie Comics has released many comics digests since 1973, and in the 2000s, Marvel Comics produced several digests, mostly for reprinted editions.
The manga graphic novel format is similar to digest size, but it is slightly narrower and usually thicker.
The A5 paper size, used by many UK fanzines, is slightly wider and taller than digest size.
In Italy, the Disney comic Topolino has been published in digest format since 1949, inspired by Reader's Digest, which was also published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore. In Italy, Diabolik and many adult comics called fumetti neri are also commonly published in this format.
The digest format is widely used in comics from Italy, France, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and other countries.