KDP accepts a print interior as PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML or TXT, up to 650MB, and converts everything to PDF before printing. Paperbacks run from 24 to 828 pages and hardcovers from 75 to 550. Images need 300 DPI. The cover is a separate single PDF containing back, spine and front as one spread, in CMYK.
The margin and gutter numbers are covered separately in US print on demand book requirements. This page is the rest of the file specification.
Page Counts and Trim Size
Page count limits depend on the paper and the binding, not on one global number:
| Product | Range |
|---|---|
| Paperback, black ink, white paper | 24 to 828 |
| Paperback, black ink, cream paper | 24 to 776 |
| Paperback, standard colour | 72 to 600 |
| Paperback, premium colour | 24 to 828 |
| Hardcover, all papers | 75 to 550 |
Note the two that catch people out: standard colour will not print a book under 72 pages, and hardcover will not print one under 75.
Trim size bounds are published as a range rather than a fixed list. Width must be within 4 to 8.5 inches, height within 6 to 11.69 inches. KDP counts anything over 6.12 inches wide or 9 inches tall as a large trim size, which restricts the maximum page count. For which size to actually choose, see book trim sizes explained.
Interior File Rules
File types. PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML or TXT, all converted to PDF before printing. Maximum 650MB.
PDF standard. KDP's manuscript file guidance states that PDF/X format is used and PDF/X-1a is preferred, warning that in non PDF/X files "any comments, forms, or other non-printing objects could be removed during our review".
Worth knowing: KDP's own Word walkthrough tells you to tick the PDF/A compliance box when saving, which produces exactly the kind of file the sentence above warns about. If you have the option, export PDF/X-1a.
Fonts. "Embed all fonts in your native file prior to submission", fully embedded rather than as subsets. There is also a hard floor on size: "we require a minimum font size of 7 points".
Images. Minimum 300 DPI, sized at 100 percent and flattened to one layer. There is no stated maximum, but KDP recommends a 600 DPI ceiling to keep the file under 650MB and avoid processing timeouts. Anything under 200 DPI is flagged as low resolution.
Transparency. Flatten transparent objects and layers before exporting. Image downsampling is disabled on KDP's side, so whatever resolution you supply is what gets printed.
Bleed. Required on every cover, optional on interiors, and supported only in fixed format files, meaning a print ready PDF. A bleed interior is built by adding 0.125 inches to the width and 0.25 inches to the height, so a 6 by 9 book becomes 6.125 by 9.25.
Cover File Rules
The cover is one PDF containing the back cover, spine and front cover as a single image, with 0.125 inches of bleed added to the top, bottom and outside edges.
Colour. CMYK. KDP explicitly advises against including colour profiles, saying they "can produce unexpected results", and against mixing colour spaces in one file.
Resolution. 300 DPI, images at 100 percent, flattened.
Size. Under 650MB, and KDP recommends 40MB or less because large files slow printing.
Spine text. Only printed on books with more than 79 pages. Below that the spine is blank regardless of what your file contains.
Spine width. KDP publishes the multipliers rather than making you use the calculator:
| Paper | Multiplier per page |
|---|---|
| White | 0.002252 inches |
| Cream | 0.0025 inches |
| Premium colour | 0.002347 inches |
| Standard colour | 0.002252 inches |
Multiply by your final page count. The arithmetic and what to do with the result are in how to calculate spine width.
Templates. KDP provides a cover calculator and template generator keyed to trim size, page count and paper, plus a free Cover Creator tool.
Hardcover Specifics
Hardcover covers work differently because the artwork wraps around a case board. Images should extend 0.51 inches past the edge of the front cover to be glued inside, all text and images should sit 0.635 inches from the edge of the book, and there is a 0.4 inch space between the spine and the safe area on each side.
The barcode area must be 300 DPI, 2 inches wide and 1.2 inches high.
KDP publishes no spine width multiplier for hardcover. Use the cover calculator.
What Deckle Exports
Deckle produces the interior. Covers are a separate job for a design tool using KDP's template.
Trim sizes. 5 by 8, 5.5 by 8.5, 6 by 9, 6.14 by 9.21, 13.5 by 21.5 cm and A5, all within KDP's published width and height bounds.
Bleed. Applied on three edges: the outside edge and top and bottom. A 6 by 9 book exports at 6.125 by 9.25, matching KDP's own instruction to add 0.125 inches to the width and 0.25 inches to the height exactly.
Gutter. Deckle takes the larger of your inside margin setting and KDP's minimum for the estimated page count, so the file cannot be exported below the gutter KDP requires for its length. If your setting is already larger, yours is used.
Fonts. Embedded in the exported PDF.
Spine width. Deckle's spine calculation uses 0.002252 inches per page, which is KDP's white paper and standard colour multiplier. If you are printing on cream, multiply by 0.0025 instead.
PDF standard. Deckle exports a standard PDF rather than PDF/X-1a. Against KDP's stated preference that is a soft point rather than a rejection, since KDP accepts and converts six file types including plain DOCX. If you want to match the preference exactly, convert the exported PDF to PDF/X-1a in a preflight tool.
For how the two print platforms differ, see IngramSpark vs KDP formatting requirements. For the ebook side of KDP, see Amazon KDP EPUB requirements.
Common Mistakes
- Submitting a colour book under 72 pages. Standard colour will not print it.
- Uploading a hardcover under 75 pages. Below KDP's minimum.
- Following the PDF/A instruction. KDP's own submission page warns about non PDF/X files.
- Embedding fonts as subsets. KDP asks for full embedding.
- Including a colour profile in the cover. KDP advises against it explicitly.
- Expecting spine text on a short book. Under 80 pages there is none.
FAQ
Q: Can I upload a Word file? A: Yes. KDP accepts DOC and DOCX and converts them, though a print ready PDF gives you control over the result.
Q: What is the maximum page count? A: 828 for a paperback on black ink white paper, 550 for a hardcover. Colour and large trim sizes are lower.
Q: Do I need bleed? A: On the cover, always. On the interior, only if art runs to the page edge.
Q: Why does my spine text not appear? A: KDP only prints spine text above 79 pages.
Q: RGB or CMYK for the cover? A: CMYK, with no embedded colour profile.