KDP Cover Size Calculator

KDP wants your paperback cover as one image: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, plus bleed. Enter your trim size, page count and paper to get the exact canvas size.

The cover formula

width = 0.125 + trim width + spine + trim width + 0.125
height = 0.125 + trim height + 0.125

The 0.125" (3.2 mm) on each side is bleed: artwork that is printed and then trimmed off, so the colour reaches the edge of the finished book with no white slivers. Spine width depends on page count and paper; see the spine width calculator for the per-page values.

Worked examples

6" x 9", 250 pages, cream paper. Spine = 250 × 0.0025 = 0.6250". Width = 0.125 + 6 + 0.6250 + 6 + 0.125 = 12.8750". Height = 9.25". At 300 DPI that is a 3863 × 2775 pixel canvas.

8.5" x 11", 120 pages, white paper. Spine = 0.2702". Width = 17.5202", height = 11.25". Canvas: 5257 × 3375 pixels.

Laying out the canvas

From left to right the canvas is: bleed, back cover, spine, front cover, bleed. The "front cover starts at" figure above tells you where to place a guide for the left edge of the front cover. Keep all text at least 0.125" inside the trim lines, and if you have spine text, at least 0.0625" from each fold line.

Many design apps let you set guides by typing a position. Add vertical guides at 0.125", at the end of the back cover, at the end of the spine, and at the width minus 0.125", plus horizontal guides 0.125" from the top and bottom. Everything outside those outer guides is trimmed off.

Always export at the exact size. A canvas a few pixels off is usually fine, but a wrong page count or paper type changes the spine and KDP's previewer will flag the file.

Frequently asked questions

What resolution should my KDP cover be?

At least 300 DPI at the full printed size. This calculator gives the pixel size at 300 DPI, which is what you should set your canvas to in Photoshop, Affinity, GIMP or Canva.

Is bleed added on all four sides?

Yes for the cover. KDP adds 0.125" (3.2 mm) on the top, bottom and both outside edges of the wrap. There is no bleed on the spine itself because the spine sits in the middle of the wrap.

Where does the barcode go?

If KDP places the barcode for you, it goes in the lower right corner of the back cover, about 2" x 1.2". Leave that area free of text and important artwork.

What file format does KDP want for the cover?

One PDF containing the back cover, spine and front cover as a single image, at the full size shown above, with fonts embedded.

Sources

KDP: Create a paperback cover

Rates last checked against KDP's help pages on 2026-10-16.