KDP Printing Cost Calculator

KDP deducts the printing cost from every paperback sale. Pick your marketplace, ink, trim and page count to see exactly what each copy costs to print.

MarketplaceInk and paperTrim size

Width (inches)Height (inches)

Page count

Printing cost per copy

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Trim class

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How it's priced

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Amazon.com printing cost table

Ink	Regular trim	Large trim
Black, 24-110 pages	$2.30 flat	$2.84 flat
Black, 112-828 pages	$1.00 + $0.012/page	$1.00 + $0.017/page
Standard color, 72-600 pages	$1.00 + $0.0255/page	$1.00 + $0.0402/page
Premium color, 24-40 pages	$3.60 flat	$4.20 flat
Premium color, 42-828 pages	$1.00 + $0.065/page	$1.00 + $0.08/page

Black ink in other marketplaces

Marketplace	24-110 pages (regular / large)	Over 110 pages (regular / large)
Amazon.com	$2.30 / $2.84	$1.00 + $0.012/page / $1.00 + $0.017/page
Amazon.co.uk	£1.93 / £2.15	£0.85 + £0.01/page / £0.85 + £0.012/page
Amazon.de, .fr, .es, .it, .nl, .ie, .com.be	€2.05 / €2.48	€0.75 + €0.012/page / €0.75 + €0.016/page

Worked examples

6" x 9", 333 pages, black ink, Amazon.com: $1.00 + 333 × $0.012 = $5.00. This matches the example on KDP's own royalty help page.
5.5" x 8.5", 96 pages, cream paper, Amazon.com: under 110 pages, so the flat $2.30 applies.
8.5" x 8.5" picture book, 32 pages, premium color, Amazon.com: large trim and under 42 pages, so $4.20 flat.

Ways to lower your printing cost

Staying at or below 6.12" x 9" keeps you on the cheaper regular rate. A 300-page black ink book costs $4.60 to print at 6" x 9" but $6.10 at 7" x 10", which is $1.50 less royalty on every sale. For short black ink books, every page up to 110 is effectively free, so there is no saving from trimming a 100-page book to 90. For color books, standard color is much cheaper than premium if your images don't need full-bleed photo quality, but it requires at least 72 pages.

Once you know the cost, use the paperback royalty calculator to set a list price.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a large trim size?

Any trim wider than 6.12" or taller than 9". For example 6" x 9" is regular, while 6.14" x 9.21", 7" x 10" and 8.5" x 11" are large and cost more per page.

Do bleed or a glossy cover change the printing cost?

No. KDP's printing cost depends on the marketplace, ink type, page count and whether the trim is regular or large. Bleed and cover finish are free.

Why is there a flat fee for short books?

For black ink books up to 110 pages (and premium color up to 40 pages), KDP charges a single fixed amount instead of a per-page price. Above that, you pay a fixed amount plus a cost per page.

Is the printing cost the same as author copy price?

Author copies cost the printing cost plus shipping and tax, so this is the base price per author copy before delivery.

Sources

KDP: Paperback printing cost

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