From a closed book to the full paperback cover
A trim size describes one finished page, not the spread you upload. In a left-to-right paperback, the flat cover places the back on the left and the front on the right. Page count determines the strip between them. Finish the interior first, because adding front matter or changing type size can move the fold positions.
0.125 + trim width + spine + trim width + 0.1250.125 + trim height + 0.125Choose the printing option for the interior: black ink on white or cream, standard color on white, or premium color on white. A colorful cover does not by itself mean a color interior. For a closer look at the paper coefficients and title fit, use the KDP spine calculator.
The 16 presets follow the Amazon.com paperback table. Standard color needs at least 72 production pages and is unavailable at 8.27 × 11.69 inches; the other three options start at 24 pages. Maxima vary by trim and paper. Custom inputs matching a preset inherit its limits; other custom inputs are estimates awaiting KDP eligibility confirmation. This tool does not calculate groundwood, hardcover hinge/wrap or Japanese-market printing options.
Three different books, three full-cover canvases
These examples are computed by the same kernel as the interactive results. They describe arithmetic setups, not printed proofs or KDP approvals.
| Trim / paper | File → production pages | Spine (in) | Full cover (in) | Canvas (px) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 9 / White paper | 200 → 200 | 0.4504 | 12.7004 × 9.25 | 3810 × 2775 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 / Cream paper | 301 → 302 | 0.755 | 12.005 × 8.75 | 3602 × 2625 |
| 8.25 × 8.25 / Premium color | 48 → 48 | 0.1127 | 16.8627 × 8.5 | 5059 × 2550 |
The 6 × 9, 200-page white-paper example is 322.59 × 234.95 mm. Its spine begins at x = 6.125 in and the front starts at x = 6.5754 in, measured from the outer bleed edge. A 301-page cream manuscript rounds to 302 pages before any geometry is calculated. The square premium-color example uses that stock’s coefficient and its own trim limits.
Set up Canva or Photoshop without adding bleed twice
- Create a custom canvas using the full size reported above. In Canva, choose px and enter the reported width and height; preserve the physical inch dimensions when checking the exported PDF. The Canva / Figma pixel chart explains 37.5-pixel bleed guides.
- Download the free reference PNG, position it edge to edge and lock it while designing. Use the coordinate table for back, spine and front guides. A blank PNG has no guides. The free file is a single raster image, not layered PSD artwork.
- Keep a suggested barcode box clear at the lower right of the back cover. Its 2 × 1.2 inch size and 0.25 inch clearance follow KDP’s barcode guidance; confirm Amazon’s exact placement on the matching official template. Right-to-left books need that official layout instead.
- Keep front/back text at least 0.125 inches inside trim and spine text 0.0625 inches inside each fold. Remove the reference layer and all guides from the finished artwork, then export one complete cover PDF. This canvas already includes bleed: adding another bleed allowance can make the PDF too large.
For a mismatch, follow the cover-size rejection checklist. Interior pages use the separate KDP bleed calculator. Compare preset canvases in KDP cover sizes, or prepare an assigned ISBN with the ISBN-13 barcode generator.
KDP cover size questions
01How do I calculate my KDP cover size?
Use the finished trim of one page, the final interior PDF page count and its ink/paper setting. Multiply even production pages by the paper coefficient to obtain the spine. Full width is twice the trim width plus the spine plus 0.25 inches. Full height is trim height plus 0.25 inches. The added amount is outer bleed.
02What is the KDP cover size for a 6×9 book with 200 pages?
For black ink on white paper, the calculated spine is 0.4504 in (11.44 mm). The full cover with bleed is 12.7004 × 9.25 in, or 3810 × 2775 px at 300 DPI. This is a formula example, not a downloaded official template.
03Does the KDP cover include bleed?
Yes. Every paperback cover needs 0.125 inches of bleed at the outer left, right, top and bottom. Do not add bleed between the back, spine and front panels. Interior bleed is a separate setting. This calculator already includes the cover bleed, so do not add it again in your design app.
04How wide is the spine for my page count?
Spine width changes with production pages and interior paper. Odd manuscript counts round upward to an even count first. Use the KDP spine calculator for a paper-by-paper width table, the conservative 80-page spine-text threshold and the space available after spine safety margins. KDP spine calculator.
05Where does the barcode go on a KDP cover?
For the left-to-right layout shown here, reserve a suggested 2 × 1.2 inch white box at the lower right of the back cover, 0.25 inches from the spine fold and bottom trim. KDP’s barcode guidance specifies the suggested size and minimum clearance. Use the official template to verify the exact automatically placed barcode location. Right-to-left books need a different layout.
06What pixel size should my KDP cover be at 300 DPI?
Multiply each unrounded full-cover dimension in inches by 300, then round the width and height separately to whole pixels. Keep fractional pixel positions for guides. Enter the reported canvas into Canva custom size, finish your artwork and verify the exported PDF’s physical dimensions. A reference PNG is not the final upload PDF.
07Is this the same as KDP’s official cover calculator?
This independent tool implements the published paperback formulas for four ink/paper choices and the Amazon.com standard-trim table. It is not Amazon’s calculator and has not been verified against a generated official template for every setting. Custom eligibility remains unverified. Always download and check the matching official template before upload.
08Does the $4.99 PSD pack resize to my book automatically?
No. The existing pack contains 12 layered PSDs fixed at 150 production pages across three trims and four paper/ink combinations. For a different page count, adjust the spine guides and canvas using this result and the matching official template. The calculator and blank or reference PNG exports are free.