KDP Cover Template Generator

Get your full KDP paperback cover size and a template with bleed, spine and barcode guides.

Trim size

Page count

24 to 828 pages

Paper and ink

Units

Bleed is fixed at KDP’s 0.125 in (3.2 mm). Downloads are 300 dpi. Paperbacks only. Like KDP, an odd page count is counted as the next even number (KDP’s own cover calculator uses the number as typed, a difference of a fraction of a millimeter).

Bleed Text safe area Spine Barcode area

Full cover, with bleed	12.700 in x 9.250 in3,810 x 2,775 px
Front or back cover (trim)	6.000 in x 9.000 in1,800 x 2,700 px
Front or back panel with bleed	6.125 in x 9.250 in1,838 x 2,775 px
Spine width	0.450 in135 px
Bleed, top, bottom and outside edges	0.125 in38 px
Safe area (front or back)	5.875 in x 8.750 in1,763 x 2,625 px
Text margin inside the trim lines	0.125 in38 px
Spine text space	0.325 in98 px
Barcode area (bottom right of the back)	2.000 in x 1.200 in600 x 360 px
Spine text	Allowed

Send this to your designer: the PNG or PDF template and the copied numbers. Ask for one PDF at the full cover size, with the barcode area (2 x 1.2 in) left clear unless you supply your own barcode. Check the file in KDP’s Print Previewer before you publish.

Koobe designs four covers for your book, lettered with your title and name, and exports a print-ready PDF for KDP. First book free.

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How to use the KDP cover template generator

Pick your trim size from KDP's list, or enter a custom size.
Enter your page count and paper. These set the spine width. Use the page count KDP shows for your interior file.
Read the measurements, in inches or millimeters, with pixel sizes at 300 dpi.
Download the template as a PNG with guides, a PNG guide layer to put over your artwork, a PDF or an SVG, or copy the numbers for your designer.

This tool covers paperbacks only. If your page count changes, make a new template: the spine changes with it.

How KDP cover size is worked out

A paperback cover is one flat image that wraps around the book: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, plus bleed. KDP's formula is:

Width = bleed + back cover + spine + front cover + bleed
Height = bleed + trim height + bleed

The bleed is 0.125 in (3.2 mm) on the top, bottom and outside edges. It's trimmed off, so it should hold only background.

The spine is the page count times the thickness of one page, which depends on the paper:

Paper	Per page
Black ink, white paper	0.002252 in
Black ink, cream paper	0.0025 in
Black ink, groundwood paper	0.00235 in
Standard color	0.002252 in
Premium color	0.002347 in

KDP counts an odd page count as the next even number, so the tool does the same. The spine width calculator uses the same figures, so the two always agree.

What goes where on a paperback cover

Front cover on the right, back cover on the left, spine in the middle.
Text on the front and back stays at least 0.125 in inside the trim lines (the top, bottom and outside edges), shown as the dashed line.
Spine text is only allowed on books with more than 79 pages, and needs 0.0625 in of space from each edge of the spine, because every book shifts a little when bound.
The barcode area is at the bottom right of the back cover: 2 x 1.2 in, at least 0.25 in from the spine and the trim. If your file has no barcode, KDP adds one there, so keep it clear.
Images should be at least 300 dpi, and the whole cover goes to KDP as one PDF.

For the front cover's design, see how to design an ebook cover. For the printing cost and minimum price of the same book, try the KDP print cost calculator.

KDP cover template examples

6 x 9 in, 200 pages, white paper

Full cover 12.700 in x 9.250 in (322.6 mm x 234.9 mm), spine 0.450 in. Spine text: allowed.

5.5 x 8.5 in, 120 pages, cream paper

Full cover 11.550 in x 8.750 in (293.4 mm x 222.3 mm), spine 0.300 in. Spine text: allowed.

8.5 x 11 in, 300 pages, premium color

Full cover 17.954 in x 11.250 in (456.0 mm x 285.8 mm), spine 0.704 in. Spine text: allowed.

KDP cover template generator FAQ

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How do I calculate my KDP cover size?

Add the bleed, the back cover, the spine, the front cover and the bleed again for the width, and the trim height plus bleed top and bottom for the height. The spine is your page count times the thickness of one page of your paper. Enter your trim size, page count and paper above and the tool does the sums.

How much bleed does KDP need?

0.125 in (3.2 mm) on the top, bottom and outside edges of the cover. Backgrounds and images that reach the edge must extend into the bleed, so no white line shows after trimming.

Can I put text on the spine?

Only if your book has more than 79 pages. Keep spine text at least 0.0625 in from each edge of the spine, because the fold can shift slightly when the book is bound. The tool tells you whether your page count allows it.

Where does the barcode go?

At the bottom right of the back cover, in a 2 x 1.2 in area at least 0.25 in from the spine and the trim. If you don’t add one, KDP places a barcode there for you, so leave that area free of text and images.

What happens if my cover is the wrong size?

KDP’s Print Previewer checks your cover file and flags a size that doesn’t match your trim size, page count and paper. Fix the file and upload it again. If your page count changes later, the spine width changes too, so you’ll need a new cover.

Do I need a different template for color interiors?

Yes. Color paper is a different thickness from black-and-white paper, so the same page count gives a different spine width. Choose your exact paper and ink in the tool, and make a new template if you switch.

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