# What is a case laminate hardcover on KDP?

Source: https://kdpbook.io/glossary/case-laminate · Updated 2026-09-28

**Case laminate**: The only KDP hardcover binding: the printed cover is laminated and glued around rigid boards. There is no dust jacket.

Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.

Case laminate is the only hardcover binding KDP offers: the cover art is printed, laminated and wrapped around rigid boards, with no dust jacket. KDP hardcovers come in 5 trims with 75–550 pages, in black and white or premium color, and aren't available on Amazon.co.jp or through Expanded Distribution.

Also called: KDP hardcover, printed case, laminated hardcover.

## The numbers

KDP hardcover specs:

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Trims | 5.5 × 8.5, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21, 7 × 10 and 8.25 × 11 in |
| Pages | 75–550 |
| Ink and paper | black and white on white or cream paper, or premium color |
| Cover wrap | 15 mm on every edge, folded around the boards |
| Hinge | 10 mm on each side of the spine: no text or barcode |
| Boards (KDP cover calculator) | trim + 5 mm wide, trim + 6 mm tall |
| Spine | pages × paper factor + 4.8 mm |
| Headbands | added above 120 pages |
| Printing cost, Amazon.com, black ink, regular trim | $6.80 flat for 75–108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012 per page |
| Printing cost, Amazon.com, premium color, regular trim | $5.65 + $0.065 per page |
| ISBN | its own, separate from the paperback's |

## Case laminate vs dust jacket

In a case laminate book, the printed cover is the case itself: it is glued to the boards and laminated, like many children's hardcovers and textbooks. There is no separate paper jacket, so the whole design, barcode included, lives on the case. The file wraps around the board edges instead of having bleed, and a hinge next to the spine must stay free of text.

## What it costs and where it sells

On Amazon.com a black-and-white hardcover pays a fixed $5.65 per copy against $1.00 for a paperback, with the same $0.012 per page. Past 108 pages, that is $4.65 more per copy, and a higher minimum list price.

Hardcovers are sold on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.es, Amazon.it, Amazon.nl, Amazon.ie, Amazon.com.be, Amazon.pl and Amazon.se. KDP says they aren't available on Amazon.co.jp or through Expanded Distribution.

## Example: a 300-page novel in both bindings

A 300-page, 6 × 9 in novel on cream paper costs $4.60 to print as a paperback and $9.25 as a hardcover on Amazon.com. The minimum list prices are $9.20 and $15.42.

Its hardcover cover file is 14.514 × 10.417 in with a 0.939 in spine, against 13 × 9.25 in and 0.75 in for the paperback.

## Common mistakes

- Reusing the paperback cover file: the hardcover cover is larger and laid out differently.
- Placing text or the barcode on the hinge next to the spine.
- Planning a 32-page hardcover picture book. KDP hardcovers need at least 75 pages.
- Designing a dust jacket. KDP doesn't print one.
- Giving the hardcover the paperback's ISBN.
- Expecting the hardcover in bookstores through Expanded Distribution.

In kdpbook.io: kdpbook exports hardcovers in all 5 KDP hardcover trims, with a cover PDF laid out for the wrap and hinges.