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KDP cover size calculator

A KDP paperback cover is one flat PDF: bleed, back cover, spine, front cover, bleed. Its width is 0.125 in + trim width + spine + trim width + 0.125 in and its height is the trim height + 0.25 in. A 6 × 9 in, 200-page book on white paper needs a 12.7 × 9.25 in cover.

By kdpbook.io editorialPublished ✓ Checked against KDP Help on

Binding
pages

Use the final interior page count: the spine depends on it.

Full cover size12.7 × 9.25 in322.6 mm × 234.9 mm · 3811 × 2775 px at 300 DPI
Spine width0.45 inSpine text allowed
Cover template: back cover, 0.45 in spine and front cover, 12.7 by 9.25 inches, with bleed and safe areas.
▨ Bleed┅ Trim┆ Safe area · spine folds▭ Barcode area
Trim
6 × 9 in
Bleed (each edge)
0.125 in
Front panel starts at
6.575 in from the left edge
Spine
6.125 in → 6.575 in
Barcode area
2 × 1.2 in lower right of the back
Pages
200
Opens at true size in Illustrator, Affinity, Inkscape or Canva. Hide the guide layers before exporting your PDF.

The paperback cover formula

KDP prints the cover on one sheet that wraps around the book, so your file must include the back cover, the spine and the front cover side by side, plus 0.125 in of bleed on every outside edge. The bleed is trimmed off after printing; it only exists so that the art reaches the edge of the finished book.

Part6 × 9 in · 200 pages · white
Bleed, left0.125 in
Back cover (trim width)6 in
Spine (200 × paper factor)0.45 in
Front cover (trim width)6 in
Bleed, right0.125 in
Full width × height12.7 × 9.25 in

The spine width comes from the page count and the paper. Our spine width calculator explains the factors.

Hardcover covers

KDP hardcovers are case laminate: the printed cover is glued around rigid boards. Instead of bleed, the file has a 15 mm wrap on every edge that folds around the boards. Each board is 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim, and a 10 mm hinge next to the spine must stay free of text and barcodes. The spine gets an extra 4.8 mm.

KDP’s help page quotes a slightly smaller wrap than its own cover calculator. We follow the calculator (0.591 in), which is what KDP’s downloadable templates are built from.

Safe areas and the barcode

  • Keep text and faces at least 0.125 in inside the trim on a paperback, and 0.125 in inside the board edge on a hardcover.
  • Keep spine text 0.0625 in away from each fold. Spine text needs at least 79 pages.
  • Leave the 2 × 1.2 in barcode area in the lower right of the back cover empty; KDP adds the ISBN barcode there when you don’t supply your own.
  • Text must be at least 7 pt. Avoid thin borders: if you use one, keep it 0.25 in or more inside the trim.

Exporting the PDF

Export one single-page PDF at the full cover size, with images at 300 DPI and fonts embedded. Hide or delete the template layers first: KDP rejects covers with visible guides, crop marks or placeholder text. Keep the file under 40 MB if you can.

How to use it

  1. 01

    Choose the binding

    Paperback covers have bleed; hardcover covers have a wrap that folds around the boards.

  2. 02

    Choose trim and paper

    Use the same trim size and ink/paper you will select in KDP.

  3. 03

    Enter the final page count

    The spine, and so the whole cover, depends on it.

  4. 04

    Download the template

    Design over the SVG at true size, hide the guides, and export a single-page PDF.

Questions

What size is a KDP cover for a 6 × 9 inch paperback?

It depends on the page count and paper. With 200 pages on white paper the spine is 0.45 in, so the full cover is 12.7 × 9.25 in: 0.125 in bleed + 6 in back + spine + 6 in front + 0.125 in bleed, by 9 in + 0.25 in.

What resolution should a KDP cover be?

300 DPI. For the 6 × 9 in, 200-page example that is 3,811 × 2,775 pixels for the whole wrap. KDP accepts PDF files up to 650 MB and recommends keeping covers under 40 MB.

Where does the barcode go on a KDP cover?

In the lower-right corner of the back cover. If you don't add your own, KDP prints one in a 2 × 1.2 in white box, so keep that area free of text and important art.

Is a hardcover cover bigger than a paperback cover?

Yes. The hardcover cover wraps around boards: it adds a 15 mm wrap on every edge, the boards are 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim, and the spine gets 4.8 mm more. The same 6 × 9 in, 200-page book needs a 14.214 × 10.417 in hardcover cover.

Can I use this template in Canva?

Yes. Upload the SVG, set it as the bottom layer of a custom-size design with the full cover dimensions, design over it, then hide it and export a PDF. Do the same in Illustrator, Affinity or Inkscape.

What size is a Kindle eBook cover?

Kindle covers are a separate JPEG, not a wrap: KDP's ideal size is 1,600 × 2,560 pixels (a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio).

Make it with kdpbook

Your cover, sized and designed for you.

kdpbook paints the front art, composes the back and spine, and exports the cover PDF at the exact size of your final interior.

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