How KDP prices printing
Every KDP paperback and hardcover is printed on demand when a customer orders it. The printing cost is deducted from your royalty, so it decides both your earnings and the lowest price KDP lets you set. The cost depends on four things: binding, ink and paper, whether the trim is regular or large, and the marketplace where the book is sold.
Amazon.com paperback rates
| Ink & paper | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|
| Black & white (white or cream) | $2.30 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.012/page | $2.84 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.017/page |
| Black & white, groundwood | $2.23 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.0114/page | $2.75 up to 108 pages, then $1.00 + $0.0162/page |
| Standard color | $1.00 + $0.0255/page | $1.00 + $0.0402/page |
| Premium color | $3.60 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.065/page | $4.20 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 + $0.08/page |
Amazon.com hardcover rates
| Ink & paper | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|
| Black & white (white or cream) | $6.80 up to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.012/page | $7.49 up to 108 pages, then $5.65 + $0.017/page |
| Premium color | $5.65 + $0.065/page | $5.65 + $0.08/page |
Prices exclude VAT and sales tax. Page counts are rounded up to an even number, like KDP does. The calculator above uses the same tables for 14 marketplaces, each in its own currency.
Ways to lower your printing cost
- Choose black and white when color doesn’t add value: it is several times cheaper per page.
- From 72 pages, standard color costs much less than premium color for text-heavy illustrated books.
- Stay under the flat-fee limit when you can: short black-and-white books and short premium color books pay a flat fee.
- A regular trim is cheaper than a large one for the same page count.
To see what you earn at a given price, use the royalty calculator.