What size is a KDP paperback cover?

One flat image with the back cover, spine, and front cover side by side, plus 0.125" of bleed on every outside edge. Width = 0.125" + trim width + spine width + trim width + 0.125"; height = trim height + 0.25". The spine width depends on page count and paper, so there is no single KDP cover size.

What size is the cover for an 8.5 x 11 KDP book?

For a 100-page book on white paper, 17.475" × 11.250" (5,243 × 3,375 pixels at 300 DPI). The width grows with the page count: each extra page on white paper adds 0.002252" to the spine.

What size is the cover for a 6 x 9 KDP book?

It depends on the page count. A 200-page 6" × 9" book on cream paper has a 0.5000" spine, so its cover is 12.750" × 9.250".

Can I upload just a front cover to KDP?

Not for a paperback: KDP wants the full wrap as one PDF, unless you use its Cover Creator. If you design the front first, make it the trim size plus 0.125" on the top, bottom, and outside edge, then place it on the right-hand side of the wrap.

How far from the edge should cover text be?

At least 0.125" inside the trim line on the front and back, and at least 0.0625" from each fold on the spine. KDP only prints spine text on books with 80 pages or more.

What size should a Kindle eBook cover be?

KDP’s ideal Kindle eBook cover is 2,560 pixels tall by 1,600 pixels wide, a 1.6:1 ratio; JPEG is KDP’s preferred format. It is just the front cover: no spine, back, or bleed.

KDP Cover Size Calculator for Paperbacks

KDP cover size calculator

Get the exact size of an Amazon KDP paperback cover from its trim size, page count, and paper: the full wrap with 0.125" bleed, the front cover on its own, the spine, and the safe area for text — in inches, millimeters, and pixels at 300 DPI. Free, no signup, and the same math ColorCraft's cover generator uses.

Trim size

Interior page count

KDP prints 24–590 pages on this paper and trim.

Paper and ink

Full cover size with bleed (back + spine + front): 17.475" × 11.250"; 443.9 × 285.8 mm · 5,243 × 3,375 px at 300 DPI
Spine width: 0.2252"; 5.7 mm
Front cover with bleed: 8.625" × 11.250"; 2,588 × 3,375 px · 0.125" on the top, bottom, and outside edge
Front cover after trimming: 8.500" × 11.000"; 2,550 × 3,300 px
Safe area for text: 8.250" × 10.750"; 0.125" inside the trim on each side, front and back

Need a guide layer for your design app? The spine width calculator downloads a cover template (PDF or PNG) at these dimensions.

Rather skip the math? ColorCraft's cover generator builds the full wrap at exactly this size.

Make my cover

How KDP cover size is calculated

A paperback cover is printed as one sheet that wraps around the book, so KDP asks for the back cover, spine, and front cover side by side, with bleed around the outside:

width = bleed + trim width + spine + trim width + bleed
height = bleed + trim height + bleed
spine = page count × paper thickness per page

Bleed is 0.125" (3.2 mm). Thickness per page is 0.002252" for white paper and standard color, 0.0025" for cream, and 0.002347" for premium color. Example: a 100-page 8.5" × 11" coloring book on white paper has a 0.2252" spine, so the cover is 0.125 + 8.5 + 0.2252 + 8.5 + 0.125 = 17.475" wide by 11.250" tall.

Cover sizes for common trims (100 pages, white paper)

KDP paperback full cover size with bleed for a 100-page book on white paper
Trim	Full cover (in)	Pixels at 300 DPI	Front with bleed (in)
8.5" × 11"	17.475 × 11.250	5,243 × 3,375	8.625 × 11.250
8" × 10"	16.475 × 10.250	4,943 × 3,075	8.125 × 10.250
8.5" × 8.5"	17.475 × 8.750	5,243 × 2,625	8.625 × 8.750
8.25" × 8.25"	16.975 × 8.500	5,093 × 2,550	8.375 × 8.500
7" × 10"	14.475 × 10.250	4,343 × 3,075	7.125 × 10.250
6" × 9"	12.475 × 9.250	3,743 × 2,775	6.125 × 9.250
5.5" × 8.5"	11.475 × 8.750	3,443 × 2,625	5.625 × 8.750

A different page count or paper changes only the width (through the spine). The calculator covers all 15 standard KDP paperback trims except A4.

Before you upload the cover

Use the page count of your final interior PDF: KDP checks the cover against it.
Run background art all the way into the 0.125" bleed on every outside edge.
Keep text 0.125" inside the trim, and leave the barcode area on the back clear.
Export a PDF at 300 DPI with the exact width and height above.
Upload the wrap as one PDF. Want the details? See how to make a KDP paperback cover.

KDP cover size FAQ

Sources

Checked against KDP's help pages on October 21, 2026. Paperbacks only; hardcover covers wrap around the boards and have their own sizes. Also see the KDP spine width calculator and the KDP printing cost calculator.