KDP Cover Calculator

Pick the binding, the paper, the trim size and the page count to get the spine width and the full-wrap cover size of an Amazon KDP paperback or hardcover in inches, millimeters and pixels at 300 DPI. Then download a PNG or PDF template with guides for the trim, bleed, spine, safe area and barcode.

How the cover size and spine width are worked out

A KDP print cover is one image: the back cover, the spine and the front cover side by side. The spine width comes from the page count times the thickness of one page of the chosen paper.

Paperback

Cover width = 0.125 + trim width + spine + trim width + 0.125 in, and cover height = trim height + 0.25 in. The 0.125 in (3.2 mm) bleed on the outside edges is cut off after printing. Keep text and logos 0.125 in inside the trim lines and 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) from each spine fold. A 6 x 9 in paperback of 300 pages on white paper has a 0.676 in spine and a 12.926 x 9.25 in cover.

Hardcover

KDP hardcovers are case laminate: the printed cover wraps around two boards. KDP works in millimeters: a 15 mm wrap on every outside edge, boards 5 mm wider and 6 mm taller than the trim (each board includes a 10 mm hinge next to the spine), and a spine of the page count times the page thickness plus 4.8 mm. So cover width = 2 x 15 + 2 x (trim width + 5) + spine and cover height = 2 x 15 + trim height + 6 mm. KDP does not publish this formula; it matches the sizes from KDP's own cover calculator. The hardcover safe area is our estimate from KDP's template, not a figure KDP gives.

Sizes follow KDP Help as of October 2026: create a paperback cover, create a hardcover cover, paperback submission guidelines, print options, barcodes. Inches are shown with three decimals and millimeters with two, as KDP shows them; KDP may differ by 0.001 in on a rounding tie.

FAQ

How wide is the spine for 300 pages?

For a paperback, 0.676 in (17.16 mm) on white paper, 0.75 in (19.05 mm) on cream, 0.705 in (17.91 mm) on groundwood and 0.704 in (17.88 mm) with Premium color. A hardcover adds 4.8 mm: 0.865 in (21.96 mm) on white paper.

Can I download a KDP cover template?

Yes. After Calculate, download a PNG template at 300 DPI or a PDF template at the exact full cover size, with guides for the trim, bleed, spine folds, safe area and barcode. Place it as a guide layer in your design app and hide it before you export the cover for KDP.

What size is a 6 x 9 cover with bleed?

12.25 in plus the spine wide and 9.25 in tall: 0.125 in of bleed on each outside edge around two 6 x 9 in panels. With 300 pages on white paper it is 12.926 x 9.25 in (328.31 x 234.95 mm), or 3878 x 2775 px at 300 DPI.

Does a hardcover use bleed?

Not as such. A hardcover has a 15 mm (0.591 in) wrap that folds around the boards, instead of a bleed, and a 10 mm (0.394 in) hinge on each side of the spine. A 6 x 9 in hardcover of 300 pages on white paper is 14.439 x 10.417 in (366.76 x 264.6 mm).

When can I put text on the spine?

KDP prints spine text on paperbacks of 80 pages or more. Keep it 0.0625 in (1.6 mm) from each fold. Hardcover spines are always wide enough for text.

What resolution should the cover be?

At least 300 DPI, in one PDF with the back, the spine and the front. KDP suggests a file of 40 MB or less and does not convert files over 650 MB. The calculator gives the full size in pixels at 300 DPI, and its PNG template is saved at 300 DPI.

Does KDP offer dust jackets?

No. KDP hardcovers are case laminate, printed directly on the cover boards, so there is no dust jacket to size.

Kindle sales and royalties

Need the sales side too? The Amazon Book Sales Calculator estimates Kindle sales from a sales rank (BSR) and works out KDP royalties per copy for e-books, paperbacks and hardcovers.

Support

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