Enter your book details below to get exact cover dimensions. The visual diagram updates in real time to show you exactly how your cover should be set up.
Visual Cover Diagram
Cover Layout (not to scale — proportions accurate)
BLEED AREA
Bleed (0.125")
Trim area
Safe zone
Spine
Barcode area
Cover Setup Specifications
After calculating your dimensions, set up your design file with these settings:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| File format | PDF (single page) |
| Colour space | RGB (KDP converts to CMYK) |
| Resolution | 300 DPI minimum |
| Bleed | 0.125" (3.175 mm) on all edges |
| Safe zone | 0.125" (3.175 mm) inside trim on all edges |
| Spine safe zone | 0.0625" (1.6 mm) on each side of spine |
| Barcode area | 2" x 1.2" white rectangle, bottom-right of back cover |
| Max file size | 650 MB |
Common Cover Mistakes to Avoid
- Text too close to spine — Keep text at least 0.0625" from spine edges
- Background not extending to bleed — Colours and images must fill the bleed area
- Wrong spine width — Recalculate if you change page count or paper type
- Low resolution images — Use 300 DPI minimum; 150 DPI will look blurry in print
- CMYK colour space — KDP actually requires RGB; they convert to CMYK themselves
- Forgetting barcode space — Leave room for KDP's auto-generated barcode
Need a professional cover designed?
[Our formatting service](/order/) includes cover template setup with exact dimensions — from £69.
Format my book →You might also need
- Spine Width Calculator
- White vs Cream Paper
- Canva Book Cover Tutorial
- KDP Trim Size Guide
- KDP Formatting Checklist
Further reading from official sources
- KDP — Paperback cover specifications — official trim, bleed and spine rules.
