Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Quick Answer: Bleed is either missing (images don't extend past the trim line, leaving white edges) or excessive (extends too far past the bleed zone). Correct bleed is exactly 0.125" (3mm) past the trim on all sides. Re-export with bleed enabled and verify in Acrobat.
Full reasoning, why-it-happens, and the exact fix below.
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We see this come through our formatting queue at publishing.co.uk regularly, so the patterns and fixes here are based on what actually works at upload.
What this error means
Bleed is the extra paper outside the trim line that gets cut off during binding. KDP wants 0.125" of bleed on every edge that artwork touches — except the inside (gutter), which is never bled because the page is bound on that side.
When KDP's checker rejects bleed, it means one of three things: (1) you ticked "Bleed" in the dashboard but your PDF page size matches the trim exactly (no actual bleed added), (2) your bleed area isn't 0.125" (commonly 0.118" or 3mm — close but rejected), or (3) artwork bleeds off only some edges and your PDF doesn't have the correct bleed boxes set up.
Either way, the rejection email reads "Your interior file's bleed settings do not match the specifications for your trim size."
📎 Source: KDP's authoritative documentation on this rule is at KDP's bleed specifications.
Why it happens
Designing in millimetres. UK authors often default to 3mm bleed because that's the European print standard. KDP wants imperial — 0.125" exactly, which is 3.175mm. The 0.175mm difference is enough for the checker to flag it.
Word doesn't support bleed properly. You can fake bleed in Word by setting a custom page size larger than the trim, but Word has no concept of crop marks or trim boxes. The PDF exports without proper PDF/X bleed metadata.
Canva auto-adds 3mm bleed unless you manually override to 0.125". Their template gallery is split — some templates have correct bleed, others don't.
Vellum doesn't support bleed at all for novel-style interiors. If you have a full-bleed image in your manuscript, Vellum can't export it correctly — you'll need to switch to InDesign or Affinity Publisher.
InDesign with wrong document setup. You set bleed under Margins and Bleed, but if you never actually extended your artwork into the bleed zone, the exported PDF has the bleed area declared but empty — KDP catches this and rejects.
The fix
Step 1: Decide whether you actually need bleed. If no image or colour block touches a page edge in your interior, don't enable bleed — you'll save the trouble. Bleed is only required when artwork must extend to the page edge.
Step 2: If you need bleed, your final PDF page size must be trim size + 0.25" total (0.125" top + 0.125" bottom, 0.125" outside only). Bleed is never added to the inside edge — KDP confirms this in their print guidelines.
For a 6×9 trim with bleed:
- Page size: 6.125" × 9.25"
- Top bleed: 0.125"
- Bottom bleed: 0.125"
- Outside bleed: 0.125"
- Inside bleed: 0 (none)
Step 3 (InDesign): File → Document Setup → Bleed → set Top, Bottom, Outside to 0.125" and Inside to 0. Extend every page-edge image into the bleed area visually. Export → PDF/X-1a:2001 → Marks and Bleeds → tick "Use Document Bleed Settings" → untick "Crop Marks" (KDP rejects them).
Step 4 (Affinity Publisher): Document → Spread Setup → Bleed → 0.125" on outer three edges, 0 inside. Same export rules — no crop marks.
Step 5 (Canva Pro): When creating the document, set custom size to trim+bleed (e.g. 6.125 × 9.25"). On export, tick "Crop marks and bleed" → KDP wants the bleed area but not the crop marks. Open the exported PDF and use Acrobat → Print Production → Set Page Boxes to remove crop marks if Canva added them.
Step 6 (Word): Word can't do proper bleed. If you need bleed, your only path is to re-layout in InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or hire a formatter. Don't try to fake it.
Step 7: On the KDP upload page, tick "Bleed" if your PDF includes it. The dashboard option must match the PDF — ticking bleed without an actual bled file (or vice versa) is the most common cause of this rejection.
Step 8: Verify in Acrobat: File → Properties → page size should read trim+bleed (e.g. 6.125 × 9.25 in), not trim (6 × 9).
How to pre-flight it
Drop your PDF into our free KDP Readiness Score and we'll check page size, declared bleed boxes, and whether content actually extends into the bleed area. We also check the 30+ other KDP rules in one pass.
Related errors
- KDP error: margin too small
- KDP error: cover trim doesn't match interior
- KDP error: crop marks present
FAQ
Is 3mm bleed acceptable in place of 0.125"? No — KDP's checker measures in inches and rejects anything other than 0.125". Switch your units.
Does bleed apply to the gutter (inside) edge? No. The inside edge is bound, so bleed is never added there. Only top.
Do I need bleed if I only have text on every page? No. Bleed is only required if artwork touches the page edge. Text-only novels don't need it.
Can I add bleed in Acrobat after exporting? You can adjust the page boxes, but you can't add actual artwork into a bleed area Acrobat — the artwork has to be there in the source file.
Frequently asked questions
Does my interior PDF need bleed too?
Only if your interior has full-page images or coloured backgrounds that touch the page edge. Standard text-only interiors don't need bleed. If they do need it, it's the same 0.125" (3mm) spec.
How do I check whether my interior PDF has the correct bleed?
Open in Acrobat → Tools → Print Production → Set Page Boxes. The TrimBox should match your trim size and the BleedBox should extend 0.125" further on all four sides. Mismatches here are the most common bleed error.
Can publishing.co.uk fix bleed configuration without re-exporting from source?
We can adjust the page-box metadata in an existing PDF, but the safer route is re-exporting with the correct bleed settings from Word, InDesign or Affinity. If the original document didn't have bleed-extended artwork, no metadata fix will produce a correctly-bled file.
Do I even need bleed if my book is mostly text?
Books with no full-page images don't need bleed — the body text never reaches the edge anyway. Bleed is only required if illustrations, photographs or background colours extend to the trim line. Most novels and prose non-fiction can be uploaded as no-bleed.
Related KDP error fixes
If you got the rejection above, you may also want to check these related issues — they tend to cluster:
Full list: KDP formatting errors hub · KDP rejection fixes hub · KDP rejected my book
About this guide
This page is part of a series of UK-focused KDP rejection guides at publishing.co.uk, each documenting a specific reason KDP can reject a print or Kindle file and the exact fix. Written by Robert Prime — founder of publishing.co.uk, co-runs the LoveReading network, and has overseen 500+ KDP submissions through formatting work in this category (cover).
If you'd rather have someone else handle this and the other 35 issues KDP checks for, our formatting service is from £69 with a 3-day turnaround and a 100% KDP-acceptance guarantee.
Run a free KDP Readiness Score on your file before you upload — catches this issue and 35 others, in 60 seconds.
External references
- Amazon KDP Help — official KDP documentation
- Author Earnings reports (ALCS) — UK author income surveys
