Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Introduction
When you upload a paperback to KDP, you pick a paper type. Most authors pick one and never think about it again. But the choice affects your book's:
- Manufacturing cost (and therefore minimum viable retail price)
- Spine width calculation
- Reader perception of the book's category
- Print quality of images
- Page brightness and contrast
This guide covers the three KDP options in 2026, what each is right for, and the gotchas.
The three KDP paper options
White paper
Specs: 60 GSM bright white interior paper, black ink.
Best for:
- Non-fiction (business, self-help, how-to, technical)
- Books with diagrams, charts, tables
- Books with illustrations needing contrast
- Cookbooks (when not using Premium Colour)
- Reference books
- Workbooks and journals
Costs: Cheapest KDP print option. ~£2.20-£4.50 per book printed, depending on page count.
Reader perception: Modern, clean, professional. Expected for non-fiction.
Cream paper
Specs: 60 GSM cream/off-white interior paper, black ink.
Best for:
- Novels (any genre)
- Memoir and narrative non-fiction
- Poetry collections
- Literary fiction
- Anything readers will sit and read for long stretches
Costs: ~£2.30-£4.60 per book printed (very slightly more than white).
Reader perception: Warmer, easier on the eyes for long reads, traditional. Expected for fiction.
Why cream wins for fiction: Pure white pages create high contrast that some readers find harsh during extended reading. Cream's slight off-white reduces eye fatigue. It also matches the look of traditionally-published novels.
Premium Colour
Specs: 90 GSM bright white paper, full CMYK colour throughout interior.
Best for:
- Cookbooks (when colour photography matters)
- Children's picture books
- Photography books
- Art books
- Graphic novels and comics
- High-end coffee-table books
Costs: Expensive — £8-£20+ per book printed. This is the major trade-off.
Reader perception: Premium, high-quality, gift-worthy. Expected for visual books.
Retail price reality: Premium Colour books typically retail at £15-£30+. KDP's printing cost forces a high minimum retail price to maintain any royalty.
The economics — actual print costs (UK, 2026)
For a 250-page paperback, 6×9 trim:
| Paper | KDP printing cost | Min retail for 40% royalty | Realistic retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | ~£2.60 | £4.50 | £7.99-£11.99 |
| Cream | ~£2.70 | £4.65 | £8.99-£12.99 |
| Premium Colour | ~£15.50 | £25.00 | £24.99-£34.99 |
KDP's exact print costs vary by page count, trim size, and marketplace. The relative ranking (Premium Colour 5-6x more expensive) is constant.
Spine width — yes, it differs
White and cream paper have the same thickness (≈0.00227" per page). Premium Colour is thicker (≈0.0042" per page).
For a 200-page book:
- White or cream spine: 0.45 inches
- Premium Colour spine: 0.84 inches (nearly double)
This means your cover wrap template is different per paper choice. Pick the paper before designing the cover.
How to choose (decision flowchart)
1. Is the book mostly text? → cream (fiction) or white (non-fiction)
2. Does the book have a few illustrations/diagrams that matter? → white (better contrast for B&W illustrations)
3. Does the book NEED colour images throughout? → Premium Colour
4. Is it a cookbook? → Premium Colour if your business model supports £20+ retail; otherwise cream/white with B&W photos
5. Is it for children? → Premium Colour for picture books; white for chapter books
6. Are you uncertain? → cream for fiction, white for non-fiction (genre defaults)
What about hardcover?
KDP hardcover offers the same paper choices (white, cream, Premium Colour). Hardcover printing costs are roughly 50-80% higher than paperback for the same paper.
Strategy for hardcover: same paper choice as the paperback edition of the same book — readers expect consistency.
Common mistakes
- Using white paper for a novel. Reads aggressively bright in a fiction context. Cream is the genre convention.
- Using cream paper for non-fiction. Less critical (cream works for narrative non-fiction) but pure how-to/business looks better on white.
- Skipping Premium Colour for a cookbook. B&W cookbook photos look amateur. If the book is visual, Premium Colour is essential — even if it forces a £24.99 retail price.
- Forgetting paper affects spine width. Cover wraps designed for white/cream don't fit Premium Colour books.
- Choosing for cost over genre fit. "I'll save money with white" produces a fiction book that looks like a manual. Lost sales > printing savings.
- Not testing print before launch. Always order a proof copy. Paper feels different than it looks online.
UK-specific considerations
- Royal Mail shipping doesn't care about paper type — Premium Colour books cost the same to post as cream books in same trim size.
- UK reader expectations: UK readers index slightly higher than US on "novels should be cream paper" — the look of traditionally-published British fiction is universally cream.
- UK bookshop distribution (via IngramSpark): Premium Colour-equivalent paper is available but pricing differs. If you plan dual KDP + IngramSpark, match paper across both for visual consistency.
- HMRC doesn't distinguish printing costs by paper type — all KDP printing costs are deductible from royalty income.
The Premium Colour question — is it worth it?
For most authors writing text-based books: no. White or cream is fine.
For cookbook, children's, art, photography authors: probably yes.
The economics check:
- Premium Colour 250-page book: prints at ~£15.50
- Retail at £24.99 = £9.49 royalty (40%)
- Alternative: same book on cream with B&W images at £12.99 retail = £8.55 royalty after print cost
- Premium Colour earns only marginally more per book — but charges much more to the reader
The Premium Colour case is strongest when:
- Colour images are central to the book's value (cookbook, art)
- The genre conventions demand colour (children's picture books)
- The target buyer is willing to pay premium pricing
Skip Premium Colour when:
- Images are decorative, not essential
- You're competing on price in a genre
- You want to be in Kindle Unlimited (KU pricing dynamics favour lower-print-cost formats)
What about hardback (case-laminate) vs paperback?
Different question from paper choice, but related:
- Paperback: the default. £2-£5 print cost. Retail £8.99-£14.99 typical.
- Hardcover (case laminate): £8-£15 print cost. Retail £15.99-£24.99 typical.
- Hardcover (cloth/dust jacket): not available on KDP (use IngramSpark for premium hardback).
For most indies: paperback is the core format. Hardcover adds 10-20% revenue for fans who want the premium edition.
The bottom line
For fiction: cream paper. For non-fiction (text-based): white paper. For visual books (cookbook, children's, art): Premium Colour, accepting £20+ retail prices.
Don't overthink it. Most authors pick wrong only by going against genre convention (white for a novel, cream for a manual). The decision takes 30 seconds; the consequences last for the life of the book.
Always order a proof copy before launch. Paper looks and feels different in hand than online.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change paper type after publishing?
Yes — KDP allows re-uploading interior files with different paper choice. Note: spine width changes (Premium Colour is thicker), so you'd also need to update the cover wrap.
Why is cream more expensive than white?
Marginal difference — manufacturing process slightly different. The cost gap is negligible in retail pricing.
Can I use different paper for ebook? Hardcover?
Ebook is irrelevant (no paper). Hardcover offers the same paper choices as paperback — pick consistently across formats.
Does Premium Colour print better B&W images too?
Yes, sharper contrast. But the cost rarely justifies it for B&W-only books.
What about KDP's "Premium Colour" vs IngramSpark's premium colour?
IngramSpark's offerings differ in spec and price. For most indie authors, KDP Premium Colour is the simpler choice; IngramSpark is worth comparing only for serious bookshop distribution.
