Last reviewed by Robert Prime, 12 October 2026. Standards read that day from RNIB and the UK Association for Accessible Formats; KDP rules from Amazon’s paperback fonts and metadata help pages.
Quick Answer: Large print in the UK means body text of at least 16 point, ideally 18, in a clear sans serif font, with generous line spacing, no italics and page numbers as big as the text. That is the RNIB and UKAAF standard. Amazon KDP has no public large-print rule beyond its 7-point minimum for all books, so you publish a large print edition as a separate paperback with its own ISBN, typeset to those UK standards.
Table of Contents
- What counts as large print
- The UKAAF layout rules
- What Amazon KDP says (and doesn’t)
- How to publish a large print edition on KDP
- What changes: pages, spine and price
- Large print style settings to copy
- Common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
What counts as large print
| Type | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Regular print | “usually 10 or 12 point” | RNIB |
| Clear print | “Minimum text size of 12 point … ideally 14 point” | UKAAF |
| Large print | “generally 16 to 18 point” (RNIB); “Minimum text size of 16 point … ideally 18 point” (UKAAF) | RNIB, UKAAF |
| Giant print | “anything larger than this” | RNIB |
Sources: RNIB, large and giant print; UKAAF, creating clear print and large print documents.
Point size is not the whole story. UKAAF: “Legibility is affected not just by the text size, but also by contrast, typeface, line and letter spacing, and paper colour.”
The UKAAF layout rules
From UKAAF’s guidance, the points that apply to a book:
- “Minimum text size of 16 point for large print, ideally 18 point.”
- “Legible, sans serif, typeface such as Arial.”
- “No italics, underlining or large blocks of capital letters.”
- “Text such as page numbers, labels, superscripts is ideally the same size as the body text.”
Most novels set italics for emphasis, thoughts and titles. In a large print edition, UKAAF’s rule means replacing italics with something else, such as bold, which changes your styles, not just your font size.
What Amazon KDP says (and doesn’t)
We read KDP’s help pages on 12 October 2026, including paperback fonts, paperback submission guidelines, print options, metadata and accessibility. None of them defines “large print”. What KDP does say:
- Minimum size for every print book: “we require a minimum font size of 7 points” (KDP: paperback fonts).
- Title field: “The title field should contain only the actual title of your book as it appears on your book cover” (KDP: metadata guidelines).
- ISBNs: for print books an ISBN is needed: “eBooks and low-content books are the only formats where an ISBN is optional” (KDP: ISBN and imprint).
You’ll see blog posts mention a KDP “large print” checkbox and a 16-point rule for using it. We couldn’t find either on an Amazon help page, so check your own KDP setup screen rather than relying on them.
How to publish a large print edition on KDP
- Typeset a new interior at 16 to 18 point, to the UKAAF rules. Don’t just enlarge the old PDF: scaling a page up doesn’t fit the same trim size.
- Choose a trim size. A larger trim keeps the page count down. See the KDP trim size guide.
- Get a new ISBN. It is a separate paperback. Use KDP’s free one or your own (see ISBNs in the UK).
- Make a new cover for the new page count, with “Large Print” shown clearly on the front. The spine will be wider: use the spine width calculator.
- Set it up as a new paperback on your Bookshelf. Keep the title field to the title as it appears on the cover.
- Link it to your other formats on the Bookshelf and, if you have one, add it to your series (see KDP series pages).
- Order a proof and read a chapter of it yourself before you approve it.
What changes: pages, spine and price
Bigger type and wider spacing mean fewer words per page, so a large print edition has many more pages than the standard one. That changes three things:
| What | Why it changes | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Page count | Fewer words per page | Your re-typeset PDF |
| Spine width | Depends on page count and paper | Spine width calculator |
| Print cost and minimum price | Amazon’s print cost rises with page count | KDP royalty calculator |
| Page limit | KDP has a maximum page count per trim and ink | KDP: over the maximum pages |
Re-typeset a sample chapter first and multiply out. That tells you the real page count before you commit to a trim size.
Large print style settings to copy
A starting point for the main styles, based on the UKAAF rules above. Adjust to your book:
Body text: 18 pt, sans serif (e.g. Arial or Verdana), line spacing 1.5, left-aligned, no hyphenation
Headings: 20-24 pt bold, same font
Emphasis: bold, never italics or underline
Page numbers: 18 pt, same font as body
Running heads: 18 pt, or leave them out
Paper: cream or white, never coloured or patterned
Margins: wide enough that no line runs into the gutterLeft-aligned text avoids the uneven word gaps that full justification creates at big sizes. Check gutter margins against KDP’s table with our KDP margin calculator.
Common mistakes
- Enlarging the existing PDF. A scaled-up page no longer fits the same trim size.
- Keeping italics. UKAAF says no italics.
- Small page numbers and headers. UKAAF wants them the same size as the text.
- Forgetting the spine. More pages means a wider spine and a new cover file.
- Reusing the standard edition’s ISBN. It is a separate product.
Frequently asked questions
What font size is large print?
16 to 18 point, according to RNIB. UKAAF sets 16 point as the minimum and 18 as ideal.
What is the best font for large print books?
UKAAF recommends a “Legible, sans serif, typeface such as Arial”.
Does Amazon KDP have a large print option?
Amazon’s public help pages don’t describe one. Check your own paperback setup screen; either way, the interior must meet the standard.
Can I make my Kindle ebook large print?
Kindle readers can enlarge text themselves, which is why large print is mostly a print question.
Does a large print edition need a new ISBN?
On KDP every paperback needs its own ISBN, and a large print edition is a separate paperback.
Final thoughts
A large print edition is a re-typeset book, not a bigger PDF. Follow the UKAAF rules, give it its own ISBN and cover, and link it to your other formats so readers who need it can find it.
Related guides
— Robert publishing.co.uk
