Use this calculator to determine the precise dimensions for your Amazon KDP print book cover, including bleed and spine width, based on your book's trim size, page count, and paper type.
White Paper
Cream Paper
Color Paper
Understanding KDP Cover Requirements
Creating a print-ready cover for Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) requires precise dimensions to ensure your book looks professional and meets their printing specifications. This calculator helps you get those exact measurements.
Trim Size
The trim size is the final physical size of your book after it's been cut. Common trim sizes include 6×9 inches, 5×8 inches, or 5.5×8.5 inches. You select this when setting up your book on KDP.
Bleed
Bleed refers to the area of your design that extends beyond the trim edge of the page. KDP requires a 0.125-inch (0.3175 cm) bleed on the top, bottom, and outer edges of your cover. This ensures that no unprinted white edges appear if there's a slight shift during the trimming process. Our calculator automatically adds this bleed to the total dimensions.
Spine Width
The spine width is crucial and depends on your book's page count and the type of paper you choose. Different paper types have different thicknesses. KDP provides specific multipliers for calculating spine width:
White Paper: 0.002252 inches per page
Cream Paper: 0.0025 inches per page
Color Paper: 0.002347 inches per page
The calculator uses these factors to determine the exact spine width for your book.
Safe Zone
While bleed extends beyond the trim, the "safe zone" is an area inside the trim line where all critical text and important graphics should be placed. KDP recommends keeping all essential elements at least 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) away from the trim edges to prevent them from being cut off during manufacturing. This calculator will provide safe zone recommendations for your front and back covers.
Full Cover Dimensions
The full cover includes the back cover, spine, and front cover, plus the necessary bleed on all outer edges. The formula used is:
Full Cover Width: (2 x Trim Width) + Spine Width + (2 x Bleed)
Full Cover Height: Trim Height + (2 x Bleed)
For example, a 6×9 inch book with 200 white pages would have: