# KDP paperback cover file requirements

Resolution, file rules, the barcode area and when spine text is allowed.

The paperback cover is one PDF: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, with bleed all around. Its width depends on the trim size, paper and page count.

## File rules

- Pictures at 300 DPI.
- Single PDF
- Flattened transparency
- Embedded fonts
- No crop marks
- No security
- No spot colors
- Text at least 7 pt.
- Under 40 MB is recommended; 650 MB is the limit.

## Safe areas

- 0.125 in bleed on every outside edge.
- Keep text 0.125 in inside the trim and 0.0625 in from the spine folds.
- Leave a 2 × 1.2 in area free on the back cover, 0.25 in from the bottom and spine-side edges, for the barcode KDP adds.

## Spine text

KDP allows spine text only on books with more than 79 pages (80 or more). Thinner books get a plain spine.

> kdpbookai builds the cover to the exact size for your book and checks for text in the barcode area, small text and low contrast.

## Sources

- Source: [KDP · Create a Paperback Cover](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201953020), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Print Cover Calculator and Templates](https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Barcodes](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G5HDYGP4BXLX4RUW), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Paperback Submission Guidelines](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201857950), checked 2026-11-07.
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Page: https://kdpbookai.com/guides/kdp-cover-file-requirements · Checked 2026-11-09

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