# Choosing paper and ink on KDP

The five interior options, what each costs to print, how thick each makes the spine and which formats offer them.

Paper and ink are one choice on KDP: you pick an interior type, and it sets the paper, the ink, the print cost and the spine width. Decide before you make the files, because the files depend on it.

## The five interiors

| Interior | Paper weight | Formats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Black ink, white paper | 50-61 lb | paperback, hardcover |
| Black ink, cream paper | 50-61 lb | paperback, hardcover |
| Black ink, groundwood paper | 45 lb | paperback |
| Standard color, white paper | 50-61 lb | paperback |
| Premium color, white paper | 60-71 lb | paperback, hardcover |

## Which one fits your book

- **Black ink, cream paper:** the usual choice for novels and memoirs. It is a little thicker, so the spine is wider.
- **Black ink, white paper:** non-fiction, workbooks, puzzle books and coloring books.
- **Black ink, groundwood paper:** the lightest paper (45 lb); paperback only.
- **Standard color:** color on the same white paper as black-and-white books. It needs at least 72 pages and is paperback only.
- **Premium color:** heavier paper and richer color, for picture books and photo books.

## What it costs to print

Print costs on Amazon.com for a 6 × 9 in paperback:

| Interior | 100 pages | 200 pages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Black ink, white paper | $2.30 | $3.40 |
| Black ink, cream paper | $2.30 | $3.40 |
| Standard color, white paper | Not available | $6.10 |
| Premium color, white paper | $7.50 | $14.00 |

How these numbers are made is in [print cost explained](https://kdpbookai.com/guides/kdp-print-cost-explained).

## Spine width

Each paper adds a different thickness per page. At 200 pages the spine is 0.450 in on white paper and 0.500 in on cream. See [spine width](https://kdpbookai.com/guides/kdp-spine-width).

> Standard color prints on the same lighter white paper as black-and-white books. The cover page and KDP's cover calculator both use 0.002252; the submission guidelines list a single 0.002347 for all color paper.

## Sources

- Source: [KDP · Print Options](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834180), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Paperback Printing Cost](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340), 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-paper-and-ink · Checked 2026-11-09

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