# KDP print cost, explained

How KDP works out what your paperback costs to print: the fixed part, the per-page part and the large-trim rate.

KDP takes the print cost out of every sale before it pays your royalty. It is set by the interior, the page count, the trim size and the marketplace.

## Black ink

On Amazon.com a black-ink paperback up to 108 pages costs a flat $2.30 ($2.84 for a large trim). Above that it is $1.00 plus $0.01 a page ($0.02 for a large trim).

| Pages | 6 × 9 in | 8.5 × 11 in |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 | $2.30 | $2.84 |
| 200 | $3.40 | $4.40 |
| 300 | $4.60 | $6.10 |
| 500 | $7.00 | $9.50 |

## Color

- **Premium color:** a flat $3.60 up to 40 pages, then $1.00 plus $0.07 a page.
- **Standard color:** $1.00 plus $0.03 a page, from 72 pages.

So a 100-page 8.5 × 11 in color book costs $9.00 in premium color and $5.02 in standard color.

## What counts as large

A trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in is large. 6 × 9 in is regular; 7 × 10 in and 8.5 × 11 in are large.

## Hardcover

A black-ink hardcover costs a flat $6.80 up to 108 pages, then $5.65 plus $0.01 a page. A 200-page 6 × 9 in hardcover costs $8.05.

> Rates are from the help page. Fixed-cost page limits and the JPY groundwood fixed cost follow KDP's royalty calculator, which differs from the help tables: fixed cost ends at 108 pages for black and groundwood (106 on Amazon.com.au), while the help page says 110 and 112. Standard color is not sold on Amazon.com.au. Use the cost to set a price: see [pricing a paperback](https://kdpbookai.com/guides/price-a-paperback-on-kdp).

## Sources

- Source: [KDP · Paperback Printing Cost](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201834340), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Hardcover Printing Cost](https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GHT976ZKSKUXBB6H), checked 2026-11-07.
- Source: [KDP · Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator](https://kdp.amazon.com/royalty-calculator), checked 2026-11-07.
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Page: https://kdpbookai.com/guides/kdp-print-cost-explained · Checked 2026-11-09

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