KDP hardcover setup: trim sizes, page counts and cover wrap
KDP prints hardcovers on demand alongside paperbacks and ebooks. The setup is close to a paperback, but the limits and the cover measurements are different. This guide collects the hardcover-specific rules from KDP's help pages so you can check whether your book qualifies before you start.
1. What kind of hardcover KDP makes
- Case laminate only. The cover art is printed directly on the cover; there is no dust jacket. KDP says dust jackets, cloth binding and other hardcover formats aren't available.
- The printed cover is wrapped around 2 mm solid case board and finished with a glossy or matte lamination.
- Endsheets (the paper glued inside the case) are white or cream, to match the interior paper.
- The spine is flat. Books of more than 120 pages get a black-and-white headband at the top and bottom of the spine.
2. Does your book qualify?
Trim sizes and page counts
Hardcover has five trim sizes, each allowing 75 to 550 pages:
| Trim size | Page count | KDP size group |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5" x 8.5" (13.97 x 21.59 cm) | 75–550 | Regular |
| 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm) | 75–550 | Regular |
| 6.14" x 9.21" (15.6 x 23.39 cm) | 75–550 | Large |
| 7" x 10" (17.78 x 25.4 cm) | 75–550 | Large |
| 8.25" x 11" (20.96 x 27.94 cm) | 75–550 | Large |
If your manuscript fits both the paperback and hardcover limits, KDP says you can upload an interior file with the same measurements for both. If the interior includes an ISBN, update it to the hardcover's ISBN.
Ink and paper
- Black ink on cream or white paper, or premium color ink on white paper.
- Not available for hardcover: standard color ink and groundwood paper (both are paperback-only).
Where it can be sold
- Primary marketplaces: Amazon.com, .co.uk, .de, .es, .fr, .it, .nl, .ie, .com.be, .pl and .se.
- For Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.au, make the hardcover available on Amazon.com.
- Not available on Amazon.co.jp or through Expanded Distribution. Right-to-left hardcovers (Hebrew and Yiddish) aren't available yet.
3. ISBN
Each format needs its own ISBN, so an existing paperback's ISBN can't be reused for the hardcover. You can use a free ISBN from KDP (paperback and hardcover only; it can be used only on KDP and lists the imprint as "Independently published"), or buy your own and enter the same details you registered it with.
4. Cover file measurements
The hardcover cover is a single PDF with the back cover, spine and front cover as one image. Its measurements differ from a paperback cover:
- Wrap: extend images 0.51" (15 mm) past the edge of the front cover. This area wraps around the board and is glued inside.
- Text and images: keep them 0.635" (16 mm) from the edge of the book, which is 0.125" (3 mm) inside the margin line.
- Hinge: leave the 0.4" (10 mm) space between the spine and the safe area on the front and back covers clear of text and the barcode.
- Barcode: if you supply your own, 300 DPI, 2" x 1.2" (50.8 x 30.5 mm), at least 0.76" (19 mm) from the bottom and 0.25" (6 mm) from the hinge. Otherwise KDP places one in a white box of that size in the lower right of the back cover, so keep that area empty.
- File: 300 DPI minimum; 40 MB or less recommended; files over 650 MB won't convert. Flatten transparencies, embed fonts, remove crop marks and template text, and remove file security.
KDP's cover calculator and template generator builds a template from your ink and paper, trim size and page count. Cover Creator can also make a basic hardcover cover.
5. Printing cost (US marketplace, as of Oct 2026)
KDP takes printing cost out of your royalty; you pay nothing upfront. For black ink hardcovers sold on Amazon.com:
| Page count | Regular trim | Large trim |
|---|---|---|
| 75–108 pages | $6.80 flat | $7.49 flat |
| 110–550 pages | $5.65 + $0.012 per page | $5.65 + $0.017 per page |
KDP's own example: a 300-page, regular-trim, black ink hardcover costs $5.65 + (300 x $0.012) = $9.25 to print. Large trim means more than 6.12" wide or more than 9" tall. Premium color and other marketplaces have their own rates on the same KDP page.
6. Steps in KDP
- New book: on your Bookshelf, choose + Hardcover under "Create a New Title". Existing paperback or ebook: choose + Create, then Create hardcover; KDP copies the book details for you to edit.
- Enter the hardcover details, then on the content page choose print options, add the new ISBN, and upload the manuscript and cover.
- Preview the book and, if you want, order a proof copy.
- Set territories and list prices for each marketplace, then publish. KDP reviews the hardcover edition against its content and quality guidelines.
Related
- KDP paperback setup: trim size, bleed, margins and spine
- KDP ebook cover requirements
- Vellum vs Atticus (both list hardcover interiors)
- All formatting tools