Free tool
KDP trim size and margin checker
Pick the trim and type the page count. The page shows the inside and outside margins KDP asks for, the page size to set with or without bleed, and whether the size is one KDP lists.
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- KDP size
- Standard KDP trim
- One of the sixteen paperback sizes KDP lists.
- Inside (gutter) margin, at least
- 0.5 in · 12.7 mm
- For 280 pages.
- Outside, top and bottom, at least
- 0.25 in · 6.3 mm
- Without bleed.
- Page size to set
- 6 in × 9 in
- 152.4 mm × 228.6 mm
KDP’s gutter table
| Pages | Inside margin |
|---|---|
| 24–150 | 0.375 in (9.5 mm) |
| 151–300 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) |
| 301–500 | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) |
| 501–700 | 0.75 in (19.0 mm) |
| 701–828 | 0.875 in (22.2 mm) |
How it works
The inside margin, the gutter, is the one that changes. Pages curve into the binding, and the thicker the book, the more of each page the curve hides. KDP sets a minimum by page count: 0.375 in for 24 to 150 pages, 0.5 in for 151 to 300, 0.625 in for 301 to 500, 0.75 in for 501 to 700, and 0.875 in for 701 to 828. These are minimums; many designers add an eighth of an inch to the gutter on a long book so the text does not run into the fold.
The outside, top and bottom margins do not change with length. Without bleed each must be at least 0.25 in. With bleed, where a picture or a colour runs off the edge of the page, each must be at least 0.375 in, because the cut can land anywhere in that extra eighth of an inch. The margins can differ from each other, as long as each meets its minimum.
Bleed also changes the page size you set in Word, InDesign or any layout app. KDP adds 0.125 in to the outside edge and 0.125 in to the top and the bottom, so the width grows by 0.125 in and the height by 0.25 in: a 6 × 9 in book becomes a 6.125 × 9.25 in page. If any page bleeds, the whole interior must be set up with bleed. A text-only novel usually needs no bleed at all.
KDP lists sixteen standard paperback trims, from 5 × 8 in to 8.5 × 11 in and A4. A paperback can also use a custom size from 4 to 8.5 in wide and 6 to 11.69 in tall. A standard size is the safer choice for a book that should also reach bookshops and libraries, since KDP’s expanded distribution is not open to every size. The page-count ceiling depends on paper and size: up to 828 pages on white paper and 776 on cream for most sizes, 72 to 600 pages for standard colour, and lower on some of the largest trims. Check the spine width for the same page count before you start the cover.
Read the guide
Questions
What margins does KDP require for a 300-page book?
A 300-page paperback needs an inside (gutter) margin of at least 0.5 in. The outside, top and bottom margins must be at least 0.25 in without bleed, or 0.375 in with bleed.
What page size do I set for a 6 × 9 book with bleed?
6.125 × 9.25 in. Bleed adds 0.125 in to the outside edge, so the width grows by 0.125 in, and to both the top and the bottom, so the height grows by 0.25 in.
Which trim sizes are standard on KDP?
Sixteen paperback sizes, from 5 × 8 in to 8.5 × 11 in and A4 (8.27 × 11.69 in). 6 × 9 in is the most common for novels and non-fiction.
Can I use a size that is not on KDP’s list?
Yes, for a paperback, if it is between 4 and 8.5 in wide and 6 and 11.69 in tall. Check KDP’s distribution page before you choose one: bookshop and library distribution is not open to every size.
Format the whole book on the WriterDesk
Pick the house and the trim on the House step. The desk shows only the sizes that house prints and keeps the margins with the page count as the book grows.
Open the WriterDesk