What are KDP's recommended Kindle cover dimensions?

KDP recommends a Kindle marketing cover around 2,560 pixels high by 1,600 pixels wide, using RGB. JPEG is the preferred format. KDP's current help pages use slightly different wording for file-size/DPI limits, so use a high-quality source image and rely on the current uploader validation.

What file does a paperback cover require?

A KDP paperback cover must be one continuous PDF containing the back cover, spine, and front cover. The cover requires 0.125-inch bleed on the outer edges.

How is paperback spine width calculated?

For current KDP paperback covers, white-paper black-ink spine width is page count × 0.002252 inches; cream paper is page count × 0.0025 inches; groundwood is page count × 0.00235 inches; premium color is page count × 0.002347 inches; standard color uses 0.002252 inches.

When can I put text on a paperback spine?

KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages. If the manuscript has fewer than 79 pages and the cover contains spine text, KDP says the cover will be rejected for adjustment.

Amazon KDP Cover Requirements: Current 2026 Guide

The Kindle marketing cover and a print cover are different production assets. A Kindle cover is a single front image; a paperback cover is a full wrap whose exact size depends on trim, paper/ink choice, and final page count.

Pro Tip: Your cover is your most important marketing asset. Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran covers this in detail.

Kindle eBook Marketing Cover

Recommended size

2,560 × 1,600 px

Height × width, approximately 1.6:1.

Color & format

Use RGB. JPEG is KDP's preferred marketing-cover format; KDP also lists TIFF on its cover-criteria page.

KDP documentation note: current KDP help pages are not perfectly consistent about cover-image DPI/file-size wording. One recommends 300 DPI/PPI and 5 MB or fewer, while another lists a larger upload ceiling and says 300 PPI is best for quality. The stable guidance is to use the recommended pixel dimensions, RGB, a high-quality source image, reasonable compression, and the current KDP uploader as the final validation.

Paperback Cover File

• Upload one continuous PDF containing back cover + spine + front cover.
• Add 0.125 in (3.2 mm) bleed to the top, bottom, and outside edges.
• Keep important content at least 0.25 in from the outside cover edge.
• Flatten layers and embed fonts before upload.
• KDP says cover files larger than 650 MB will not convert and recommends keeping them around 40 MB or less for performance.

Cover width = 0.125 + back width + spine width + front width + 0.125

Cover height = 0.125 + trim height + 0.125

Current Paperback Spine Formulas

Interior	Spine width formula (inches)
Black ink / white paper	pages × 0.002252
Black ink / cream paper	pages × 0.0025
Groundwood	pages × 0.00235
Standard color	pages × 0.002252
Premium color	pages × 0.002347

KDP's own cover calculator/template generator is the safest final source because it uses the selected trim, page count, ink, and paper configuration.

Spine Text & Safe Areas

Spine text threshold

KDP prints spine text only on books with more than 79 pages. Under that threshold, do not include spine text.

Spine text spacing

Keep spine text at least 0.0625 in from the edge of the spine, while allowing for binding variance around fold lines.

Cover QA Before Upload

Title and author/contributor information agree with the KDP metadata.

The Kindle cover is front-only—no back cover, spine, barcode, or inside flap.

The print cover uses the final page count and correct paper/ink choice.

No pricing or temporary promotion is printed on the cover.

No watermark, template placeholder, crop mark, or accidental production element remains.

Text remains readable at Amazon thumbnail size as well as at full size.

Do not calculate a print wrap before the interior is final. Any page-count change can change spine width, which changes the full-cover dimensions.

Optional Cover & Publishing Resources

Additional general self-publishing reading.

Let's Get Digital

by David Gaughran

Understand what makes a cover sell, how to work with designers, and branding basics.

Get This Book

Published.: The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold

by Chandler Bolt

Build a professional author brand with consistent, high-quality cover design.

Get This Book

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