KDP Bleed Calculator
Enter your book size, page count and paper. You get the inside page size and the full cover size, each with and without bleed, so you can set up your files at the right size first time.
Inside page, with bleed
6.125 × 9.25 in
Trim + 0.125 in wide, + 0.25 in tall
Inside page, no bleed
6 × 9 in
Same as your trim size
Full cover, with bleed
12.7 × 9.25 in
The size KDP needs. Every cover has bleed
Full cover, no bleed
12.45 × 9 in
The finished cover after trimming
Where the bleed goes
Red is cut off (drawn 4× wider so you can see it); blue is the trim line.
How to use it
- 1
Enter your book
Pick your book size, type the number of pages and choose your paper. The cover needs these for the spine.
- 2
Read both sizes
Use the “with bleed” page size if any picture touches the page edge. The cover always uses its “with bleed” size.
- 3
Set up your file
Copy the size into your design app as the page or canvas size, then stretch edge pictures all the way out.
How the bleed size is worked out
When KDP prints your book, it prints on larger paper and then cuts it down to your trim size. The blade isn’t perfect, so a picture that stops exactly at the trim line can end up with a thin white edge. Bleed is the extra 0.125 in (3.2 mm) of picture that hangs past the trim line, so the cut always lands inside the picture.
Inside pages
KDP trims inside pages on three sides: top, bottom and outside. The bound edge isn’t cut. So the formula is:
- Page width with bleed = trim width + 0.125 in
- Page height with bleed = trim height + 0.25 in (0.125 in top and bottom)
| Trim size | Page size with bleed |
|---|---|
| 5 × 8 in | 5.125 × 8.25 in |
| 5.06 × 7.81 in | 5.185 × 8.06 in |
| 5.25 × 8 in | 5.375 × 8.25 in |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in | 5.625 × 8.75 in |
| 6 × 9 in | 6.125 × 9.25 in |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in | 6.265 × 9.46 in |
| 6.69 × 9.61 in | 6.815 × 9.86 in |
| 7 × 10 in | 7.125 × 10.25 in |
| 7.44 × 9.69 in | 7.565 × 9.94 in |
| 7.5 × 9.25 in | 7.625 × 9.5 in |
| 8 × 10 in | 8.125 × 10.25 in |
| 8.25 × 6 in | 8.375 × 6.25 in |
| 8.25 × 8.25 in | 8.375 × 8.5 in |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in | 8.625 × 8.75 in |
| 8.5 × 11 in | 8.625 × 11.25 in |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in (A4) | 8.395 × 11.94 in |
Covers
A cover is one flat sheet: back cover, spine and front cover side by side. It is trimmed on all four edges, so bleed is added all round: width = bleed + back + spine + front + bleed and height = bleed + trim height + bleed. For a 6 × 9 in book with 200 pages on white paper, the spine is 0.4504 in, so the cover without bleed would be 12.4504 × 9 in and the cover KDP needs is 12.7004 × 9.25 in.
The spine depends on your page count and paper, which is why the cover size changes when you change either one. Each page adds 0.002252 in on white paper (black ink or standard colour), 0.0025 in on cream paper, 0.00235 in on groundwood paper and 0.002347 in on premium colour paper.
Pixels for design apps
If you design in pixels, switch the units to “px @ 300”. KDP prints at 300 DPI, so a 6.125 × 9.25 in page is 1838 × 2775 px. Pixel sizes are rounded up so you never come out a fraction short.
Questions and answers
How much bleed does KDP need?
0.125 in (3.2 mm). For an interior page it is added to the top, bottom and outside edge, so the page gets 0.125 in wider and 0.25 in taller. For a cover it is added to all four outside edges.
What is the 6 × 9 page size with bleed?
6.125 × 9.25 in (about 155.6 × 235 mm). Without bleed, the page is simply 6 × 9 in.
Why is bleed added only once to the width of an inside page?
Inside pages are bound on one side. KDP trims the top, bottom and outside edge, but not the edge at the binding, so there is no bleed there.
Does my cover need bleed?
Yes. Every KDP paperback cover needs bleed, even a plain one. The full cover size this tool shows with bleed is the size to upload.
Can I use bleed with a Word file?
No. KDP supports interior bleed only for print-ready PDF files. Export your Word file as a PDF at the bleed size.
Does bleed change my margins?
Yes. With bleed, the top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.375 in instead of 0.25 in. The margins calculator shows the full set.
Related tools
Margins calculator
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