KDP Margins Calculator
Enter your book size and page count, and say whether pictures touch the page edge. You get KDP’s minimum inside (gutter) and outside margins, the page size to set, and a to-scale two-page spread.
Need a template?
Download a PDF page template at this exact size, with the gutter, margins and bleed marked. Your book details carry over.
Get the interior template →Inside margin (gutter)
0.5 in
Next to the binding. Grows with page count
Top, bottom & outside
0.25 in
Minimum without bleed
Two-page spread
Drawn to scale, as the open book lies on a table.
Page size to set
6 × 9 in
Same as your trim size
Largest text area
5.25 × 8.5 in
What’s left inside the minimum margins
Finished page
6 × 9 in
Each page after trimming
Bleed
No bleed
Turn it on if pictures touch the page edge
How to use it
- 1
Enter your book
Pick your book size, type the number of pages and choose bleed or no bleed. Your choices are remembered for next time.
- 2
Set your margins
Copy the gutter and outside margins into Word, Affinity, InDesign or Vellum. Bigger is fine; smaller is not.
- 3
Check the spread
The diagram shows where text can go on a left-hand and right-hand page, with the gutter next to the binding.
How KDP margins work
Every printed page has four margins: top, bottom, outside (the edge you flip) and inside, next to the binding. The inside one is called the gutter. KDP checks all four when you upload, and a file with text too close to an edge is sent back with a margin error.
The top, bottom and outside margins have one fixed minimum: 0.25 in (6.4 mm) for a book without bleed, or 0.375 in (9.6 mm) for a book with bleed. The gutter is different. A 600-page book curves more at the spine than a 100-page one, so words near the binding disappear into the fold. KDP’s answer is a gutter that grows with the page count.
KDP’s minimum gutter by page count
| Page count | Gutter (inside) | Outside, no bleed | Outside, with bleed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–150 | 0.375 in (9.6 mm) | 0.25 in | 0.375 in |
| 151–300 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | 0.25 in | 0.375 in |
| 301–500 | 0.625 in (15.9 mm) | 0.25 in | 0.375 in |
| 501–700 | 0.75 in (19.1 mm) | 0.25 in | 0.375 in |
| 701–828 | 0.875 in (22.3 mm) | 0.25 in | 0.375 in |
A worked example
Take a 6 × 9 in novel with 220 pages and no bleed. 220 falls in the 151–300 range, so the gutter is 0.5 in. The outside margins are 0.25 in. That leaves a text area of at most 6 − 0.5 − 0.25 = 5.25 in wide and 9 − 0.25 − 0.25 = 8.5 in tall. Most novels use bigger margins than this for comfort, often 0.75–1 in, but you can never go smaller.
Now add 100 pages. At 320 pages the book moves into the 301–500 range and the gutter becomes 0.625 in, so the text area shrinks to 5.125 in wide. If your page count is close to a boundary, check again after your final edit.
Setting margins in Word
- Set the page size first (Layout → Size → More paper sizes). Use your trim size, or the bleed size if pictures touch the edge.
- Open Layout → Margins → Custom margins and choose Mirror margins under “Multiple pages”, so left and right pages swap sides.
- Enter the gutter as the Inside margin, and the outside value for Top, Bottom and Outside. KDP suggests putting the same value in the Gutter box too.
Page 1 of a KDP book is a right-hand page, so its gutter is on the left. Even-numbered pages are left-hand pages with the gutter on the right. The spread diagram above shows both.
Margins for each book size
The margin rules are the same for every trim size, but the space left for text is not. Pick your size to see its full margin table:
Questions and answers
What are the minimum margins for a KDP paperback?
The top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.25 in (6.4 mm) without bleed, or 0.375 in (9.6 mm) with bleed. The inside margin (gutter) depends on page count: 0.375 in for 24–150 pages, 0.5 in for 151–300, 0.625 in for 301–500, 0.75 in for 501–700 and 0.875 in for 701–828.
What is the gutter margin?
The gutter is the inside margin, next to the binding. Thicker books curve more at the spine, so KDP asks for a wider gutter as the page count goes up.
Do all my margins have to be the same?
No. KDP only sets minimums. You can make the top and bottom 1 in and the outside 0.375 in, as long as each one is at least the minimum.
My software has both an inside margin and a gutter field. What do I enter?
KDP’s advice is to enter the same value in both. That gives you extra room next to the binding, which is always allowed.
Does bleed change the margins?
Yes. With bleed, the top, bottom and outside margins go up from 0.25 in to 0.375 in, and the page itself gets 0.125 in wider and 0.25 in taller. The gutter stays the same.
Which page count should I use?
Use the final page count of your print file, including blank pages, front matter and back matter. If it moves into a new range (for example from 150 to 151 pages), the gutter gets bigger.
Related tools
Interior template
A free page template with the safe margins already marked for your book size.
Open tool