How to Format a Book for KDP (2026): Margins, Fonts & Print-Ready PDF

Set trim size before formatting. Changing later breaks pagination, spine width, and cover files.

Common KDP trim sizes:

• 6×9" — Most fiction and non-fiction (USA standard)
• 5.5×8.5" — Literary fiction, memoir, poetry
• 5×8" — Romance, shorter novels
• 8.5×11" — Workbooks, textbooks

Download KDP's current template for your chosen size or mirror bestsellers in your Amazon subcategory. Our trim size guide compares royalties by size.

UK authors: You may also publish via KDP.co.uk; trim conventions match USA for most fiction, but verify comps on your target storefront.

KDP rejects interiors when gutter (inner margin) is too narrow for your page count.

Starting points for 6×9" black-and-white:

• Under 150 pages: ~0.75" inside gutter
• 150–300 pages: ~0.875" gutter
• 400+ pages: up to 0.625"–0.75" per KDP calculator (always verify live specs)

Outside margins are typically 0.25"–0.5" minimum. Mirror margins for print (inside/outside swap on recto/verso).

Bleed: If backgrounds or images touch the page edge, enable 0.125" bleed and export PDF at trim + bleed dimensions. Text-only novels often use no bleed. See understanding bleed.

Use KDP's online margin calculator when in doubt—do not guess from a 2019 blog post.

Body text: 10–11.5 pt serif for novels (Garamond, Minion, Caslon, Literata). Non-fiction may use slightly larger type.

Leading (line spacing): ~1.35–1.5× font size. Word's "single" spacing is usually too tight for print.

Rules:

• Use paragraph styles, not manual bold/italic clicks
• Disable hyphenation for some genres (poetry never auto-hyphenate)
• Chapter openings: half-page drop or consistent top margin
• Scene breaks: centered ornament or whitespace—not random extra returns

Embed fonts on PDF export. Missing fonts trigger KDP errors. More detail in best fonts for books.

Print: TOC is visual (page numbers matter). Front matter often uses Roman numerals; body starts Arabic at chapter one.

Kindle: TOC must be hyperlinked (NCX/logical TOC). Word users: apply Heading 1 to chapter titles → References → Table of Contents → use KDP's recommended style.

Common failure: TOC points to wrong pages after edits. Regenerate TOC after any pagination change.

Front matter order matters for professionalism—see copyright and title page guide.

Export settings checklist:

• PDF/X-1a or PDF 1.4+ per current KDP guidance
• Embed all fonts
• Images 300 DPI at final print size
• Color: grayscale for B&W interior; CMYK workflow if heavy color
• Page size = trim size OR trim + bleed if bleed enabled

Preview in Adobe Reader at 100% and on paper (order a proof).

Deep technical checklist: what is a print-ready PDF. Advanced margin math: KDP formatting guide.

Also compare Word vs InDesign before you fight Word for 80,000 words.

DIY works for straightforward novels. Hire help when you have:

• Footnotes, tables, charts
• Poetry or plays
• Images and bleed on every page
• Dual KDP + IngramSpark file specs
• A launch date in two weeks and no layout experience

Professional formatting typically takes 5–14 business days for a novel—see how long formatting takes.

DesignDile KDP formatting includes proof passes until files pass automated checks.