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KDP margins and bleed guide

Updated 2026-10-22

KDP rejects or flags a paperback interior when the PDF page size does not match the trim size and bleed setting, or when content sits inside the margins. This guide collects KDP’s exact numbers in one place, with worked examples. All figures come from KDP Help – Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins.

Three terms: trim, bleed and margins

• Trim size – the width and height of the printed book, for example 6 × 9 in or 8.5 × 11 in. See the full list of KDP trim sizes.
• Bleed – printed objects that extend past the trim line so the color or picture reaches the paper edge after cutting. KDP trims 0.125 in (3.2 mm) from the top, bottom and outside edge. The inside (spine) edge is not trimmed, so there is no bleed there.
• Margins – the zone at the edge of each page where nothing important may sit: three outside margins (top, bottom, outside) and the inside margin, also called the gutter.

KDP margin requirements

The top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.25 in (6.4 mm) without bleed and 0.375 in (9.6 mm) with bleed. The inside margin grows with the page count, because a thicker book needs more room at the spine:

The margins do not have to be equal – for example a 1 in top and bottom margin with a 0.375 in outside margin is fine, as long as each one meets the minimum. If your software has separate “inside margin” and “gutter” fields, enter the same value in both, as KDP recommends.

Page size with bleed

If any page in the interior needs bleed, KDP says the whole file should be set up with bleed. The PDF page is then larger than the trim size:

• Page width with bleed = trim width + 0.125 in (3.2 mm) – bleed only on the outside edge.
• Page height with bleed = trim height + 0.25 in (6.4 mm) – 0.125 in at the top and 0.125 in at the bottom.

Example from KDP: a 6 × 9 in book with bleed needs a 6.125 × 9.25 in page. An 8.5 × 11 in workbook becomes 8.625 × 11.25 in, and an 8.5 × 8.5 in coloring book becomes 8.625 × 8.75 in. A common mistake is adding 0.125 in on both sides of the width (8.75 × 11.25 in) as you would for a cover – that is a cover size, not an interior size.

Without bleed, the PDF page size is exactly the trim size.

Safe area examples

The safe area is what is left of the PDF page after subtracting the margins. Margins are measured from the edge of the PDF page, so with bleed the 0.375 in outside margin keeps content 0.25 in inside the trim line.

When should a KDP interior have bleed?

Choose bleed when images, backgrounds or illustrations must reach the edge of the paper. Most coloring books, journals and activity books do not need bleed: the art stays inside the margins and the page keeps a white border. If you choose bleed, every element should either stay inside the safe area or run fully past the trim into the bleed – an image that stops just short of the trim leaves a thin white sliver after cutting, and KDP may flag it.

KDP book covers always require bleed; this guide is about the interior (manuscript) file.

Set margins and bleed without redoing your design

KDP Editor applies these rules automatically: pick the trim size, tick bleed, and the inside margin follows the page count. Pages that cross the margins are flagged, and “Fix flagged pages” scales them into the safe area. You can also switch an existing PDF between bleed and no bleed. More on the error itself: fix “image outside the margins” on KDP.

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Sources: KDP Help – Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins; KDP Help – Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues. KDP can change its rules – check the help pages before publishing. KDP Editor is not affiliated with Amazon.

More KDP guides

• How to fix “image outside the margins” on KDP
• KDP trim sizes for paperback and hardcover
• KDP spine width calculator and cover size formula
• KDP Editor – fix margins and bleed in your PDF