eBook vs Paperback Covers: Sizes, Spine Width and Bleed Explained
Why an eBook cover and a paperback cover are different files, KDP's recommended sizes, how spine width is calculated, and what bleed and safe zones mean.
Two different files
An eBook cover is a single front image shown in stores and on reading devices. A paperback cover is one wide file containing the back cover, the spine and the front cover, plus extra "bleed" around the edges that gets trimmed off.
eBook cover size
Amazon KDP recommends an eBook cover of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels (height × width), a ratio of 1.6 : 1, with a minimum of 1,000 × 625 pixels. It prefers JPEG (TIFF is also accepted), in RGB colour and under 50 MB. Other stores accept similar portrait sizes — check each one's current guidance.
Design for the thumbnail: most shoppers first see your cover as a small image in search results, so the title must be readable at that size.
Paperback cover size
The full cover's dimensions come from the trim size, the page count and the paper:
- Height = bleed + trim height + bleed
- Width = bleed + back cover + spine + front cover + bleed
On KDP, bleed is 0.125 in (3.2 mm) on each edge, and the spine width is page count × paper thickness. KDP gives 0.002252 in per page for white paper and 0.0025 in per page for cream. A 300-page book on white paper has a spine of about 0.676 in.
That's why you should finish the interior first: the final page count decides the spine.
Safe zones and spine text
- Keep text on the front and back at least 0.125 in inside the trim line so nothing gets cut off.
- KDP only allows spine text on books with at least 79 pages, and asks for at least 0.0625 in of space on either side of it.
- Leave room on the back cover for the barcode; KDP adds one if you don't supply your own (check the KDP cover template for the exact area).
Colour and resolution
Print covers should be 300 DPI. KDP asks for images in CMYK in a single PDF. Most browser and phone tools work in RGB, so convert the final file in a design tool, or have your designer supply the print-ready PDF.
Try it free
Our Cover Designer calculates the spine and bleed from your page count, shows trim and safe-area guides, and exports an eBook cover at KDP's recommended size and a paperback wrap proof. For an original, professionally designed cover with licensed images and a CMYK print file, see our book cover design service. Then turn the cover into 3D mockups and launch graphics.
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