KDP bleed size and minimum margins by page count

How bleed works

Every printed page is trimmed by cutting 0.125 in (3.2 mm) from the top, bottom and outside edge. For an image or background to reach the edge, it must extend past the trim line by that amount, so the page size of your file grows:

• Page width with bleed = trim width + 0.125 in (only the outside edge is trimmed, not the spine edge).
• Page height with bleed = trim height + 0.25 in (top and bottom).

For a 6 x 9 in book the bleed page size is 6.125 x 9.25 in; for 8.5 x 11 in it is 8.625 x 11.25 in. Covers always need bleed; for the interior it is your choice.

Minimum margins by page count

The inside margin, or gutter, gets wider as books get thicker so text does not disappear into the spine.

Page count	Inside (gutter)	Outside, no bleed	Outside, with bleed
24 to 150	0.375 in (9.6 mm)	0.25 in (6.4 mm)	0.375 in (9.6 mm)
151 to 300	0.5 in (12.7 mm)	0.25 in	0.375 in
301 to 500	0.625 in (15.9 mm)	0.25 in	0.375 in
501 to 700	0.75 in (19.1 mm)	0.25 in	0.375 in
701 to 828	0.875 in (22.3 mm)	0.25 in	0.375 in

“Outside” here means the top, bottom and outer edge margins.

Common mistakes

• Adding 0.25 in to the width. Bleed adds 0.125 in to width and 0.25 in to height.
• Setting different values for “inside margin” and “gutter” in software that has both fields. KDP asks for the same value in each.
• Keeping the same gutter when a revision pushes the book past 150, 300, 500 or 700 pages.
• Leaving text in the bleed area. With bleed, keep text at least 0.375 in from the trimmed edges.

Amazon changes these rules; the linked KDP help pages are the authority.