Trim sizes

KDP trim sizes: which one to choose

The five most used KDP trim sizes, plus A5 for the European market, and when each one is the right fit. Size is one of the first decisions when you format your book's interior.

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KindleAmazon Apple Books Kobo Google Play NookB&N Smashwords Draft2Digital EPUB
SizeMeasurementsRecommended use
6 × 9 in15.24 × 22.86 cmNon-fiction — the most used on KDP
5.5 × 8.5 in13.97 × 21.59 cmFiction — the most popular for indie authors
5 × 8 in12.7 × 20.32 cmCompact fiction (romance, thriller)
5.25 × 8 in13.34 × 20.32 cmFiction, roomier variant
8.5 × 11 in21.59 × 27.94 cmWorkbooks, illustrated, coloring books
A514.8 × 21 cmEuropean standard
5×8″Romance5.25×8″Fiction5.5×8.5″NovelA5Europe6×9″Non-fiction8.5×11″Illustrated
True relative scale. Highlighted, the two most used: 5.5×8.5 (fiction) and 6×9 (non-fiction).

Amazon KDP treats any size wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in as "large" (with a higher per-page cost) — worth keeping in mind before choosing a non-standard size.

Gutter margin

The gutter grows with the page count

The inner (gutter) margin isn't fixed: the more pages, the thicker the spine and the more inner margin the text needs so it isn't trapped in the binding. Gutter calculates it automatically from the book's final length.

outer margin · 0,25″ gutter margin · 0,375″–0,875″
The inner (gutter) margin must be larger than the outer one: paper sinks into the binding. KDP requires 0.375″ to 0.875″ of gutter depending on page count; outer minimum, 0.25″.

Pick a size and see the price

The calculator already comes with the most common size preselected.

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