Cover Creator

Design a print cover that lands where the printer expects it

Front and back covers on the common KDP trim sizes, with the official template overlaid so the spine, bleed, and safe margins are exactly right. Export at 300 DPI.

What it does

The Cover Creator lays out a full print wrap, back cover, spine, and front cover, on your chosen trim size. On screen you see the trim line, the quarter-inch safe margin, and, if you upload it, the KDP template for your exact page count, at adjustable opacity so you can line up the spine and still see the artwork. None of the guides end up in the exported file.

Built for KDP's rules

  • Common KDP trim sizes built in, or enter any width and height in inches
  • Bleed defaults to an eighth of an inch on every edge and can be changed
  • A quarter-inch safe margin drawn inside the trim, so titles never sit where the printer might cut
  • A toggle that reserves the barcode box on the back cover
  • 300 DPI PNG export sized to the full wrap

Start from an image or from scratch

Pick a background from the licensed stock library, upload your own artwork, or begin with a solid colour or gradient. Add text blocks for the title, author name, and back-cover copy, drag them into place, and set the fonts and colours. The same cover can then be used as the EPUB cover and on your business card.

KDP accepts the print cover as a PDF. Export the 300 DPI PNG, save it as a PDF in any image editor or print dialog, and upload that.

Ebook covers too

For a Kindle or Apple Books cover you only need the front. Design it at the 2:3 portrait ratio the stores recommend and export it as an image.

Questions

Which trim sizes are supported?

The common KDP sizes are built in (6×9 among them), and you can enter any custom width and height. Bleed and safe margins adjust with the size.

Do I need the KDP template file?

Not to design, but it is the easiest way to get the spine exactly right for your page count. Download the template from KDP's cover calculator, upload it in the Cover Creator, and it overlays your design at the opacity you choose.

How do I know the spine width?

Spine width depends on page count and paper type. KDP's cover calculator gives the exact figure and generates the template; the Cover Creator shows you where that spine falls on your design.

What size should an ebook cover be?

A portrait image at a 1.6:1 height-to-width ratio; KDP recommends around 2,560 by 1,600 pixels. Design the front only and export it as an image.

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