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KDP Bleed Calculator

Find the exact page size to set in your layout software when your KDP interior has images or colour running to the edge.

Your Inputs

in

KDP uses 0.125" (3.2 mm).

DPI

300 DPI is the print standard.

Your Results

Page size with bleed
8.625" × 11.250"
Set this as your document size
Millimetres
219.08 mm × 285.75 mm
Pixels @ 300 DPI
2,588 × 3,375
Full-page image size
Bleed added
0.125"
Top, bottom and outside edge
Safe zone
0.375"
Keep text this far from the trim
Trim size
8.500" × 11.000"
The finished page
Page diagram: trim 8.500" by 11.000", with 0.125" bleed on the top, bottom and outside edge, and no bleed on the spine edge. Document size 8.625" by 11.250".Spine edge (no bleed)Trim8.500" × 11.000"Document 8.625" × 11.250"Outside edge on the right
Bleed (0.125", trimmed off)Trim lineSafe zone (0.375" from trim)

Width = trim width + 0.125" (outside edge only). Height = trim height + 2 × 0.125". Set the inside margin by page count with the KDP Margin Calculator.

About the KDP Bleed Calculator

If anything on your interior pages touches the edge of the paper, such as a full-page photo, a coloured background or a decorative border, the file must include bleed: extra artwork beyond the trim that is cut off during printing. KDP uses 0.125" (3.2 mm) of bleed.

Interior bleed is easy to get wrong because it is not added on all four sides. It goes on the top, the bottom and the outside edge of each page, but not on the spine edge, where pages are glued into the binding. So the page gets taller by two bleeds but wider by only one.

This calculator gives the document size in inches, millimetres and pixels at your chosen DPI, plus the safe zone for text, and draws a single page so you can see exactly where the bleed goes. Use the pixel size when you create full-page artwork so it fills the page without stretching.

How It Works

Width = trim width + one bleed (outside edge only). Height = trim height + two bleeds (top and bottom). With KDP's 0.125" bleed that is +0.125" wide and +0.25" tall.

Pixels are inches multiplied by the DPI you enter (default 300).

The safe zone is the minimum outside margin for books with bleed, 0.375" from the trim. Keep text and important details inside it. The inside margin depends on page count; see the KDP Margin Calculator.

Formula

Document width
Width = Trim width + Bleed
Document height
Height = Trim height + 2 × Bleed
Pixels
px = inches × DPI (rounded)

Example

An 8.5" × 11" workbook with full-page backgrounds

  1. Width: 8.5" + 0.125" = 8.625".
  2. Height: 11" + 2 × 0.125" = 11.25".
  3. In millimetres: 219.08 × 285.75 mm.
  4. At 300 DPI: 2,588 × 3,375 pixels for a full-page image.

Set your document to 8.625" × 11.25" and create full-page artwork at 2,588 × 3,375 pixels.

Important Notes

  • Bleed must be chosen in KDP when you upload the interior. A file with bleed uploaded as no bleed, or the reverse, is rejected.
  • Word and Google Docs cannot add bleed to only one side; most authors use a layout app such as Affinity Publisher, InDesign or Atticus for bleed interiors.
  • Covers have bleed on all four outside edges; use the KDP Cover Size Calculator for those.
  • Bleed adds no printing cost, but it does require a larger outside margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is bleed not added to the spine edge?

The spine edge is glued into the binding and is not trimmed, so artwork there is never cut. Adding bleed on that side would shift your page content toward the gutter.

Does every page need bleed if only one image bleeds?

Yes. KDP applies bleed to the whole interior file, so every page uses the larger document size. Pages without edge-to-edge artwork simply leave the bleed area blank.

What happens if I forget bleed?

Artwork that should reach the edge may end with a thin white line after trimming, or KDP may flag content too close to the edge. Fixing it means resizing every page.

How much bleed does KDP use in millimetres?

3.2 mm, the metric equivalent of 0.125".

What DPI should full-page images be?

300 DPI at the final printed size. Use the pixel dimensions from this tool, then check your image with the [Image Resolution Checker](/tools/image-resolution-checker).

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