KDP trim sizes and margins
KDP prints paperbacks in 16 trim sizes. Here is every one with its page limits, the best sizes for puzzle books, and how KDP's margins and gutter work, with a calculator for your own book.
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What trim size means
The trim size is the size of the finished book: the width and height of each page after the printer cuts it. A 6 × 9 in paperback has pages 6 in wide and 9 in tall. You choose it when you set up the paperback on KDP, and your interior PDF and your cover are both made to fit it.
To choose one, start from what goes on the page. A puzzle book needs room for the grid at a size people can solve, the clue list or word list, and a clear page number, all inside the margins. Then think about the reader: larger pages suit large print and children’s books, smaller ones are easier to carry. Last, check the page limit, because larger trims hold fewer pages, and the print cost: KDP treats any trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in as a large trim, and its printing cost tables price large trims higher.
Every KDP paperback trim size
KDP offers these 16 standard sizes for paperbacks. The page limits are for black ink; colour ink has its own limits, and every size needs at least 24 pages.
| Trim size | Large trim | Max pages, white | Max pages, cream |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 × 8 in127 × 203.2 mm | No | 828 | 776 |
| 5.06 × 7.81 in128.52 × 198.37 mm | No | 828 | 776 |
| 5.25 × 8 in133.35 × 203.2 mm | No | 828 | 776 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in139.7 × 215.9 mm | No | 828 | 776 |
| 6 × 9 in152.4 × 228.6 mm | No | 828 | 776 |
| 6.14 × 9.21 in155.96 × 233.93 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 6.69 × 9.61 in169.93 × 244.09 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 7 × 10 in177.8 × 254 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 7.44 × 9.69 in188.98 × 246.13 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 7.5 × 9.25 in190.5 × 234.95 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 8 × 10 in203.2 × 254 mm | Yes | 828 | 776 |
| 8.25 × 6 in209.55 × 152.4 mm | Yes | 800 | 750 |
| 8.25 × 8.25 in209.55 × 209.55 mm | Yes | 800 | 750 |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in215.9 × 215.9 mm | Yes | 590 | 550 |
| 8.5 × 11 in215.9 × 279.4 mm | Yes | 590 | 550 |
| 8.27 × 11.69 in210.06 × 296.93 mm | Yes | 780 | 730 |
Best trim sizes for puzzle books
Four sizes cover most puzzle books. All of them work with the book builder.
8.5 × 11 in, for large print. The size of a US letter sheet, with room for a big grid and large type on one page, so it is the usual choice for large print word search and sudoku books for older readers. It is a large trim, and it holds at most 590 pages on white paper and 550 on cream, which is plenty for a puzzle book.
8 × 10 in, for children’s activity books. A little smaller than letter size, still with space for big mazes, large word search letters and room to draw. It is also a large trim.
6 × 9 in, for standard collections. A regular trim, so it costs less to print than the two above, and a common size for adult puzzle collections. A 15 × 15 word search or one sudoku grid per page fits comfortably.
5 × 8 in, for pocket and travel books. Small enough for a bag or a coat pocket, which suits travel sudoku and quick puzzles. Keep grids simple: at this size, a dense 20 × 20 word search gets cramped.
KDP margins and gutter
Margins keep everything that matters away from the edges the printer cuts and the edge the binding swallows. KDP measures every margin from the edge of the PDF page.
The gutter grows with the page count
The inside margin, called the gutter, sits on the edge of each page that is glued into the spine. A thicker book curves more at the spine, so KDP asks for a wider gutter as the page count grows:
| Page count | KDP minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| 24–150 | 0.375 in9.52 mm | 0.5 in12.7 mm |
| 151–300 | 0.5 in12.7 mm | 0.625 in15.88 mm |
| 301–500 | 0.625 in15.88 mm | 0.75 in19.05 mm |
| 501–700 | 0.75 in19.05 mm | 0.875 in22.23 mm |
| 701–828 | 0.875 in22.23 mm | 1 in25.4 mm |
The page count is the number KDP prints, after it rounds an odd count up to even. At a band edge, plan ahead: a 148-page book that gains a few pages of answers moves into the next band and needs the wider gutter.
Outside, top and bottom margins
The other three margins are the same for every page count: at least 0.25 in without bleed and 0.375 in with bleed. They don’t have to match each other, but puzzle books usually keep them equal. KDP’s minimums leave no room for the small shifts that happen in printing and trimming, so the calculator also offers a recommended profile: it adds 0.25 in to the outside, top and bottom (0.5 in without bleed) and 0.125 in to the gutter.
Bleed or no bleed
Bleed is for anything printed right up to the edge of the page: a photo, a background colour, a border. KDP trims 0.125 in off the top, bottom and outside edge, so a bleed file is that much larger: the trim plus 0.125 in wide and plus twice that tall. If one page bleeds, the whole file needs bleed.
Puzzle books rarely need it. Grids, word lists and answers sit inside the margins, and a white page edge is normal. Without bleed, the PDF page is exactly the trim size and the outside margins can be smaller.
Odd pages are right-hand pages
Page 1 is a right-hand page. Every odd page has its gutter on the left edge, and every even page has it on the right, so the two pages of a spread mirror each other. Set your layout app to mirrored or facing pages, so the wider margin always lands on the inside.
Work out your margins
Enter your trim size and page count to get the margins for both profiles, the live area (the printable space inside the margins) and where your gutter next grows. The diagram shows a spread to scale.
Setting up your file
Most layout apps ask for the same numbers. Set the document size to the PDF page size from the calculator, turn on facing or mirrored pages, and enter the gutter as the inside margin and the other three as they are. Start the document on a right-hand page, so page 1 lands where KDP prints it. With bleed, run background artwork out to the bleed edge and keep everything else inside the live area. Export one PDF of single pages, not spreads, with all fonts embedded, as KDP asks.
Live area for common puzzle trims
The live area is the space left for puzzles and text, from the same KDP rules as the calculator. Without bleed, it is the same for every page count in a gutter band:
| Trim | Pages | KDP minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 × 11 in | 24–150 | 7.875 × 10.5 in200.02 × 266.7 mm | 7.5 × 10 in190.5 × 254 mm |
| 151–300 | 7.75 × 10.5 in196.85 × 266.7 mm | 7.375 × 10 in187.33 × 254 mm | |
| 301–500 | 7.625 × 10.5 in193.67 × 266.7 mm | 7.25 × 10 in184.15 × 254 mm | |
| 8 × 10 in | 24–150 | 7.375 × 9.5 in187.33 × 241.3 mm | 7 × 9 in177.8 × 228.6 mm |
| 151–300 | 7.25 × 9.5 in184.15 × 241.3 mm | 6.875 × 9 in174.63 × 228.6 mm | |
| 301–500 | 7.125 × 9.5 in180.98 × 241.3 mm | 6.75 × 9 in171.45 × 228.6 mm | |
| 6 × 9 in | 24–150 | 5.375 × 8.5 in136.53 × 215.9 mm | 5 × 8 in127 × 203.2 mm |
| 151–300 | 5.25 × 8.5 in133.35 × 215.9 mm | 4.875 × 8 in123.82 × 203.2 mm | |
| 301–500 | 5.125 × 8.5 in130.17 × 215.9 mm | 4.75 × 8 in120.65 × 203.2 mm | |
| 5 × 8 in | 24–150 | 4.375 × 7.5 in111.13 × 190.5 mm | 4 × 7 in101.6 × 177.8 mm |
| 151–300 | 4.25 × 7.5 in107.95 × 190.5 mm | 3.875 × 7 in98.43 × 177.8 mm | |
| 301–500 | 4.125 × 7.5 in104.77 × 190.5 mm | 3.75 × 7 in95.25 × 177.8 mm |
Common mistakes
- The gutter for the wrong page count. Margins set for the first draft stop being enough once the solutions section pushes the book into the next gutter band. Check the final page count, or use the wider gutter from the start.
- Content crossing into the gutter. A grid that fills the page width can reach the fold on one side of the spread. Keep every puzzle inside the live area, on left-hand and right-hand pages.
- Mirrored margins left off. With the same margins on every page, the wide margin ends up on the outside of every other page, and those puzzles run into the spine.
- Choosing bleed by accident. With bleed chosen, KDP expects every page to be larger than the trim size; with no bleed, exactly the trim size. A file made for one setting doesn’t match the other. Pick the setting that matches your file, and keep it for the whole book.
- Text under 7 pt or lines thinner than 0.75 pt. KDP’s minimums for printed text and lines also apply to answer keys and grid lines.
Next steps
The spine width calculator gives the spine for your page count and paper, and the cover size calculator sizes the full wrap-around cover for your trim. The book builder lays out a whole puzzle interior at your trim size, with the margins and gutter set for its page count.
Checked against KDP’s help pages on October 26, 2026: Set trim size, bleed and margins, Paperback submission guidelines (page sides and minimums) and Printing cost (large trims).
Related tools and guides
- Spine width calculator
Spine width from your page count and paper, with the spine text rule.
- Cover size calculator
Full cover size with bleed, spine and safe zones for any trim size.
- Book builder
A full puzzle book interior as one print-ready PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Which KDP trim size should I use for a puzzle book?
6 × 9 in suits most adult puzzle collections, and it is the largest regular trim, so it costs less to print than the large trims. For large print puzzle books, 8.5 × 11 in gives the most room. The table above lists all 16.
What margins does KDP require?
The top, bottom and outside margins must be at least 0.25 in without bleed and 0.375 in with bleed. The inside margin, or gutter, depends on the page count: 0.375 in up to 150 pages, rising in steps to 0.875 in from 701 pages.
What is the gutter in a KDP book?
The gutter is the inside margin, on the edge of each page that is bound into the spine. Thicker books curve more at the spine, so KDP asks for a wider gutter as the page count grows. Keep puzzles and text out of it, or they disappear into the fold.
Do I need bleed for a puzzle book interior?
Usually not. KDP only needs bleed when images, backgrounds or illustrations reach the edge of the page. Puzzles, word lists and answers sit inside the margins, so a puzzle interior can use the trim size as its page size and the smaller 0.25 in margins.
What page size should my PDF be?
Without bleed, exactly the trim size: 6 × 9 in for a 6 × 9 in book. With bleed, add 0.125 in to the width and twice that to the height, so a 6 × 9 in book becomes 6.125 × 9.25 in.
Are odd pages on the left or the right?
On the right. Page 1 is a right-hand page, so every odd page has its gutter on the left edge and every even page has it on the right. Mirror your margins, or turn on mirrored or facing pages in your layout app.
What is a large trim size on KDP?
Any trim wider than 6.12 in or taller than 9 in, such as 8 × 10 in and 8.5 × 11 in. KDP prices large trims higher in its printing cost tables, so the same page count costs more to print, which lowers your royalty at the same list price.