Short answer. KDP hardcover requirements are tighter than the paperback ones. You get five trim sizes, from 5.5 x 8.5 to 8.25 x 11 inches, and 75 to 550 pages. Standard color is not offered. The hardcover needs its own ISBN and its own cover file, and it is printed as a case laminate with no dust jacket.
Key points
- KDP hardcover requirements: 5 trim sizes, 75 to 550 pages.
- 5 x 8 is not on the hardcover list, so a 5 x 8 paperback cannot become a hardcover at the same size.
- Paper and ink: black on cream or white, or premium color. No standard color.
- The hardcover needs a new ISBN. The paperback's ISBN cannot be reused.
- The interior can match the paperback if it fits both rules. The cover file cannot.
What are the KDP hardcover requirements for trim size?
The KDP hardcover requirements allow five trim sizes, from 5.5 x 8.5 to 8.25 x 11 inches. Each one takes 75 to 550 pages. Paperbacks can also use a custom trim size. Hardcovers cannot. On KDP's Print Options page, read on 13 October 2026, the five are:
| Trim size (inches) | Pages, black ink | Pages, premium color |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 x 8.5 | 75 to 550 | 75 to 550 |
| 6 x 9 | 75 to 550 | 75 to 550 |
| 6.14 x 9.21 | 75 to 550 | 75 to 550 |
| 7 x 10 | 75 to 550 | 75 to 550 |
| 8.25 x 11 | 75 to 550 | 75 to 550 |
The last three are large trim sizes, which KDP prices differently. A large trim is wider than 6.12 inches or taller than 9 inches.
The detail that catches people is the one missing from the list. When we read the paperback and hardcover tables side by side on 13 October 2026, 5 x 8 was on the paperback table (24 to 828 pages on white paper) and absent from the hardcover one. So a 5 x 8 novel needs its interior reset to 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9 before it can go to hardcover, and the page ends move when it is.
When we make a hardcover interior from your paperback, the trim size is the first thing we check.
What is the page count limit for a KDP hardcover?
A KDP hardcover must have at least 75 pages and no more than 550, on every hardcover trim size. Two kinds of book fall outside that range: short works under 75 pages, such as a novella or a short guide, and long books over 550.
Compare that with paperback, where a 6 x 9 book on white paper can run from 24 to 828 pages.
KDP counts pages from your file and rounds up to an even number, since every sheet has two sides. Front matter and blank pages count.
What paper and ink can a hardcover use?
A hardcover can use three paper and ink combinations, and standard color is not one of them. KDP offers standard color for paperbacks only, and groundwood paper is paperback only too. If your paperback uses standard color for a few charts or photos, the hardcover has to move to premium color, which costs more to print.
The three combinations are:
- Black ink on cream paper
- Black ink on white paper
- Premium color ink on white paper
How is a KDP hardcover made?
A KDP hardcover is a case laminate. KDP prints your cover art directly onto the case, wraps it around two millimeters of solid board and finishes it with a glossy or matte lamination. There is no dust jacket. KDP does not offer dust jackets or cloth binding.
The spine is flat. If your manuscript runs past 120 pages, KDP adds a black-and-white headband at the top and bottom of the spine. The endsheets are white or cream to match your interior paper.
Do I need a new ISBN for the hardcover?
You need a new ISBN for the hardcover. KDP says a hardcover edition needs a unique ISBN, separate from your paperback. You can take a free KDP ISBN or use your own. If your ISBN is printed on the copyright page, update it in the hardcover interior file to match the hardcover's book details.
A paperback ISBN left on the copyright page of a hardcover file is a mismatch, and KDP checks that the details in the file match what you entered.
Can I use my paperback interior file for the hardcover?
You can use your paperback interior file for the hardcover only if it fits both formats. KDP says that if your manuscript fits both the paperback and the hardcover requirements, you can upload an interior file with the same measurements for both.
In practice that means three checks:
- Your trim size is one of the five hardcover sizes.
- Your page count is between 75 and 550.
- The ISBN on the copyright page is changed to the hardcover's.
The margin rules are the same for both formats. The inside margin, or gutter, grows with page count: 0.375 inch for 24 to 150 pages, 0.5 inch for 151 to 300, and so on up the table. If you reset the trim size to fit hardcover, the page count changes, and the gutter may need to change with it. Our post on KDP hardcover margins shows how that works for a 5 x 8 book. Our post on KDP margins by page count for 6x9, 5x8 and 5.5x8.5 has the full table.
The fix we do for this: when we make your paperback interior, we can make the hardcover file from it for $59 in 3 business days, with the trim and gutter checked against KDP's hardcover rules. Ask for a free sample first.
Can I use my paperback cover for the hardcover?
No, a paperback cover file cannot be used for the hardcover. The hardcover cover wraps around a board, so its measurements are different. Download a hardcover template from KDP's cover calculator and template generator with your trim size, paper and final page count.
From KDP's Create a Hardcover Cover page:
- The artwork extends 0.51 inch past the edge of the front cover. That part wraps around the board and is glued inside.
- Text and images sit at least 0.635 inch from the edge of the book.
- There is a 0.4 inch hinge between the spine and the safe area on the front and back. No text or barcode goes there.
- Your own barcode must be 300 DPI and 2 x 1.2 inches, at least 0.76 inch from the bottom and 0.25 inch from the hinge.
If you are working out the paperback cover too, our post on KDP paperback cover size and spine width covers that file.
Where can I sell a KDP hardcover?
You can sell a KDP hardcover on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Irish and Belgian stores, Amazon.pl and Amazon.se. For Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.au, the book has to be available on Amazon.com. Two gaps: hardcover is not available on Amazon.co.jp, and it is not available for Expanded Distribution.
If you want a hardcover in bookstores and libraries, KDP is not the route for that edition.
How is the printing cost worked out?
KDP works out hardcover printing cost the same way as a paperback: a fixed cost plus the page count times a per-page cost. The fixed cost for hardcover is higher. KDP's hardcover royalty calculator shows the printing cost and royalty for your exact trim, ink and page count, so run your numbers there before you set a list price. Our post on KDP hardcover printing cost by page count has the Amazon.com table from 75 to 550 pages.
How do I set up a hardcover on KDP?
You set up a hardcover from your Bookshelf. If the paperback already exists, click Create, then Create hardcover, and KDP copies over your book details. You then pick a new ISBN, upload a hardcover interior and cover, preview, and set prices per marketplace. After you publish, KDP reviews the hardcover as a new edition.
What else do authors ask about KDP hardcover requirements?
5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9, 6.14 x 9.21, 7 x 10 and 8.25 x 11 inches.
75 pages. The maximum is 550.
No. KDP prints case laminate hardcovers only.
Yes. KDP offers proof and author copies of hardcovers.
No. Each edition needs its own ISBN.
What should you do next?
Your next step is to check your trim size against the five hardcover sizes above. If it is on the list, read what the $59 add-on includes, with the steps and the guarantee, on our hardcover from paperback page. If it is not, the interior needs a reset to a hardcover size first.
Sources, read 13 October 2026: KDP Help, Print Options; KDP Help, Hardcover; KDP Help, Hardcover Print Elements; KDP Help, Create a Hardcover Cover; KDP Help, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins.
