1. Automated check. When you set up your book and upload your file, our Print Previewer tool checks for errors you need to fix before submitting for publication. If the previewer finds any formatting issues that require correction, you’ll need to update your file in its original program to make the required formatting changes, then create a new PDF to upload to your account. Some of the main formatting checks that Print Previewer scans for include margins, cover size, and fonts. Print Previewer will also try to fix some issues by scaling or reflowing text to fit within the margins. Since Print Previewer looks at the structure of a file, it will sometimes catch formatting errors that are not obvious to someone viewing the manuscript pages.
2. Manual check. After you submit your book, we manually check your interior and cover files. If we find any issues, we'll email instructions on what to fix.

Trim size and bleed

1. Open the original Word file.
2. In the "Page Setup" section of the Layout tab, click Size.
3. Select More Paper Sizes. This will open a dialog box.
4. Set your page width and height according to your book's trim size. If your book has bleed, add 0.125" (3.2 mm) to the width and 0.25" (6.4 mm) to the height. For example, if your trim size is 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm), set the page size to 6.125" wide x 9.25" high (15.54 x 23.46 cm). For help calculating your book dimensions, try our calculator.
5. Enter your book's trim size, including bleed if necessary, into the "Width" and "Height" fields.
6. Click OK.

Margins and gutter

1. Open your original file. Reposition content that is outside the margins or continue to Step 2 to reset your margins.
2. In the "Page Setup" section of the Layout tab, click Margins.
3. Select Custom Margins. This will open a dialog box.
4. In the "Pages" section, select Mirror margins from the "Multiple pages" drop-down menu.
5. In the "Preview" section, select Whole document from the "Apply to" drop-down menu.
6. Enter your top, bottom, inside, and outside margins based on your books page count* and whether it contains bleed (see margin requirements) and click OK.
7. Upload your revised file to KDP.

Text boxes, spaces, and hidden characters

Example one: Plain text versus italicized text

Text box with plain text		Text box with italic text

Example two: Hidden spaces

Text box with normal view		Text box with all text highlighted

Scaling challenges

• In the original file, go to the page you are working on and select all the content on the page by clicking anywhere on that page and then keying CTRL + A. This will highlight all objects in the file and allow you to visually identify any unintentional objects.
• If the interior file was created using Microsoft Word, you can view all character objects and formatting marks, including hidden objects, by navigating to the “Home” ribbon and then in the “Paragraph” section, click the pilcrow (“¶”) to reveal all characters (alternatively, you can key CTRL + SHIFT + 8 to toggle this feature).
• Likewise, in Microsoft Word you can review all formatting settings applied to any text by highlighting it and then keying CTRL + F1 to “Reveal Formatting.” This can be useful in revealing any styles or formatting applied to text that is overriding the intended style.

Image resolution

• Insert images at their original size. Insert images into your file; don't cut and paste. After you insert your images, don't enlarge them because this will decrease the resolution. To insert an image:
  1. Go to the Insert tab.
  2. In the Illustrations section, click Pictures.
  3. Choose the file from your computer and click Insert.
  Video: Inserting images (no bleed)
  Video: Inserting images (bleed)

• Check your device settings. Most cameras and scanners offer high-resolution settings. Make sure they're set to high resolution before using them.
  
  
• Turn off image compression. To reduce file size, Word is set to compress images. To change the setting:
  1. Go to the File tab and click Options.
  2. Under "Advanced," find the "Image Size and Quality" section.
  3. Check the Do not compress images in file box.
  Video: Turn off downsampling

• Check the image resolution. If you don't know if your images are high resolution, check the image details and calculate the DPI:
  1. Right-click on the image file and select Properties.
  2. In the window that opens, click the Details tab.
  3. Look for the number of pixels under the "Image" header.
  4. Divide the number of pixels by the image size. For example, the pixel count of your image is 1200 x 1800, and the image is 4" x 6". That means your image has 300 DPI.

Book details

1. Compare the book details you entered with the information in your manuscript an on your cover. 
2. Correct any differences, including minor ones (e.g., author name John T. Smith entered in book details and J.T. Smith on the title page).
3. Be sure to check all locations where book details appear (e.g., copyright page, headers, etc.).
4. Update your book details or upload your revised file to KDP.

Fonts

1. Go to the File tab and select Options.
2. Under the "Save" tab, check the Embed fonts in the file box.
3. Make sure the Embed only the characters used in the document and Do not embed common system fonts boxes are unchecked.
4. Click OK. Embedding fonts gives our printing presses information about how to properly render the fonts used in your file so that your book prints as intended.
5. Go to back to the File tab and select Save as.
6. Choose a location on your computer.
7. In the "Save as type" dropdown menu, select PDF, and click Save.
8. Resubmit your file.

Blank pages

1. Open your original file.
2. Remove the extra blank pages.
3. Resubmit the revised file.

Pagination

• Left to Right books: even numbers on left pages and odd numbers on right pages.
• Right to Left books: odd numbers on left pages and even numbers on right pages.

1. Open your original file.
2. Insert a section break at the end of your front matter so that page numbers start with your first chapter page. To insert a section break, go to the Layout tab. In the "Page Setup" section, click Breaks, and select Section Breaks – Next Page.
3. Go to the first chapter page.
4. Depending on whether you want your page numbers in the header or footer, double-click on the header or footer. This will open the Design tab.
5. In the "Navigation section," click Link to Previous. This will prevent page numbers from showing up on your title, copyright, and table of contents pages.
6. In the "Header & Footer" section, click Page Number and choose where you want the page numbers to be.
7. Resubmit the revised file.

Template content

1. Open your original file.
2. Check your front matter (e.g., table of contents, copyright page, etc.), headers, and footers for placeholder text.
3. Customize or remove all placeholder text.
4. Resubmit the revised file.

Illegible text

• Text is at least 7-point font
• Other elements don't cut off or overlap text
• Text doesn't blend into the background

• Manuscript
• Images in your manuscript that contain text
• Cover

1. Open your original file.
2. Update your text size, position, or color to ensure it's legible.
3. Upload the revised file to KDP.

Cover and spine text

Cover file has more than one page

1. Open your original file.
2. Make sure your cover, including the front cover, spine, and back cover, fit on one page.
3. Resubmit the revised file.

Book has fewer than 79 pages and can't have text on the spine

1. Open your original file.
2. Remove the spine text.
3. Resubmit the revised file.

Cover size

• Set the width and height of your file to full cover size according to our cover calculator and template generator.
• There should be no white space around the edges of the cover file or it may fail for bleed.
• All images or backgrounds meant to reach all the way to the edge of the page, must extend 0.125” (3.2 mm) beyond the trim line. If it does not, it will be rejected.
• Images or graphics that shouldn’t reach all the way to the edge of the page must fit within the safe zone, which is represented by the dashed red lines in Previewer.
• All text must fit within the safe zone.

Transparencies

Moiré Pattern

• Using a scanned photograph from a printed source, such as a newspaper or magazine
  
• Using overlapping tones/halftones of varying angles and sizes, especially those using dots or lines
  
• Adding tones to an image that has already been compressed or downsampled

To avoid Moiré in Manga/Comic Titles:

• Utilize images with a resolution of at least 600 DPI
• Do not overlay tones with different angles, sizes, or spacing 
• Remove anti-alias when using dots (halftones) and set the K value to 100%
• Ensure dot halftones are perfect circles
• Rhomb or rhombus halftones should be set at a 45 degree angle
• Avoid using too many lines; 60-70 is preferred
• Avoid using pale colors 
• Avoid using tones on a gray background