Guide
How to format a book for print
To format a book for print, pick a trim size, set margins that leave room for the binding, set the body in a readable serif at 10 to 12 pt, put the front and back matter in the usual order, add running headers and page numbers, start chapters on a new page, then export a PDF at the exact trim size with all fonts embedded. KDP and IngramSpark both check the file against these rules before they print.
By the Wordsmith team · Last updated
Not sure which trim size to pick? See how many pages your word count makes at each size, and how wide the spine will be. Trim size and page count calculator
1. Choose a trim size
The trim size is the finished size of the page. It sets everything else: how many words fit on a page, how many pages the book runs, and what it costs to print.
Most US novels are 5.25 x 8 in or 5.5 x 8.5 in. Nonfiction, business books and long fantasy are often 6 x 9 in, which keeps a big book from becoming a brick. Check that your printer offers the size before you start.
2. Set the margins
Print books need a wider inside margin (the gutter) than outside, because the binding swallows part of the page. The thicker the book, the more it swallows.
- KDP minimum inside margins: 0.375 in for 24 to 150 pages, 0.5 in for 151 to 300, 0.625 in for 301 to 500, 0.75 in for 501 to 700, and 0.875 in for 701 to 828. Check the limit for your trim size and paper.
- KDP top, bottom and outside minimums are 0.25 in without bleed or 0.375 in with bleed. IngramSpark recommends a 0.5 in safety area on all sides of the interior text block. These are printer constraints, not a reason to use cramped typography.
- Use bleed when an image runs to the edge. Add 0.125 in at the top, bottom and outer edge, not the binding edge. A 6 x 9 in interior with bleed is therefore 6.125 x 9.25 in.
3. Pick fonts and spacing
Body text is usually a book serif such as Garamond, Caslon or Minion at 10 to 12 pt, with line spacing about 1.2 to 1.4 times the type size. Justify the text and turn on hyphenation so the right edge is straight without gaps between words.
Indent the first line of each paragraph instead of leaving a blank line between them, except the first paragraph of a chapter or after a scene break, which starts flush left.
4. Put the front and back matter in order
Readers expect the pages around the story in a familiar order. A typical print book runs:
- Front matter: half title, title page, copyright page, dedication, contents (for nonfiction or long books), then any foreword or preface.
- Body: the chapters, each starting on a new page; many books start them on a right-hand page.
- Back matter: acknowledgments, about the author, and any notes, bibliography or index.
5. Add running headers and page numbers
Running headers usually carry the author's name on left-hand pages and the book or chapter title on right-hand pages. Leave them off chapter opening pages and blank pages.
Number the body from 1. Front matter is either unnumbered or uses roman numerals. Footnotes sit at the foot of the page in a smaller size; endnotes go in the back matter.
6. Export a print-ready PDF
Export one interior PDF at your trim size plus any required bleed, with every font embedded, images at 300 dpi and no crop or printer marks. KDP accepts print-ready PDFs. IngramSpark recommends PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002; PDF/X-4 is not the standard named in its current guidance. Check the printer's live requirements and order a proof before a print run.
The cover is a separate file: back, spine and front on one wrap. Its spine width depends on your final page count and paper, so finish the interior first.
Check the printer's current requirements
Skip the fiddly parts
Wordsmith typesets your manuscript into a print-ready PDF and EPUB, with margins, fonts and headers that follow your trim size.
See how typesetting works