Why Does My Paperback/Hardcover File Have Extra Space Around the Edges?

When you design your book cover with Coverjig, you see the full cover layout as it will appear on your book. However, when you generate the final files, extra space is automatically added around the edges. This additional space is called the "bleed area," which is required by Amazon KDP to ensure there are no unintended white borders when the book is printed.

The bleed area extends the background and design elements slightly beyond the trim lines of your book, which prevents any essential parts of your cover from being cut off during the printing process. Coverjig ensures that there is enough of your selected cover image to fill the space properly while preventing text from extending into it.

Because the bleed is included, your final cover file will appear slightly larger than your book’s actual trim size. KDP requires a bleed of 0.125 inches (3.2mm) on all sides for paperbacks and 0.625 inches (15.9mm) for hardcovers. Our tool applies these dimensions automatically.