Exporting print-ready PDFs
What's inside your two export files — 300 DPI manuscript and wraparound cover — and what to check before uploading.
Step 8 produces the two files every print-on-demand service asks for. Exporting is free and unlimited — regenerate the files as many times as you like after edits.
File 1: the manuscript (interior) PDF
- Every page at 300 DPI print resolution;
- Page dimensions exactly matching your chosen trim size;
- Correct margins so art never touches the trim line;
- The full page sequence from your Layout step: title page, copyright, test page, your illustrations with blank backs, and any templates you kept.
File 2: the cover PDF
A single wraparound spread — back cover, spine, front cover — with 0.125″ bleed and the spine width computed from your final page count and paper type. See Designing your cover for how the spread is built.
Before you upload: a 2-minute checklist
- Open both PDFs at 100% zoom and flip through every page — you're looking for anything that surprises you, not pixel-peeping.
- Check the page count matches what you told your print service — the spine width in the cover file depends on it.
- Confirm trim size in your KDP/print setup matches your Step 2 choice exactly (e.g. 8.5 × 11 in, no bleed for the interior).
- Look at edge-to-edge elements — decorative frames should reach the page edge cleanly; body art should stay inside margins.
Uploading to Amazon KDP
In the KDP paperback setup, upload the manuscript PDF as your “manuscript” and the cover PDF via “Upload a cover you already have”. Then use KDP's own Print Previewer before publishing — it renders your files exactly as the printer will. For the full publishing flow, follow our Publish on Amazon KDP tutorial.
Trial watermark
Exports on the free trial include a small watermark. Upgrading to any paid plan removes it from all future exports — just re-export the same project after upgrading.