Amazon KDP and IngramSpark covers
KDP barcode: size, color and placement rules
Short answer
KDP suggests a barcode area of 2 x 1.2 in (50.8 x 30.5 mm) and accepts a minimum of 1.4 x 0.8 in (35.56 x 20.3 mm). The barcode must be 100% black, in KDP's words "not RGB/CMYK color or registration black", which in practice means C0 M0 Y0 K100 and no mixed black, on solid white, at least 0.25 in (6.3 mm) from the spine and the trim, and not flattened into the cover image. If you do not supply a barcode, KDP places one for you in a 2 x 1.2 in white box in the lower right corner of the back cover.
KDP's barcode rules, one by one
| Rule | What KDP says | What it means in your file |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Suggested 2" x 1.2" (50.8 x 30.5 mm); minimum 1.4" x 0.8" (35.56 x 20.3 mm) | Place the barcode file at 100%. Do not scale down below the minimum |
| Color | "100% black (not RGB/CMYK color or registration black)" | C0 M0 Y0 K100: black plate only, no black mixed from several inks |
| Background | Solid white | A white box under the bars and their quiet zones |
| Distance | At least 0.25" (6.3 mm) from spine and trim | Measure from the trim line, not from the bleed edge |
| Orientation | Right side up and square to the cover | No rotation, no tilt |
| Integration | Not flattened into the main cover as one image | Keep it as its own vector object in the PDF |
| Text | An ISBN barcode must not overlap text | Keep blurbs and logos out of the box |
| Resolution | Vector preferred; raster at 300 PPI accepted | Vector is the safer choice; a 300 PPI image is allowed |
| Price | A price code, if included, should match the list price | Use 90000 if your price may change |
Option 1: let KDP add the barcode
When you publish without your own ISBN, or simply do not provide a barcode, KDP adds one to the lower right corner of the back cover, in a white 2 x 1.2 in box. What you need to do:
- Leave that area empty. KDP says text or images there will be covered when printing, which can get your file rejected.
- Keep some extra space around it so the white box does not crowd your design.
- Check the result in KDP's previewer before you approve.
This is the simplest path, and for many books it is the right one.
Option 2: place your own barcode
Place your own when you want the price add-on your way, use the same cover with another printer, or want to control how the back cover looks.
- Make the barcode with your ISBN. The KDP layout in Barcode Rocket gives a 2.0 x 1.2 in white box with the barcode and the EAN-5 add-on inside, in 100% K, as a vector PDF. Leave the price empty for 90000. US prices follow the BISG table up to 499.99.
- In your cover file, place the PDF at 100% in the lower right of the back cover.
- Keep at least 0.25 in between the box and the spine, and between the box and the trim. See the placement guide.
- Export the cover PDF without converting colors, so the barcode stays 100% K.
- Open the exported PDF and check that the barcode is on the black plate only. See how to check.
A note from practice: the KDP layout draws a thin frame around the white box. The frame overprints at half its line width, so if the cover colors around the box do not register perfectly on press, the frame covers those small misfits at the edge of the white area. It is not part of the barcode itself and stays outside the quiet zones.
If KDP flags your barcode
The most common causes, in the order we see them in prepress:
- Not 100% black. The barcode was colored with the document's default black, or a color profile turned it into a four-color black on export.
- Artwork in the barcode area. If you did not place your own barcode, anything in the lower right box gets covered.
- Too close to the edge. Less than 0.25 in to the spine or trim.
- Flattened cover. The whole cover was exported as one image, barcode included.
Fix the cause in the design file, export again, and check the PDF before uploading.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a KDP barcode?
KDP suggests 2 x 1.2 in (50.8 x 30.5 mm) and accepts down to 1.4 x 0.8 in (35.56 x 20.3 mm).
Does KDP give you a barcode for free?
Yes. If you do not provide a barcode, KDP places one on your back cover.
Where does KDP put the barcode?
In a white box in the lower right corner of the back cover. For right-to-left books, KDP's cover help says the lower left.
Can the KDP barcode be on a colored background?
The barcode itself must sit on solid white. Your cover can be any color around that white box.
Should my KDP barcode include the price?
Only if it matches your list price. If you might change the price, use 90000, which encodes no price.
Sources
- Amazon KDP Help, Barcodes: kdp.amazon.com
- Amazon KDP Help, Low-Content Books (automatic barcode, white box, lower right): kdp.amazon.com
- Amazon KDP Help, Create a Paperback Cover (barcode margin, right-to-left books): kdp.amazon.com
- Book Industry Study Group, Barcoding Guidelines for the US Book Industry (90000): bisg.org