Amazon KDP and IngramSpark covers

Barcodes for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark covers

By Marko Markovic, prepress specialist · Updated 10 October 2026 · 4 min read

The two platforms side by side

Do you need your own barcode?

Usually not, but there are good reasons to make one:

• You want to choose the price code. 90000, a US price, or a plain ISBN, exactly as you decide. See the EAN-5 guide.
• You use one cover for both platforms. Many authors print with KDP for Amazon and IngramSpark for bookstores. One file with your own barcode avoids two different backs.
• You want to design around it. A barcode that the platform adds later can land on top of your artwork. If it is already in your file, you see the final cover.
• You also print offset. A printer will need the barcode in the file.

If you do not place one, leave the area empty. KDP says text or images under its barcode box get covered and can lead to the file being rejected.

KDP in short

• Suggested size 2.0 x 1.2 in, minimum 1.4 x 0.8 in.
• 100% black on solid white, at least 0.25 in from the spine and trim.
• Not flattened into the cover image; right side up and square to the cover.
• A price code, if present, should match your list price.

Full guide: KDP barcode size and requirements.

IngramSpark in short

• Recommended 1.75 x 1 in, large enough to scan.
• Black only (0/0/0/100) over a white box or background.
• Vector graphic or high-quality raster.
• The template's own barcode can be moved but should not be resized.

Full guide: IngramSpark barcode.

The traps that catch most covers

1. Rich black. The barcode is set in the document's default black, which in many design programs and export settings becomes a mix of four inks. Both platforms ask for black only. Why 100% K.
2. Color conversion on export. IngramSpark notes that ICC profiles can turn 100% black into a mix. Export settings with color conversion can change your barcode. Check the final PDF, not just the design file.
3. A low-resolution barcode image. A PNG copied from a web page and scaled up prints soft. Check if your barcode is vector.
4. A barcode on the artwork. No white box on a photo or dark cover. Barcodes on dark covers.
5. Wrong place. Too close to the spine or the trim. Placement guide.

Presets in Barcode Rocket

• Amazon KDP: a 2.0 x 1.2 in white box with the ISBN barcode and the EAN-5 add-on inside (90000 if you leave the price empty), 100% K, vector PDF. Open the KDP layout.
• IngramSpark: the plain EAN-13 of your ISBN at 80% magnification, sized to fit inside IngramSpark's barcode area, 100% K, vector PDF. Open the IngramSpark layout.
• ISBN + price: the standard ISBN barcode with an add-on at 100% (about 2.37 x 1.2 in with its margins), for covers with room for it; it is wider than IngramSpark's recommended area. Open ISBN + price.
• Publisher templates: your logo, the ISBN barcode, price and a QR code in one file, the same layout for every title in your list. See custom templates.