How to export a KDP wraparound cover

This shows you how to generate a print-ready wraparound cover PDF with correct spine width for Amazon KDP.

Before you start

Your book needs a front cover and back cover image already generated.
You need to know your paper type (white or cream) — this affects spine width calculation.

Steps

Open your book from My Books.
Scroll down to the KDP Cover section in the book editor.
Configure your cover settings:
- Spine color — pick a hex color for the spine background (default: black).
- Spine text — the text that appears on the spine (defaults to your book title).
- Paper type — White or Cream. Cream paper is thicker and produces a wider spine.
Click Export KDP Cover PDF.
Wait for the PDF to build (30-60 seconds). It opens in a new tab when ready.

What to expect

A single-page PDF containing the full wraparound cover:

Back cover (left) + Spine (center) + Front cover (right)
Includes 0.125" bleed on all sides
Spine width is auto-calculated based on your page count and paper type
Total dimensions are displayed in the panel (e.g., "17.38 x 11.25 inches")

Upload this directly to KDP's cover upload during paperback setup.

How spine width is calculated

The system counts your interior pages (including answer key pages for puzzle books and front matter) and multiplies by the paper thickness factor:

White paper: 0.002252" per page (B&W interior) or 0.002347" (color interior)
Cream paper: 0.002500" per page

Common issues

Spine text is too long Keep spine text short — typically just the title. Very short books (under 100 pages) have thin spines where long text won't fit.