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Fix a rejected book cover file

Find the cause of a cover rejection and correct the size, bleed, spine, barcode, resolution, color, or hardcover setup before uploading again.

Start a cover

Can I fix a rejected cover without starting over?Usually. Find the exact rejection, correct the affected production setting, and rebuild the file from the same editable design.

Choose what you want to do

KDP rejected my cover for spine widthKDP compared the uploaded cover sheet against the spine it expects for the book and the widths did not match. The fix is to recalculate the wrap from the final interior instead of stretching the artwork.Book has fewer than 79 pages and cannot have spine textKDP does not permit spine lettering on a paperback with 79 pages or fewer. Remove the spine text, or finish a genuinely longer interior and rebuild the cover from its new final page count.My cover dimensions do not match the trim sizeThe uploaded cover PDF is a different size from the full wrap KDP expects for the selected trim. The fix is to rebuild the sheet from the current production inputs rather than resizing the file.My KDP cover has missing or wrong bleedThe cover artwork stops at the trim line or carries printer marks, so KDP flagged the bleed. The fix is to extend the background 0.125 inches past every outside edge and export a clean sheet.KDP rejected the cover because the barcode area is blockedKDP can reject a cover when text or imagery occupies the barcode location. Clear the required back-cover area, remove a duplicate barcode when KDP will supply one, and rebuild from the current template.KDP says the cover image is blurry or low resolutionA cover image below KDP's effective-resolution threshold can print soft or pixelated. Replace it with a genuinely larger source, judge it at the final placed size, and export the cover without enlarging missing detail.KDP says my cover file is too largeKDP will not convert a cover above 650 MB and recommends a file of 40 MB or less. Remove hidden data and optimize the PDF without shrinking the cover below its required dimensions or effective image resolution.KDP changed my cover coloursUnexpected colour shifts often come from embedded profiles, spot colours, or mixed colour spaces. Prepare print artwork in CMYK, remove profile-dependent effects, flatten the production file, and proof the result instead of compensating blindly on screen.My paperback cover does not fit a KDP hardcoverKDP hardcovers are case laminate, not dust jackets or enlarged paperbacks. Generate a hardcover-specific template and rebuild the sheet with its board, hinge, spine, safety, and wrap geometry.My IngramSpark cover has the wrong spine widthRebuild the cover from a current IngramSpark title-specific template. Copy its exact spine width and safety lines; do not substitute a KDP paper formula or reuse an earlier edition's cover sheet.

Useful routes for the next production decision

Follow the problem into a specific comparison, example, feature, or repair guide instead of stopping at a category page.

Diagnose effective image resolutionCorrect spine compositionKeep typography editableRebuild the complete print wrap

Continue through the publishing library

JournalGuidesFree toolsComparisonsCover fontsCover makersIngramSpark hub

Put the idea on your own book.

Start from your story, then try editable typography and artwork. Examples made with the Coverfairy editor:

Fantasy book-cover example rendered in Coverfairy
Fantasy
Romance book-cover example rendered in Coverfairy
Romance
Thriller book-cover example rendered in Coverfairy
Thriller
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