KDP says the cover image is blurry or low resolution
A 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.
Verified against current KDP guidanceKDP's current image guidance defines images below 200 DPI as low resolution, recommends 300 DPI, and warns that changing the DPI setting alone does not increase quality.
Reviewed by Coverfairy Editorial on . Recheck the linked KDP page before production because platform rules can change.
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.
Why this happens
Effective resolution falls when a small image is stretched across a larger front, back, or full wrap. Changing only the DPI metadata, resaving a compressed screenshot, or asking software to invent pixels does not restore the source detail KDP evaluates.
The complete manual fix
Find the original artwork or photograph rather than working from a retailer thumbnail, screenshot, messaging-app copy, or previously compressed JPEG.
Measure the image at its final placed size. KDP identifies images below 200 DPI as low resolution and recommends preparing images at 300 DPI.
Replace undersized art with a genuinely larger source or reduce its placed size. Do not change only the file's DPI label.
Avoid repeated JPEG saves. Keep the source in a lossless working format and compress only the final flattened production file.
Inspect the exported PDF at 100 percent and high zoom for pixel edges, halos, oversharpening, and soft type. Typography should remain vector or be rasterized only at final resolution.
Compare the whole PDF with the new KDP template, then review a physical proof because a monitor cannot predict every printed texture or tonal shift.
Keep the evidence
Save KDP's written notice, the unchanged exported file, the selected print settings, and the template used for comparison. Those records make a support case reproducible, and they are what the technical spec guarantee asks for.
Recalculate before rebuilding
Spine width0.757 in
Full cover13.007 × 9.250 in
At 300 DPI3,902 × 2,775 px
Spine textAllowed
Calculated from KDP's current paperback formula. Confirm against your printer's generated template before upload.
Enter the final trim, binding, paper, and page count in Coverfairy and the complete KDP sheet, spine, and bleed are recalculated while the artwork and typography stay editable. An active pass includes paperback and hardcover PDFs with live preflight checks.
The pass is covered by the technical spec guarantee: if KDP rejects an unchanged Coverfairy export because Coverfairy calculated the trim, bleed, spine, or sheet dimensions incorrectly, Coverfairy corrects the file or refunds the affected pass.
