Why KDP refuses a paperback file: all 58 reasons

Every reason KDP's own help pages give for refusing or not approving a paperback file, quoted, with the page it comes from. Read from kdp.amazon.com on 2026-10-20. 48 are things KDP says must be fixed; 10 are things it advises.

Interior and cover

File bigger than KDP's 650 MB limit (must fix)

"Ensure file size is not more than 650MB."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Any manuscript files larger than the 650MB limit will fail to convert when uploaded."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File
"Cover files larger than 650MB won't convert."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Emoji or unsupported special characters in the file name (must fix)

"must not contain emoji characters or other unsupported special characters."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: KDP does not publish its list of supported characters: a name of letters, digits, spaces, dashes and underscores is the safe choice.

Locked or encrypted file (must fix)

"Locked or encrypted files"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Locked or encrypted files will fail review."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Not saved as PDF/X (advised)

"PDF/X format is used. PDF/X-1a is preferred"
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

PDF not optimized (advised)

"Optimize PDFs."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: KDP does not say which optimization it means. Your PDF tool's optimize or reduce-size step is the usual one; the file size line above shows how close you are to the limit.

Document metadata left in the file (must fix)

"Submitted files should not contain crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks, comments, invisible objects, annotations, placeholder text, or metadata."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"PDF/X format is used. PDF/X-1a is preferred"
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Rejection Checker note: KDP lists metadata among things a file should not contain, but every PDF writer stores some and PDF/X, which KDP prefers, requires it. If your PDF tool offers to remove document metadata or hidden information, use it.

PDF creation logos or watermarks (must fix)

"PDF creation logos or watermarks"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Remove PDF creation logos or watermarks."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Rejection Checker note: A logo or watermark drawn as a picture is not seen by this checker: look at the corners and the middle of a few pages.

Crop marks, trim marks or color bars (must fix)

"Submitted files should not contain crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks, comments, invisible objects, annotations, placeholder text, or metadata."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Remove crop marks, color bars, template text."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover
"Printer's marks should be disabled."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Rejection Checker note: Marks drawn in plain black inside the page are not told apart from art: look at the page corners.

Bookmarks (must fix)

"Files with crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks, comments, invisible objects, annotations, placeholder text, or metadata"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Comments, annotations, links or form fields (must fix)

"Submitted files should not contain crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks, comments, invisible objects, annotations, placeholder text, or metadata."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Invisible objects (must fix)

"Files with crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks, comments, invisible objects, annotations, placeholder text, or metadata"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"If your pages have invisible or blank elements such as a blank text box"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Rejection Checker note: An empty text box or a white shape on white leaves nothing this checker can see: select all on each page in your layout program to find them.

Template placeholder text left in (must fix)

"make sure you customized or removed all placeholder text."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"All template text is customized or removed."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Rejection Checker note: Placeholder text inside a picture is not read.

A font is not embedded (must fix)

"All fonts should be fully embedded in all interior and cover files"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"Every font in the list needs to show "Embedded" or "Embedded Subset""
KDP, Paperback Fonts

Fonts embedded as subsets, not in full (advised)

"We recommend that fonts be fully embedded, rather than embedding as subsets."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

A font whose license flags forbid embedding (must fix)

"the specific fonts do not allow for commercial usage. If so, it prevents embedding and printing."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"won't embed due to technical or legal restrictions."
KDP, Paperback Fonts

A font you may not be licensed to sell a book with (advised)

"You are responsible for securing the required licenses for any fonts used in your book."
KDP, Paperback Fonts

Rejection Checker note: A font this checker does not know is listed: confirm its license covers a book you sell.

Fake (faux) bold or italic (must fix)

"a bold or italicized font was used that does not actually exist as a bold or italic font"
KDP, Paperback Fonts

A font KDP's printers cannot use (must fix)

"our system detected an unsupported font in your file and rejected it at ingestion"
KDP, Paperback Fonts

Rejection Checker note: KDP does not publish which fonts it refuses. If Print Previewer shows a font error, outline that font or replace it. Every font in the file is listed on the fonts lines.

Text smaller than 7 points (must fix)

"Minimum font size: 7 points"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Text should be at least 7-point font"
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Rejection Checker note: Words that are part of a picture are not measured: check that any text in your art is 7 pt or more.

Pictures under 200 DPI where they are placed (must fix)

"Any image containing less than 200 DPI."
KDP, Format Images in Your Book
"Downsampling, or decreasing resolution, of images is disabled."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Pictures under KDP's recommended 300 DPI where they are placed (advised)

"All images (both cover and manuscript) should be at least 300 DPI."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Pictures over 600 DPI (slow processing, big file) (advised)

"We recommend a maximum resolution of 600 DPI"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Transparency or layers not flattened (must fix)

"Flatten transparent objects and layers in the native file before publishing."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Flatten all transparencies."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover
"Unflattened layers and transparencies can cause errors in upload and later on in production."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Spot colors (must fix)

"please don't include spot colors in your files."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

RGB and CMYK mixed in one file (advised)

"We don't recommend using multiple color spaces in a file"
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Moire patterns in scanned or toned pictures (advised)

"A moiré pattern is an optical effect"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Rejection Checker note: Look at scanned prints and halftone or screen-tone art at 100% zoom; KDP suggests 600 DPI and tones at one angle for comics and manga.

Text cut off, overlapped, or blending into the background (must fix)

"Other elements don't cut off or overlap text"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"Text doesn't blend into the background"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Rejection Checker note: Look at every page where text sits on a picture or a color, on screen at 100% and on a proof copy.

Wording that says the book is part of a bundled set (must fix)

"There's no language in your files and metadata that implies your book is part of a bundled set."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Wording that names a different binding (spiral, hard bound, leather bound, calendar) (must fix)

"There's no wording that mentions your book has different binding terms"
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File

Title, author or ISBN in the files differs from the book details you enter (must fix)

"exactly matches the book details (e.g., title, author name, ISBN, Imprint, language)"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"Title information doesn't need to appear in your manuscript, but it must match the metadata if it does."
KDP, Metadata Guidelines for Books
"If you include your own ISBN in your manuscript, it must match the ISBN you entered during title setup."
KDP, Metadata Guidelines for Books

Rejection Checker note: Pass --title, --author and --isbn as you will type them into KDP; a spelling variant (J.T. Smith for John T. Smith) is not found by this checker, so read the title page, copyright page, headers and cover against them.

The interior file

Page size is not a KDP trim size (must fix)

"Without proper sizing, your manuscript may be rejected on upload"
KDP, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins

Page size does not match the trim, or the trim plus bleed (must fix)

"Set the page size to your selected trim size (width by height)."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"0.25" (6.4 mm) higher and 0.125" (3.2 mm) wider than your selected trim size"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Even if just one page in your interior requires bleed, then your entire file should be set up with bleed."
KDP, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins

Two-page spreads instead of single pages (must fix)

"We require single page files (as opposed to spreads or 2-up files)."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Pages turned different ways (must fix)

"All pages and content must be oriented the same way."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: Upside-down or sideways art inside a page is not measured.

Page count outside KDP's limits for this trim and paper (must fix)

"The minimum page count is 24 pages"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"the maximum page count depends on ink, paper, and trim size options."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Content outside the top, bottom or outside margin (must fix)

"The top, bottom, and outside margins must be a minimum of 0.25 inches for books without bleed and 0.375 inches (9.6mm) for books with bleed."
KDP, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins
"The spaces that extend outside the margins are considered text characters"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Content in the gutter (the inside margin for this page count) (must fix)

"Is your content outside the margins? Does it extend into the gutter?"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"The inside margin size depends on the page count"
KDP, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins

Art meant to reach the page edge stops short of the bleed (must fix)

"must extend 0.125" (3.2 mm) past your trim line on the top, bottom, and outside edges."
KDP, Save Your Manuscript File
"first try changing the Bleed Settings option to "Bleed""
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Lines thinner than 0.75 point (must fix)

"give the lines a minimum thickness/weight of 0.75 point or 0.01" (0.3 mm)."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: Lines inside pictures are not measured.

Gray fills lighter than 10% in a black-ink book (advised)

"we recommend a minimum grayscale fill of 10%."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: Light grays inside pictures are not measured.

Right-to-left layout in a language KDP prints left to right (must fix)

"For most languages, KDP only supports books formatted to read from left to right (LTR)."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: KDP prints right to left only for Hebrew, Yiddish and Japanese. The page order of your file is what decides it; check that page 1 is the front of the book.

Too many blank pages in a row (must fix)

"no more than 4 consecutive blank pages at the beginning or middle of a manuscript file, and/or 10 consecutive blank pages at the end."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"Manuscripts with missing pages, or excessive blank pages will be rejected."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Missing pages (the page numbers jump) (must fix)

"Missing pages"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"A skip or change in page numbers could indicate pages are missing or ordered incorrectly"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Rejection Checker note: Page numbers could not be read from the text layer: page through the file and check none is missing.

Page numbers out of order or on the wrong side (must fix)

"Order all page numbers sequentially, with even numbers on left pages and odd numbers on the right"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Incorrect pagination"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: Page numbers could not be read from the text layer: check that even numbers fall on left pages.

The cover file

Cover pictures not in CMYK (advised)

"Images should be in CMYK color to ensure your cover looks good in print."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Cover is more than one page (must fix)

"Your cover must be a single PDF file that includes the back cover, spine, and front cover as one image."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover
"Cover file has more than one page"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Cover size differs from KDP's wrap for this book (must fix)

"If the file is sized at dimensions other than those expected, Print Previewer will note the discrepancy and prevent approval."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"Cover Width = Bleed + Back Cover Width + Spine Width + Front Cover Width + Bleed"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"Bleed at the bottom of the page cannot exceed 0.125" (3.2 mm)."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Cover background stops short of the bleed (must fix)

"must extend 0.125" (3.2 mm) beyond the trim line. If it does not, it will be rejected."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
"There should be no white space around the edges of the cover file"
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Title missing from the cover (must fix)

"Title missing on the front cover"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"your title must be listed on the cover (on the spine or front cover)."
KDP, Metadata Guidelines for Books

Rejection Checker note: The cover's words are not live text here, or no --title was given: check the title on the front cover or the spine by eye.

Cover text too close to the trim, or crossing into the spine (must fix)

"make sure it's at least 0.125" (3.2 mm) inside the trim lines."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover
"no front or back cover text should extend into the spine area."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover
"All text must fit within the safe zone."
KDP, Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues

Rejection Checker note: The cover's words are not live text (outlined, or part of a picture), so type cannot be told from art: lay KDP's cover template over the cover and check by eye.

Spine text on a book of 79 pages or fewer (must fix)

"We only print spine text on books with more than 79 pages."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines
"the cover will be rejected and require adjustment before your book can go live."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Rejection Checker note: The cover's words are not live text: if the book has 79 pages or fewer, the spine must carry no words.

Spine text closer than 0.0625 in to a fold (must fix)

"with at least 0.0625" (1.6 mm) of space between the text and the edge of the spine."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: The cover's words are not live text: lay KDP's cover template over the spine and check by eye.

Cover is not one continuous image centered on the spine (must fix)

"Covers should be one continuous image centered left to right on the spine."
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: Look at the whole wrap: back, spine and front should read as one picture, the spine centered.

A cover border thinner than KDP's minimum (must fix)

"If you include a white border, it must meet our minimum border width or we may reject your file."
KDP, Create a Paperback Cover

Rejection Checker note: KDP asks that a border reach at least 0.25 in inside the trim line; better, leave borders off.

Cover closely resembles another book (must fix)

"Covers that may be misleading because they closely resemble another book's layout, color scheme, fonts and/or images aren't allowed."
KDP, Metadata Guidelines for Books

Rejection Checker note: Compare your cover with the best sellers in your category: layout, colors, fonts and pictures.

Text in the barcode area (must fix)

"Covers with images or text in the barcode location will be rejected."
KDP, Barcodes

Rejection Checker note: The cover's words are not live text: check by eye that no words sit in the 2 x 1.2 in area 0.25 in in from the back cover's bottom right corner.

Pictures in the barcode area (must fix)

"Covers with images or text in the barcode location will be rejected."
KDP, Barcodes

Rejection Checker note: KDP does not say whether a background counts as an image there. Keep pictures and graphic elements out of the 2 x 1.2 in area 0.25 in in from the back cover's bottom right corner.

Your own barcode does not meet KDP's barcode requirements (must fix)

"ensure it meets our formatting requirements or we may reject your file."
KDP, Barcodes
"Positioned at least .25" (6.3 mm) from the spine and trim of the cover"
KDP, Barcodes
"Include a valid ISBN, must match your book's ISBN exactly."
KDP, Barcodes
"Barcode missing"
KDP, Paperback Submission Guidelines

Rejection Checker note: KDP also asks for 100% black bars on a solid white background, at least 1.4 x 0.8 in, square to the cover and not flattened into the cover picture: check those by eye.