Canva PDF rejected by KDP
Drop the PDF below. The report shows which of the four file causes you have, page by page.
If the pages come out cropped wrongly
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Report
| Check | Your file | What the fix does |
|---|
Pages that need a look
First 4 corrected pages
Clean pages, no watermark.trim linesafe area for text
Margins are measured from live text; pictures, lines and shapes that end inside a margin are listed as a note. The fix does not embed fonts, sharpen pictures or reflow text. Rules read from the official KDP help pages on 10 November 2026. This is an information tool, not professional advice, and not an approval.
The four file causes
| Cause | How to tell | The rule | Fixed here? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crop marks in the file | Page is larger than the book, thin lines at the corners | No crop marks or trim marks | Yes: cropped away |
| Wrong page size | Error names two sizes that differ | Trim size, or trim + 0.125 in wide and + 0.25 in tall with bleed | Yes: set exactly |
| Inside margin too small | Text flagged near the spine | 0.375 in to 0.875 in by page count | Yes, when the page has room to move |
| Odd or short page count | Fewer than 24 pages, or an odd number | 24 pages minimum, rounded up to even | Odd count: yes. Too few pages: no |
Source: KDP help, Paperback Submission Guidelines; KDP help, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins. Read on 10 November 2026.
KDP's submission guidelines say files "should not contain crop marks, trim marks, bookmarks" and list crop marks among common causes of failure. A print export with crop marks and bleed switched on carries both, and its pages are larger than the book. One published test (Built&Written, a test dated 27 September 2026, published 11 October 2026, on a cover file) reports a Canva PDF download option named "Crop marks and bleed" that added 3 mm of bleed around the page and left it 0.47 in too big each way. We could not open Canva's own help page to confirm the option name or those figures, so the checker measures your file instead of assuming them.
Causes a file fix cannot repair
- Fonts not embedded. KDP asks for all fonts to be embedded. That has to happen when the PDF is made. The report lists any font that is missing.
- Low-resolution pictures. KDP recommends at least 300 DPI. A picture cannot be sharpened afterwards.
- Text too close to the top, bottom or outside edge. The report lists the pages. Move the text in your design.
- Reasons that are not about the file, such as book details or rights questions.
If you would rather fix it in Canva
- Set the design to the trim size exactly (for example 6 x 9 in). For artwork that runs off the page, use the bleed size from the page size table instead.
- Download the PDF for print again with crop marks and bleed switched off. (The test cited above calls the option "Crop marks and bleed"; we could not confirm the wording with Canva.)
- Keep text at least the inside margin for your page count away from the spine side: the left edge on odd pages, the right edge on even pages.
- Make the page count even and at least 24.
Questions
Why does KDP say my Canva file is the wrong size?
Usually because crop marks and bleed were switched on at download, which adds paper around every page, or because the design was made at a size that is not the trim size (or trim plus bleed) chosen in the book setup.
Can I keep the bleed but drop the crop marks?
Yes. The fix crops to the trim area and keeps up to 0.125 in of real bleed from your file at the top, bottom and outside edge when you choose Bleed. If crop marks reach into that bleed area on a page, the bleed on that page is left blank instead, so no mark is carried over, and the report lists the page.
Does KDP fix any of this itself?
Partly. Its help page says the print previewer "will also try to fix some issues by scaling or reflowing text to fit within the margins". That changes how your pages look, so it is safer to upload a file that already fits.
More answers
- Canva PDF rejected by KDPThe four file causes and which ones a fix can repair
- Canva and the KDP gutter marginHow wide the inside margin must be and how to get it
- Remove crop marks from a PDF for KDPTwo ways, with the page size each one leaves
- KDP trim size does not match the PDFRead the two numbers in the error and find the cause
- 6 x 9 in, 300 pages: inside marginThe exact numbers, with a diagram