8.5 x 8.5 in with bleed: KDP page size
An 8.5 x 8.5 in KDP paperback with bleed needs a PDF page of 8.625 x 8.75 in. Without bleed the page is 8.5 x 8.5 in exactly.
| Unit | No bleed | With bleed |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | 8.5 x 8.5 in | 8.625 x 8.75 in |
| Millimetres | 215.9 x 215.9 mm | 219.1 x 222.3 mm |
| Centimetres | 21.59 x 21.59 cm | 21.91 x 22.23 cm |
| Pixels at 300 DPI | 2550 x 2550 px | 2588 x 2625 px |
| Points (PDF units) | 612 x 612 pt | 621 x 630 pt |
Source: KDP help, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins. Read on 10 November 2026.
The inch sizes follow KDP's rule of 0.125 in of bleed at the top, bottom and outside edge. The other rows are converted here (1 in = 25.4 mm = 72 points; 300 pixels per inch).
Is my PDF the right size?
Bleed on all four sides. KDP wants none at the spine, so each page is 0.125 in too wide: it must be 8.625 x 8.75 in.
Type the size your PDF reader shows for a page, or the second pair of numbers from the KDP size error. To measure every page of the file at once, use the checker.
Check every page of a 8.5 x 8.5 in PDF
Sizes that get rejected
| Your PDF page | What it is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 8.75 x 8.75 in | Bleed of 0.125 in on all four sides | Remove 0.125 in at the spine side of every page |
| 8.736 x 8.736 in | Bleed of 3 mm on all four sides (a metric bleed setting) | Crop to the trim area, then choose bleed or no bleed |
| 8.625 x 8.75 in, uploaded with Bleed off | The right file with the wrong setting | Turn Bleed on in the print options |
| 8.5 x 11 in | US Letter: the design tool's default paper | Remake at 8.5 x 8.5 in, or scale (text shrinks) |
| Larger still, with thin lines at the corners | Crop marks on extra paper | Crop every page to the trim area |
The crop and the spine-side trim are what the fix on this site does. It cannot add bleed that is not in the file.
Where the bleed goes
| Edge of the page | Bleed added | Text stays this far from the trimmed edge |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 0.125 in | at least 0.375 in |
| Bottom | 0.125 in | at least 0.375 in |
| Outside edge | 0.125 in | at least 0.375 in |
| Inside (spine) edge | none | 0.375 to 0.75 in by page count |
The outside edge is the right side of odd pages and the left side of even pages. With the minimum margins, the largest text area on a 8.5 x 8.5 in page with bleed is 7.75 x 7.75 in for a book of up to 150 pages.
Questions
What size is 8.5 x 8.5 with bleed on KDP?
8.625 x 8.75 in: 0.125 in wider and 0.25 in taller than the trim size. At 300 DPI that is 2588 x 2625 pixels.
Why not 8.75 x 8.75 in?
That adds bleed on all four sides. A KDP interior has no bleed at the spine edge, so the width grows by 0.125 in only. A 8.75 x 8.75 in page does not match either size KDP expects.
Do I need bleed at all?
Only if pictures, backgrounds or colour run to the edge of the page. The KDP help page says: "Even if just one page in your interior requires bleed, then your entire file should be set up with bleed."
What margins apply with bleed?
Text stays at least 0.375 in from the top, bottom and outside edge of the trimmed page, and the inside margin follows the page count (0.375 in up to 150 pages).
Other trim sizes
- 6 x 9 in with bleed6.125 x 9.25 in
- 8.5 x 11 in with bleed8.625 x 11.25 in
- 5 x 8 in with bleed5.125 x 8.25 in
- 5.5 x 8.5 in with bleed5.625 x 8.75 in