Designing a KDP Paperback Cover Template on Canva: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here, we’ll show you how to use Canva to make a KDP paperback Cover Template. You should have the following five items to begin our endeavor:

1. A Canva account
2. Utilizing the KDP paperback cover template as our starting point. To buy one, please visit.
3. Use ilovepdf.com or another PDF creator. We suggest this service since the program has all the features we want. Plus, there’s no cost at all.
4. The Book’s Size
5. The Book’s Page Count

Make sure you’re familiar with Canva and set up an account before we begin. Follow that link to create a free account if you haven’t already done so. For your convenience, I’ve included a book-size chart below.

KDP Paperback Cover Template

In order to get our hands on the paperback cover we want, we must first visit the kdp paperback cover template website. Click here. To proceed, you’ll need to have your book’s trim size and page count handy.

Pick a kdp paperback book cover that’s the right size for you.

Simply enter the page count in the box provided.

Use the add to cart button to get your desired kdp paperback book cover format.

Dimension of Cover

Our sample Cover’s dimensions for this example will be 8.5″ x 11″. We’re making a yearly calendar for planning out the next 12 months. There will be no dates in this planner. That’s right; a year has 365 days or 365 pages.

Remember that the average KDP book has about 120–130 pages and costs between $2.10 and $2.50 to produce. A book with 365 pages’ costs between $5.00 and $5.50 to print, which is twice the price of a book with 250 pages. Ultimately, how this affects your ability to turn a profit is crucial.

After “Extract All” from the zip file, you may begin using your template. Select the file with your left mouse button, and then click “Extract All.”

Now, you have to click “Extract.”

You’ll see two folders when you open the file.

1. First, as a PDF Template File
2. Second, as a PNG Template File

The PDF file size must be reduced so you can upload pictures on Canva. The file size is too huge to upload to Canva in its current form. As a result, this is where ilovepdf.com comes in. To minimize your PDF file size, visit ILovePDF and choose the “Compress PDF” button.

Once you’ve located the appropriate file, choose “Select PDF” and pick it from your computer. Await the upload completion; you may get the newly created file.

Ok, I know this is getting a bit difficult, but bear with me! That’s great to hear, and you should continue to feel well. Take it Easy. Alright, reload ILovePDF and choose “PDF TO JPG” from the menu bar.

Click “Select PDF File” to add the document you just downloaded.

After that, choose “Convert to JPG” from the menu on the right.

Click “Download JPG Image” and wait for the conversion to finish.

Now it’s time to send your finished picture to Canva.

Choosing the Appropriate Cover Size

Let’s do the math and figure out what size cover we need.

Please add.125 to all sides as specified in the printing specifications. After adding 8.5 inches to the.125 criteria, we get our answer for how broad our cover has to be.

8.5” + .125” = 8.75

This measurement must be multiplied by two in order to accommodate both sides of the book, for a total of 17.25 inches. The spine length must now be included. For us, that would be. Inches: 83.

So 17.25 + .83 = 18.072

The exact process must now be used for the duration. Please remember to include. Two sets of 125 for each team.

11” + .125” + .125” = 11.25”

In other words, the dimensions of our cover will be 18.072 inches wide by 11.25 inches.

Using Canva

After logging into Canva, choose “Create a Design” from the right-most menu.

Find “Custom Size” at the tab’s end and choose it.

Simply type in your measurements. Here, we’re working with inches, so we’ll put 18.072 for the width and 11.25 for the height.

Just choose “New Design” when ready.

A new window will appear with your “custom size” template already filled in. You may now upload your design. To save your template, go to the “Uploads” section on the left.

After the template has been uploaded, you may access it by selecting its image.

Then resize it by dragging it to the appropriate size for the viewing window.

Be aware that if you accidentally enter the incorrect size, you will be notified of the proper size when you upload the cover and the contents and click on start previewer. You’ll have to make the necessary adjustments after you notice the mistake. Changing the image’s dimensions is a breeze with Canva Pro. Without PRO, you’ll have to start from scratch to adapt your design to the new dimensions. Create your cover art now.

Helpful Hints for Designers

We’ll let your creativity and our suggestions guide the rest of the design process.

1. The first step is to make a spine. You’re not obligated to maintain it if the aesthetic isn’t to your liking, but having something there to serve as a visual anchor might be helpful.  The “spine,” represented by the lighter yellow rectangle, may be maintained by extending it to both sides. Pick the hue you like.
2. The barcode will be affixed to the bright yellow box, so avoid covering it.
3. Set up a perimeter using the “invisible” box. When you come near this box, you’ll see a purple tint. To help you see the potential floor plan, we have colored the whole container.

When your design is complete, it’s time to go on to the next step. The PDF Standard format may be downloaded by clicking “download” and selecting “PDF Standard” from the drop-down menu.

I’ll give you an example of what we were doing to illustrate

Now you may finish preparing your kdp Paperback cover Template for upload.