Book Formatting Guide
From raw manuscript to print-ready PDF — the complete step-by-step guide to formatting your book professionally.
1
Choose Your Trim Size
Trim size is the final cut dimension of your printed book. Your genre influences the right choice — romance and fiction typically use 5"×8" or 5.5"×8.5", while nonfiction, business, and how-to books often use 6"×9". Children's books frequently use landscape or square formats.
Choosing your trim size first determines everything else: margins, page count, spine width, and cover specification.
Choosing your trim size first determines everything else: margins, page count, spine width, and cover specification.
| Format | Common Size | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Trade Paperback | 6" × 9" | Nonfiction, business, literary fiction |
| Trade Paperback | 5.5" × 8.5" | Genre fiction, memoirs |
| Compact | 5" × 8" | Romance, thriller, mass-market style |
| Large Format | 8.5" × 11" | Textbooks, workbooks, cookbooks |
| Square | 8" × 8" | Photography, art, gift books |
2
Set Your Margins Correctly
Margins protect your text from the cutting process and the spine curve. The gutter (inner margin) must be larger than the outer margin — typically 0.75"–1.0" depending on page count. KDP requires a minimum gutter based on total page count.
Safe zone: all text, images, and critical content must sit at least 0.375" from all edges.
Safe zone: all text, images, and critical content must sit at least 0.375" from all edges.
| Page Count | Minimum Gutter | Recommended Gutter |
|---|---|---|
| Under 150 pages | 0.375" | 0.5" |
| 151–300 pages | 0.75" | 0.875" |
| 301–600 pages | 0.875" | 1.0" |
| Over 600 pages | 1.0" | 1.125" |
3
Select Your Body Font & Size
The right body font makes your book feel genre-appropriate and keeps readers comfortable over hundreds of pages. Serif fonts (Garamond, Lora, Caslon, Baskerville) are standard for fiction and literary nonfiction. Sans-serif fonts (Source Sans, Nunito) work for prescriptive nonfiction and children's books.
Standard body size is 11–12pt with line spacing of 120–140%. Large print editions use 14–16pt minimum.
Standard body size is 11–12pt with line spacing of 120–140%. Large print editions use 14–16pt minimum.
💡 Inktastic automatically selects the typographically ideal font and size for your genre — you can always override manually.
4
Format Your Front Matter
Front matter pages appear before Chapter One. The order matters — professional books follow a consistent convention that signals to readers and retailers that your book is properly produced.
Standard front matter order:
Half-title page → Title page → Copyright page → Dedication → Table of Contents → Preface/Foreword → Introduction → Main text begins
Standard front matter order:
Half-title page → Title page → Copyright page → Dedication → Table of Contents → Preface/Foreword → Introduction → Main text begins
💡 Front matter pages use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). Page 1 begins at Chapter One. Inktastic handles all of this automatically.
5
Apply Chapter Styling
Chapter openings are the most design-intensive part of your interior. Key decisions: chapter number style (numerals, spelled out, Roman numerals), chapter title position (centred, left-aligned), drop cap (yes/no), chapter opening indent, and white space before the first paragraph.
Chapters should always start on a recto (right-hand, odd-numbered) page. This may leave some verso pages blank — that is correct and professional.
Chapters should always start on a recto (right-hand, odd-numbered) page. This may leave some verso pages blank — that is correct and professional.
6
Export to Print-Ready PDF
Your final file must be PDF/X-1a format with all fonts embedded, images at 300 DPI minimum, and colour space set to CMYK or Greyscale. Do not submit PDF files with RGB images — colours will shift when printed.
Inktastic exports directly to KDP-ready and IngramSpark-ready PDFs with all settings pre-configured for your trim size and genre.
Inktastic exports directly to KDP-ready and IngramSpark-ready PDFs with all settings pre-configured for your trim size and genre.
✅ Run the Inktastic Health Score check before exporting — it flags common formatting issues that would cause upload rejection or poor print quality.
Format Your Book in Minutes
Upload your manuscript and Inktastic handles all of the above automatically — fonts, margins, chapter styling, front matter, and export.
Open the Formatter →