How to design a full-wrap KDP paperback cover

Step by step

1. 1Build the full interior first so the spine width is exact, then switch from Interior to Cover.
2. 2Turn on Guides: red is where the book is cut, green is where words stay safe, blue marks the spine.
3. 3Pick a starter cover, then choose from 32 cover styles and 28 colour sets.
4. 4Check the title, subtitle and author, then add a corner badge and a proof strip.
5. 5Write the back cover: a short blurb, up to five what's-inside lines and an about-the-author line.
6. 6Choose one of 35 free backgrounds, or upload your own picture at 300 DPI or more.
7. 7Click an element to drag it, nudge it with the arrow keys, zoom the picture, or reset positions.
8. 8On the Publisher plan, optionally generate artwork or write the back cover with AI, then edit every word.

Transcript

Episode nine: designing your full-wrap cover. Your interior's built, so the spine can be exact. Click Cover. One sheet wraps the book: back, spine and front. The spine's width comes from your page count. Turn on Guides, and keep your words inside the green lines. Starter covers are almost finished. Pick one, then change what you like. Choose a style. There are thirty-two, in five groups. Then one of twenty-eight colour sets, like Fern and cream. The title and author carry over from your book details. Add a corner badge, like Easy to hard. The proof strip says what's inside. The back cover sells the book. Write a short blurb, then up to five lines on what's inside. Add a line about the author. Pick one of thirty-five free backgrounds, drawn in your colours. Or upload your own picture. Aim for three hundred D-P-I, and look for the green chip. Click anything to select it, then drag it into place. Arrow keys nudge it. Zoom the picture up to three times. Changed your mind? Reset positions puts it all back. And Front only shows what shoppers see first. With the Publisher plan, AI can paint the art. It's in beta, and it spends ten credits. This part's sped up. Your words stay typeset. It writes the back cover too, for one credit. Read and edit every word. Everything else on this cover is free. There's your full-wrap cover, bleed and all. Next up, the last episode: from cover check to Amazon.

Chapter by chapter

0:04 Open the cover and read the wrap

One sheet wraps the book — back, spine, front — and the spine width comes from your real page count; Guides show trim, bleed and the safe area.

0:19 Pick a starter cover, a style and colours

Start from a starter cover, then choose from 32 cover styles and 28 colour sets.

0:33 Write the front and the back cover

Title, subtitle and author, a badge and proof strip on the front; blurb, what's inside and about the author on the back.

0:52 Add a free background or your own picture

Pick one of 35 free backgrounds or upload your own picture — aim for 300 DPI.

1:02 Drag, nudge and zoom into place

Click to select, drag, nudge with the arrow keys, zoom the picture, Reset positions, and check Front only.

1:19 AI artwork and back-cover copy (Publisher)

On the Publisher plan, generate artwork or write the back cover with AI — then edit every word.

Parts marked Publisher (the full interior PDF, the cover print files and the AI tools, in beta) need a KDP Publisher plan; building, previewing and the first 10 pages plus cover are free. Everything else shown is free. See the plans.