If you already have an ebook cover, you have done the hardest design work for the paperback: the front. But you cannot simply print an ebook cover. A paperback cover is a different shape, a different size and a different file, with a back, a spine, bleed and a barcode area. This guide explains what changes between the two, how to adapt your front cover without losing quality, and what to build around it. The last section shows how Quillen converts an ebook cover into a paperback cover in a few clicks, and keeps every layer editable.
The short answer
Keep your ebook front cover as the front of the paperback, resized to fit the front panel plus bleed. Then add a back cover (description, optional bio, barcode area) and a spine (title and author, if the book is thick enough), set to match your trim size, paper type and final page count. Check that the artwork has enough resolution for print: about 300 DPI at the printed size. In Quillen, use Create paperback cover in the ebook cover designer to do the first step for you.
What changes between an ebook and a paperback cover
| Ebook cover | Paperback cover | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | One tall image | One wide wraparound: back, spine, front |
| Size | 1600 x 2560 pixels is KDP's ideal | Depends on trim size, paper and page count (for example 13.070 x 9.250 inches for a 6 x 9 book with 328 pages on cream paper) |
| Resolution | Screen resolution | About 300 DPI at the printed size |
| Bleed | None | 0.125 inch on every outside edge |
| Extra elements | None required | Back cover text, spine, barcode area |
| File type | JPEG or TIFF | A single PDF |
| Color | RGB | RGB at 300 DPI; KDP converts to CMYK when printing |
The resolution problem
The most common surprise is resolution. A 1600 x 2560 pixel image is fine on screen, but a 6 x 9 inch front cover with bleed is about 6.125 inches wide by 9.25 inches tall. Stretching 1,600 pixels across 6.125 inches gives about 261 pixels per inch, which is below the 300 DPI KDP asks for. It will usually still print acceptably, but you will see a small difference in sharpness next to a print-resolution cover.
For a front panel of that size you want at least about 1,840 x 2,775 pixels of artwork. The practical advice is to start from a larger source image than the ebook minimum. If you commission or generate artwork, ask for the larger size from the start, then export the ebook version smaller.
Fill or fit?
An ebook cover has a tall, narrow proportion. The paperback front panel, including bleed, is slightly wider in proportion. When you move the artwork over you have two choices:
- Fill. Scale the artwork to cover the whole front panel. A little of the top and bottom may be cropped. Nothing is left empty, but check that nothing important is cut off.
- Fit. Scale the artwork so all of it is visible. Nothing is cropped, but the sides may show background color, so the background needs to match the artwork's edges.
If your artwork has important content near the top or bottom edge, use Fit. If it is a full-bleed picture, Fill usually looks best.
Step by step: building the paperback from the ebook cover
- Settle the physical book. Decide your trim size and paper type, and get the best page count you can (an estimate is fine at first). See our guides on estimating page count and working out spine width.
- Move the front across. Resize the artwork to the front panel, choosing fill or fit.
- Check the text. Make sure the title and author are inside the safe area, away from the trim edge and the spine fold.
- Extend the background through the bleed and across the back and spine, so there is no white edge. Matching the background color to the artwork's edge is the simplest way.
- Build the back cover: a short description, optionally an author bio and photo, and a clear area for the barcode.
- Add the spine if your page count allows spine text.
- Check resolution and fix anything flagged.
- Export a PDF, upload it, and order a printed proof.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using the ebook JPEG at its original size | Blurry print or wrong dimensions | Rebuild at the paperback's full-wrap size, from a high-resolution source |
| Leaving the ebook text where it was | Title crosses a fold or the trim edge | Check the safe area after converting |
| Forgetting bleed on the background | White line at the edge | Extend the background 0.125 inch past the trim |
| Not rechecking after the page count changes | Spine width wrong | Update the page count and re-export |
| Skipping the back cover | An empty back and barcode clash | Add a description and keep the barcode area clear |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen's ebook cover designer has a button that creates a paperback cover from your ebook design. Your layers are copied onto the front of the paperback and stay editable.
- Finish your ebook cover in the ebook cover designer (Cover, then eBook cover).
- Click Create paperback cover… in the top bar. A dialog opens: it says your ebook layers are copied onto the paperback front cover and stay editable, and you can add the back cover and spine next.
- Choose your Trim size and Paper / ink.
- Set the Page count. Type the number, or click Estimate from this book's word count (it needs at least 1,000 words). An estimate is marked "estimated".
- Choose how to fit the artwork: Fill (crops a little at the top and bottom) or Fit (nothing cropped; the background color fills the sides).
- Click Create paperback. The paperback editor opens with your artwork on the front panel, and the back cover and spine ready to fill in.
- Read the checklist. In our test, converting a 1600 x 2560 image warned that the image was about 261 DPI against KDP's 300, which is the resolution issue described above.
- Finish the cover: set a back cover template and description, add spine text if allowed, and adjust anything that now sits too close to an edge. Note that a smart background from the ebook version is not carried over: the paperback regenerates it across the whole wrap.
- Click Export print PDF. See the full walkthrough in our guide to creating a paperback cover for KDP.
Checklist
- Trim size, paper and page count set (and re-checked once the interior is final).
- Artwork resolution is about 300 DPI at the printed size, or you accept the warning.
- Fill or fit chosen, and nothing important cropped.
- Title and author inside the safe area and clear of the spine folds.
- Background runs into the bleed and across the back and spine.
- Back cover description added; barcode area left clear.
- Exported as a PDF and checked in KDP's previewer; proof ordered.
Common questions
Can I use my ebook cover for a paperback?
You can use the front artwork, but the paperback needs a full wraparound file with a back cover, spine, bleed and barcode area, sized for your trim and page count. In Quillen, the ebook designer's Create paperback cover button copies your design onto the front of one.
Why does the converted cover warn about resolution?
A 1600 x 2560 pixel ebook image spread over a 6 x 9 inch front panel with bleed comes to about 261 pixels per inch, below the 300 KDP asks for. Start from a larger source image to avoid the warning.
Should I choose fill or fit?
Use fill for full-bleed artwork, accepting a small crop at the top and bottom. Use fit when important content is near the edges and you can extend the background color to fill the sides.
Are the ebook layers still editable after converting?
Yes. Quillen copies your layers onto the paperback front and keeps them editable. A smart background is not carried over; the paperback regenerates it across the whole wrap.
Do I need to know my page count to convert?
You need an estimate. Quillen can estimate it from your book's word count if the manuscript has at least 1,000 words, or you can type it. Replace it with the exact count once your interior is final.