Fix Your Print Book Rejection
Got a rejection from KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press or Lulu? Find your error below. Every guide shows the error, why it happened, how to fix it yourself, and the fast fix with SparkPrep.
Cover & Spine · Interior Formatting · Color & Resolution · Platform Specifics · Compare Your Options
Cover & Spine
Spine width, bleed, barcode placement and spine text.
How to fix "cover contains template elements"
IngramSpark rejected your cover for template elements or wrong document size? Here's how to remove the template guides and export the cover at the right size.
How to fix "jacket layout not built to the correct specifications"
Your hardcover dust jacket was rejected. Learn the jacket layout IngramSpark expects, why text on a flap fold fails, and how to fix it.
How to fix "spine text not allowed" on a thin book
Your cover was rejected because your book is too thin for spine text. See the page counts KDP and IngramSpark require and how to fix your cover fast.
How to fix "cover dimensions are incorrect"
Your cover file is the wrong size for your book. Learn how to work out the exact cover size from trim size, page count and paper, and fix it fast.
How to fix cover text that's too close to the edge
Your title or author name sits too close to the trim line and could get cut off. See how much space to leave and how to fix your cover quickly.
How to fix the "insufficient or no bleed" cover error
Your book cover was rejected for missing bleed. Here's what bleed is, why printers need it, and how to add it in Canva, Word, InDesign or Acrobat, step by step.
How to fix "the ISBN on your cover doesn't match"
Your book was rejected because the ISBN on the cover barcode doesn't match the ISBN you entered. Why it happens and how to fix it in minutes.
How to fix "incorrect spine width" and spine text that's too wide
Rejected for spine width or spine text? Learn why your spine changes with page count and paper, and how to resize your cover and spine text so it prints right.
Barcode placement on a book cover: KDP and IngramSpark rules
Where to put the ISBN barcode on your back cover, how much space to leave for KDP and IngramSpark, and how to fix a cover rejected for the barcode area or an ISBN mismatch.
Interior Formatting
Page size, margins and gutters, safety areas and fonts.
How to fix "font cannot be embedded because of licensing restrictions"
Some fonts don't allow embedding, so your PDF can't carry them and the printer rejects it. How to spot them and swap them out quickly.
How to fix the "font not embedded" error in your book PDF
Printer says a font isn't embedded in your PDF? Here's what it means and how to embed all fonts from Word, InDesign or Acrobat so your book prints exactly as you designed it.
How to fix "interior content extends outside the safety area"
IngramSpark rejected your interior for the safety area or for content not centered? Here's what it means, the 0.5 inch rule, and how to fix it in Word, InDesign or Acrobat.
How to fix a KDP margin error (with the gutter table)
KDP says your text is outside the margins? Here are KDP's minimum margins and inside gutter for every page count, and how to set them in Word or InDesign.
How to fix a PDF page size that doesn't match your trim size
Your book was rejected because the PDF page size doesn't match the trim size you picked. Here's how to set the right size in Word, Google Docs and InDesign, with or without bleed.
Why your Word page count doesn't match your book (and why it matters)
Word says 212 pages but your printer says 220? Here's why page counts change, which number your spine and cover must use, and how to get the right one.
Color & Resolution
300 DPI images, CMYK vs RGB and ink limits.
RGB vs CMYK for book covers: what printers want and how to convert
Should your book cover be RGB or CMYK? Learn the difference, why colors shift in print, and how to convert your cover to CMYK in Canva, Photoshop or Acrobat before you upload.
How to fix "RGB or color content found in a black and white interior"
Your black and white book was rejected for containing color? Here's why black text can secretly be color, and how to convert your whole interior to grayscale in Word, InDesign or Acrobat.
How to fix "ink coverage exceeds 240%" (IngramSpark)
IngramSpark rejected your file for ink coverage over 240%? Here's what total ink means, why rich black causes it, and how to fix it in Acrobat, InDesign or Word.
How to fix low-resolution (under 300 DPI) images in your book
Printer warned your images are below 300 DPI? Learn what DPI means for print, how to check it, and how to keep Word, Canva and InDesign from shrinking your images.
How to fix "PDF contains transparency or layers"
Your print PDF has live transparency or layers, so it was rejected or may print wrong. What that means and how to flatten it for IngramSpark and KDP.
Platform Specifics
KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu rules, translated.
White vs cream paper: how your paper choice changes your spine
Cream paper is thicker than white, so the same book needs a wider spine. See KDP and IngramSpark spine numbers by paper, and how to avoid a cover that no longer fits.
How to fix "your file is not PDF/X-1a compliant"
IngramSpark asks for PDF/X-1a print files. Here's why a normal PDF fails, and how to export a compliant one from Word, InDesign, Canva or Acrobat.
KDP vs IngramSpark vs Lulu vs Barnes & Noble Press: print file rules side by side
The same book file can pass KDP and fail IngramSpark. Compare bleed, safety margins, barcode area, spine text and page limits for KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and B&N Press.
Compare Your Options
SparkPrep vs freelancers, Reedsy and formatting software: real prices and real time.
Should you hire a freelancer to format your book? Cost, speed and risk compared
Thinking of hiring a formatter or cover designer on Fiverr or Upwork? Compare the real cost, the waiting, and the risk of a rejected file with doing it in SparkPrep in minutes.
SparkPrep vs hiring on Reedsy: what it really costs and how long it takes
Reedsy's own data puts a pro cover around $930 and interior formatting around $800. Here's how that compares to SparkPrep's one price per book, done in minutes.
SparkPrep vs Vellum vs Atticus: which one gets your book printed?
Vellum costs $249.99 for print and runs only on Mac. Atticus costs $147. Compare what each does for your cover, your interior and printer rejections, side by side.
New to self-publishing? Why your book needs a preflight check before you upload
First book? KDP and IngramSpark reject files for bleed, colors, blurry pictures and spine width. Learn what preflight is, what hiring a freelancer costs, and the faster option.
Free tools that catch these problems early
- KDP cover size calculator and template
- Book spine width calculator
- Book margin and bleed calculator
- Image DPI checker
- Free manuscript checklist
- Free book formatting guide
Rather not fix it by hand?
Upload your cover and interior. SparkPrep checks them against your printer's rules, explains every problem in plain English and fixes it for you.
Check my book filesSparkPrep is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press or Lulu.