How to fix the "insufficient or no bleed" cover error

Updated October 31, 2026 · Amazon KDP · IngramSpark · Barnes & Noble Press · Lulu

Bleed is the most common cover rejection there is, and one of the easiest to fix once you know what the printer wants.

The error: “INSUFFICIENT OR NO BLEED ON COVER LAYOUT”

INSUFFICIENT OR NO BLEED ON COVER LAYOUT

Quoted from a real IngramSpark rejection. KDP shows a similar warning in its cover previewer when your art doesn't reach the edge.

Other ways people search for this error

• “Insufficient bleed”
• “Cover has no bleed”
• “Background does not extend to the bleed edge”

Why you get “INSUFFICIENT OR NO BLEED ON COVER LAYOUT”

Printers print your cover on a bigger sheet and then cut it down. The blade can land a tiny bit off. Bleed is extra background art, 0.125" (3.2 mm) past every edge, that gets cut away. If your art stops exactly at the edge, a slightly-off cut leaves a thin white line.

So printers check that your background runs all the way past the trim line. If it doesn't, or if the file is the trim size instead of the bigger bleed size, the cover is rejected.

How to fix “INSUFFICIENT OR NO BLEED ON COVER LAYOUT” manually (the hard way)

If you want to try adjusting the files yourself, here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Open your original cover file (Canva, InDesign, Photoshop, Word or whatever you designed it in).
2. Change the document size to the full size with bleed: add 0.125" to every outside edge, so 0.25" more in total to both the width and the height.
3. Drag every background photo and color block out past the edge, to the bleed line. Keep all text well inside the trim line.
4. Re-export as a print PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001 if your program has it) with the bleed included and no crop marks or printer marks.
5. Re-upload it to your printer and wait for the file review again. If it fails, you start over.

Step by step in your app

Work out the right size first

1. Full cover width = 0.125" + back cover + spine + front cover + 0.125".
2. Full cover height = 0.125" + book height + 0.125". A 6" x 9" book is 9.25" tall.
3. Use the KDP cover calculator or your printer's own template to get the exact numbers.

Canva

1. Create a custom design at the full cover size from the step above.
2. Turn on File → View settings → Show print bleed so you can see the cut line.
3. Stretch every background photo and color block past the outer edge.
4. Download as PDF Print with the bleed included. Don't add crop marks: printers don't want them in the file.

Adobe InDesign

1. File → Document Setup → Bleed and Slug: set 0.125 in on all sides.
2. Drag background art to the red bleed line on every edge.
3. File → Export → Adobe PDF (Print), and under Marks and Bleeds tick "Use Document Bleed Settings".

Check it in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF and look at the page size (File → Properties). It should be the full size with bleed, not the trim size.
2. Zoom into each corner: the background should keep going right to the edge of the page.

What it costs to get this fixed

Freelancer prices are Reedsy's own published figures (source). A great designer is worth it for original artwork. If you just need your files right for the printer, you don't need to pay designer prices.

Quick answers

How much bleed does a book cover need?

0.125 inches (3.2 mm) on every outside edge for paperbacks at KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu. Hardcover case covers need more, so always use your printer's own template for hardcovers.

Should text go into the bleed?

No. Only background art goes into the bleed. Keep titles and names well inside the trim line so they never get cut.

More guides

• How to fix "cover contains template elements"
• How to fix "jacket layout not built to the correct specifications"
• How to fix "spine text not allowed" on a thin book
• How to fix "cover dimensions are incorrect"
• All guides

SparkPrep is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press or Lulu.