How to fix "cover contains template elements"
Updated October 28, 2026 · IngramSpark · Amazon KDP
You used the printer's template, which was the right move. The guides from it just came along into your final file.
The error: “Cover contains template elements / document size incorrect”
Cover contains template elements / document size incorrect
Paraphrased from IngramSpark rejection emails.
Quick fix: SparkPrep scans your cover and interior against the exact platform rules, pinpoints the issue, and fixes it for you with one click.
Why you get “Cover contains template elements / document size incorrect”
Cover templates have colored boxes, labels and lines that show the bleed, spine and barcode area. They're there to guide you, and they must be gone in the final file. If any are left, they would print on your book, so the cover is rejected.
The second half of the error, document size, happens when the template is cropped or resized while removing the guides. The final cover must stay the template's full size, bleed included.
How to fix “Cover contains template elements / document size incorrect” manually (the hard way)
If you want to try adjusting the files yourself, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Open the cover file you built on top of the printer's template.
- Hide or delete the template layer: the colored guide boxes, labels, dotted lines and barcode placeholder.
- Make sure the document is exactly the template's full size, not the template page with extra margins around it.
- Flatten the artwork and re-export as PDF/X-1a:2001.
- 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
Adobe InDesign or Photoshop
- Put the template on its own layer, under your art.
- Before exporting, hide or delete that layer.
- Don't crop: keep the document at the template's full size.
Canva or other tools
- If you placed the template as a picture, delete it before downloading.
- Download as PDF Print at the full cover size.
Check it
- Open the PDF and zoom in on the spine and barcode area: no colored guides, labels or dotted lines should show.
- File → Properties: the size should match the template's full size.
You can fix this by hand with the steps above. Or drop your file into SparkPrep and let it find the problem and fix it for you, in minutes. Try it on your file.
How to fix it instantly (the SparkPrep way)
If you don't have expensive design software, or you just want to get your book published without the headache, let SparkPrep handle it.
SparkPrep was built by a self-published author whose own book was rejected 18 times. It checks your files against the exact print rules Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu publish.
When you upload your file to SparkPrep:
- We automatically scan for page size, bleed, spine width, safety margins, ink coverage and embedded fonts.
- We explain any hidden errors in plain English.
- We fix what can be fixed automatically, tell you exactly what's left, and export a print-ready PDF/X-1a, checked again before you download it.
Stop fighting the bots. Drop your file into SparkPrep today and get back to marketing your book!
Check my cover for template marksWhat it costs to get this fixed
| Hire a professional cover designer | SparkPrep | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $930 | One price per book for the cover, the inside pages, or both |
| Time | Book a freelancer, wait for their schedule, then go back and forth on changes | Upload and get your fixed, print-ready files in minutes |
| Printer check | Depends on the freelancer | Checked against your printer's own rules, every time |
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
What are template elements?
The colored guide boxes, labels and lines in a printer's cover template that show bleed, spine and barcode areas. They must be removed before you export.
What size should my final cover be?
The template's full size, bleed included. Don't crop away the bleed when you remove the guides.
More guides
- 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"
- How to fix cover text that's too close to the edge
- All guides
SparkPrep is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press or Lulu.