How to Fix Amazon KDP Margin Issues
Paperback interiors on Kindle Direct Publishing need safe space around text: minimum margins, plus extra binding-side space called gutter on thicker books. When your PDF was built in a word processor, design app, or template that did not match Amazon’s spec, the uploader may reject the file for margin-related errors.
What to verify first: the trim size in KDP matches the document you exported; facing pages use correct inside/outside logic; headers or page numbers are not crowding the binding; images meant to bleed still respect minimum text margins on text-heavy pages.
Fixing this by hand in InDesign is reliable but time-consuming. InkAlign applies KDP-oriented margin and gutter math for standard paperback trims: you upload your PDF, run the free readiness scan to see pressure points, then download a corrected interior sized for the trim you select — tuned for the same kinds of checks that tend to fail right after upload.
If bleed is also involved (full-bleed art), pair this with our guide on Amazon KDP bleed issues.
Check margins and gutter for your trim — free scan first
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