Spine width, cover size, print cost, fonts, formatting.
All the specs. All free.
Eight tools that handle the math and checklists between "manuscript done" and "uploaded to KDP." Built by the team behind Cambric, the desktop book formatting app.
Get the numbers right
Page count, spine width, cover dimensions, printing cost — the specs your cover designer needs and your platform requires. Enter your book details, get exact numbers.
Book Printing Cost Calculator
Estimate how much it costs to print a book on KDP, plus page count, spine width, margins, cover dimensions, and royalty—all on one page.
Calculate specsBook Spine Calculator
Enter page count and paper type — get exact spine width for KDP and IngramSpark, plus full cover dimensions with bleed. Shows whether your spine can hold text.
Calculate spineBook Margin Calculator
Enter final page count, trim, and bleed — get the current KDP minimum inside and outside margins, a comfortable design starting point, millimeters, and a live page diagram.
Calculate marginsCover Size Calculator
Enter trim size and page count — see full cover dimensions with bleed, spine, barcode zone, safe area, and pixel sizes at 300 DPI. Copy specs or send directly to your designer.
Calculate coverWord Count Tool
Paste your manuscript — see word count, estimated page count across five trim sizes, reading time, and how your length compares to genre standards.
Count wordsMake the right decisions
Font selection, description formatting, and the 35-point quality check. The decisions and verifications between "manuscript done" and "upload ready."
Book Font Preview
Preview 18+ book fonts in a realistic page layout. Filter by genre, adjust trim size and font size, compare pairings side by side. The font research step before formatting.
Preview fontsBook Description Formatter
Write or paste your book description, add bold, italic, headings, and bullet points — get clean HTML that Amazon KDP actually accepts. Preview before you paste.
Format descriptionFormatting Checklist
Every formatting requirement for KDP and IngramSpark in one interactive checklist. Check items off as you go — progress saves automatically in your browser.
Start checklistEverything between “manuscript done”
and “uploaded to KDP”
These tools cover the research. Here’s the rest of the workflow.
- 1
Choose trim size, paper type, fonts
Our calculators and font preview help here
- 2
Calculate spine width and cover dimensions
Spine and cover calculators handle this
- 3
Set up page layout — margins, headers, page numbers
Different for every trim size. KDP has minimum margin requirements.
- 4
Build front matter — title page, copyright, dedication, TOC
Each page has its own layout conventions. Recto/verso placement matters.
- 5
Format chapter openings — drop caps, ornaments, spacing
Consistent across 20–40 chapters. One mistake and it looks amateur.
- 6
Handle widows, orphans, and bad page breaks
Manual page-by-page review. Changes cascade — fixing one can create another.
- 7
Export the print PDF for the selected platform
PDF standard, bleed, fonts, and color handling depend on the printer and book.
- 8
Create the EPUB for ebook distribution
Completely separate file with its own formatting rules.
- 9
Verify against platform requirements and upload
Our formatting checklist covers this
The expensive part is not one calculation. It is keeping the manuscript, page count, margins, PDF, EPUB, and cover handoff consistent after every revision. Use these tools for decisions, then freeze the interior before building the final cover.
Estimate early. Verify late.
A useful publishing tool tells you which decision it supports and where its authority ends. The printer’s current specification and generated template always win over a generic calculator.
Planning tools
Use word-count, page, margin, spine, and cover estimates while comparing trims or setting a budget. They help expose tradeoffs before the design is locked, but they cannot know the final typeset page count.
Design tools
Use the font preview and genre guides to create a coherent reading system. Print samples at actual size. A point value, line count, or margin can meet a rule and still produce an uncomfortable page.
Release checks
Use the formatting checklist after the print PDF and EPUB exist. Validate the files, inspect retailer previews, regenerate the cover after reflow, and order a proof when physical reproduction matters.
The safe production sequence
Finish editing → choose the page system → typeset and inspect → freeze the interior → calculate the production cover → validate each format → upload → review previews → proof → publish. If the manuscript changes after the cover is built, return to the interior step and regenerate every downstream asset that depends on page count.
Import your manuscript. Pick a template.
Export a print-ready book.
Cambric keeps the editable manuscript beside a live typeset preview and exports print PDF plus EPUB from one local desktop project. Professional interior production, Windows and Mac, one-time purchase.
One-time purchase · macOS & Windows · No subscription, no cloud, no lock-in