Phase 5 — Design the Book (covers and interior)

Phase 5 turns your finished content into print-ready files: an interior PDF sized to your trim, plus a paperback wrap, a hardcover wrap and an ebook cover where they apply.

Interior

• Generate the interior once your manuscript or pages are complete. The result is a preview you can page through and download.
• "Rebuild with current matter" re-assembles the PDF after you change front or back matter (title page, dedication, about the author).
• "Retry Failed Pages" re-renders only the pages that did not finish.
• Coloring books: the "Single-sided pages" option prints each plate on the right-hand page with a blank back so markers don't bleed through. Those blank backs are intentional.
• "Ink & Paper Type" decides whether the interior is built in color or grayscale. White (B&W) and Cream (B&W) are Amazon KDP black-and-white ink, so illustrations and Interior Theme colors are rendered in grayscale. Choose Standard Color or Premium Color before generating if you want the theme or images printed in color (KDP charges more per page for color ink).
• An Interior Theme sets the layout's fonts, page furniture and accent colors. It does not by itself switch the book to color printing — that is the Ink & Paper Type.

Covers

• Each cover format has its own generation. Spine width is calculated from your final page count and paper type, so generate covers after the interior is final.
• Very thin books cannot carry spine text — the platform leaves the spine clean, as Amazon KDP requires.
• Already designed a cover in the Cover Design Studio? Import it instead of regenerating.
• Small wording change on a finished cover? Ask the Studio assistant to edit one element in place rather than regenerating the whole cover.

Design Studios

The Cover Design Studio and Interior Design Studio give you a canvas editor: move and resize elements, change fonts and colors, and export a print-ready file with Amazon KDP safe zones respected. Opening and editing in the Studios is free; only new AI generations cost credits.

Trim size changes

If you change trim size after building, the Design phase shows a "Rebuild needed" warning listing which files (interior, paperback, hardcover) no longer match. Rebuild each before publishing.

Hardcover (case laminate) is available at these trim sizes: 5.5" × 8.5", 6" × 9", 6.14" × 9.21", 6.69" × 9.61", 7" × 10", 8.25" × 11".