English | Help | Sign in | Give Feedback

How would you rate your experience using this page?

Visit our help center for resources to common issues

Click here to take our survey and give us detailed feedback.

Thank you for your feedback.

Click here to take our survey and give us detailed feedback.

Help Topics

Contact Us

Have feedback? Can't find your answer in our Help pages?

Contact Us

Paperback Printing Cost

KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don't have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory.


Contents


How we calculate printing cost

Printing costs vary depending on trim size, page count, and ink type (black ink or color ink). Bleed settings and cover finish don't affect printing cost. Printing cost also depends on which Amazon marketplace (website) a reader ordered your book from. Based on the print options you choose, KDP calculates and displays your printing cost in the Rights & Pricing section of your title setup.

To calculate your paperback's printing cost, we use this formula:

Fixed cost + (page count * per page cost) = printing cost

To estimate your printing cost, use KDP’s Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator.

The charts below summarize printing cost calculations by marketplace where the book is sold.

Black ink paperback:
Note: Black-ink paperbacks with 24 - 108 pages only incur the fixed cost.
Marketplace Regular Trim Sizes Large Trim Sizes

(More than 6.12 inches (155.5 mm) in width or more than 9 inches (228.6 mm) in height)

Fixed Cost Per-Page Cost Fixed Cost
Per-Page Cost
Paperback specification: black ink with 24-108 pages
Amazon.ca 2.99 CAD per book None 3.53 CAD per book None
Amazon.co.jp 422 YEN per book None 530 YEN per book None
Amazon.co.uk 1.93 GBP per book None 2.15 GBP per book None
Amazon.com 2.30 USD per book None 2.84 USD per book None
Amazon.com.au 4.74 AUD per book None 5.28 AUD per book None
Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl 2.05 EUR per book None 2.48 EUR per book None
Amazon.pl 9.58 PLN per book None 11.61 PLN per book None
Amazon.se 22.84 SEK per book None 27.67 SEK per book None
Paperback specification: black ink with 110-828 pages
Amazon.ca 1.26 CAD per book 0.016 CAD per page 1.26 CAD per book 0.021 CAD per page
Amazon.co.jp 206 YEN per book 2 YEN per page 206 YEN per book 3 YEN per page
Amazon.co.uk 0.85 GBP per book 0.010 GBP per page 0.85 GBP per book 0.012 GBP per page
Amazon.com 1.00 USD per book 0.012 USD per page 1.00 USD per book 0.017 USD per page
Amazon.com.au 2.42 AUD per book 0.022 AUD per page 2.42 AUD per book 0.027 AUD per page
Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl 0.75 EUR per book 0.012 EUR per page 0.75 EUR per book 0.016 EUR per page
Amazon.pl 3.51 PLN per book 0.056 PLN per page 3.51 PLN per book 0.075 PLN per page
Amazon.se 8.37 SEK per book 0.134 SEK per page 8.37 SEK per book 0.179 SEK per page
Color ink paperback:
Marketplace Regular Trim Sizes Large Trim Sizes

(More than 6.12 inches (155.5 mm) in width or more than 9 inches (228.6 mm) in height)

Fixed Cost Per-Page Cost Fixed Cost
Per-Page Cost
Paperback specification: premium color ink with 24-40 pages
Amazon.ca 4.66 CAD per book None 5.26 CAD per book None
Amazon.co.jp 475 YEN per book None 475 YEN per book None
Amazon.co.uk 2.65 GBP per book None 3.25 GBP per book None
Amazon.com 3.60 USD per book None 4.20 USD per book None
Amazon.com.au 5.82 AUD per book None 6.42 AUD per book None
Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl 3.03 EUR per book None 3.63 EUR per book None
Amazon.pl 12.86 PLN per book None 15.32 PLN per book None
Amazon.se 30.65 SEK per book None 36.51 SEK per book None
Paperback specification: premium color ink with 42-828 pages
Amazon.ca 1.26 CAD per book 0.085 CAD per page 1.26 CAD per book 0.10 CAD per page
Amazon.co.jp 206 YEN per book 4 YEN per page 206 YEN per book 5 YEN per page
Amazon.co.uk 0.85 GBP per book 0.045 GBP per page 0.85 GBP per book 0.060 GBP per page
Amazon.com 1.00 USD per book 0.065 USD per page 1.00 USD per book 0.08 USD per page
Amazon.com.au 2.42 AUD per book 0.085 AUD per page 2.42 AUD per book 0.100 AUD per page
Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl 0.75 EUR per book 0.057 EUR per page 0.75 EUR per book 0.072 EUR per page
Amazon.pl 3.51 PLN per book 0.267 PLN per page 3.51 PLN per book 0.337 PLN per page
Amazon.se 8.37 SEK per book 0.636 SEK per page 8.37 SEK per book 0.804 SEK per page
Paperback specification: standard color ink with 72-600 pages
Amazon.ca 1.26 CAD per book 0.037 CAD per page 1.26 CAD per book 0.052 CAD per page
Amazon.co.uk 0.85 GBP per book 0.020 GBP per page 0.85 GBP per book 0.027 GBP per page
Amazon.com 1.00 USD per book 0.027 USD per page 1.00 USD per book 0.042 USD per page
Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl 0.75 EUR per book 0.024 EUR per page 0.75 EUR per book 0.035 EUR per page
Amazon.pl 3.51 PLN per book 0.112 PLN per page 3.51 PLN per book 0.164 PLN per page
Amazon.se 8.37 SEK per book 0.268 SEK per page 8.37 SEK per book 0.3691 SEK per page



Printing cost calculation examples

Black ink, regular trim size
Example #1: 300-page black ink regular trim size paperback sold in the United States:
Based on the black ink chart above, the fixed cost for a 300-page black ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.com is 1.00 USD, and the additional cost per page is 0.012 USD.

1.00 USD fixed cost + (300 page count * 0.012 USD per page cost) = 4.60 USD (printing cost)

Example #2: 55-page black ink regular trim size paperback sold in the United Kingdom:
Fixed cost for a 55-page black ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.co.uk is 1.93 GBP, and the additional cost per page is 0.00 GBP (none).

1.93 GBP fixed cost + (55 page count * 0.00 GBP per page cost ) = 1.93 GBP (printing cost)

Standard color ink, regular trim size
Example #1: 150-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold in Germany:
Based on the color ink chart above, the fixed cost for a 150-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.de is 0.75 EUR, and the additional cost per page is 0.024 EUR.

0.75 EUR fixed cost + (150 page count * 0.024 EUR per page cost) = 4.35 EUR (printing cost)

Example #2: 600-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold in Canada:
Based on the color ink chart above, the fixed cost for a 600-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.ca is 1.26 CAD, and the additional cost per page is 0.037 CAD.

1.26 CAD fixed cost + (600 page count * 0.037 CAD per page cost ) = 23.46 CAD (printing cost)

Premium color ink, large trim size
Example #1: 50-page premium color ink large trim size paperback sold in Australia:
Based on the color ink chart above, the fixed cost for a 50-page premium color ink large trim size paperback sold on Amazon.com.au is 2.42 AUD, and the additional cost per page is 0.10 AUD.

2.42 AUD fixed cost + (50 page count * 0.10 AUD per page cost) = 7.42 AUD (printing cost)


Minimum paperback list price

The minimum list price is calculated based on your book's printing cost. It ensures that your royalties earned are always enough to cover the cost to print your book. KDP will not allow you to enter a list price lower than the minimum list price.

To calculate your minimum list price, we divide your paperback's printing cost by the royalty rate (60%):

Printing cost / (60 / 100) [royalty rate] = minimum list price

Minimum list price calculation examples:
Example #1: 300-page regular trim size paperback printed in black ink sold in the United States:
Following the printing cost formula above, the printing cost for a 300-page black ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.com is 4.60 USD, and the royalty rate is 60%.

4.60 USD printing cost / (60 / 100) royalty rate = 7.67 USD minimum list price

Example #2: 150-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold in Germany:
The printing cost for a 150-page standard color ink regular trim size paperback sold on Amazon.de is 4.35 EUR, and the royalty rate is 60%.

4.35 EUR printing cost / (60 / 100) royalty rate = 7.25 EUR minimum list price

Example #3: 50-page premium color ink large trim size paperback sold in Australia:
The printing cost for a 50-page premium color ink large trim size paperback sold on Amazon.com.au is 7.42 AUD, and the royalty rate is 60%.

7.42 AUD printing cost / (60 / 100) royalty rate = 12.37 AUD minimum list price


Maximum paperback list price

The maximum list price we allow for any paperback is listed below by marketplace:

Marketplace

Maximum list price for paperback books

Amazon.ca

350 CAD

Amazon.co.jp

30,000 YEN

Amazon.com

250 USD

Amazon.com.au

350 AUD

Amazon.co.uk

250 GBP

Amazon.de/es/fr/it/nl

250 EUR

Amazon.pl

1,200 PLN

Amazon.se

2,500 SEK



Set & Update List Prices by Marketplace

You can set list prices by marketplace as long as they’re higher than the minimum list price and lower than the maximum list price. Learn how to update your paperback list price. Alternatively, you can choose to automatically update your non-primary marketplace list prices based off of the list price you set for your primary marketplace.

Note: If you manually set your list prices in your non-primary marketplaces, changing your primary marketplace list price will not update the list prices you manually entered in non-primary marketplaces. Use the Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator to see your minimum list price in all currencies.

See our help page for information on timelines, including updates to published books.

Was this article helpful? Yes | No

The survey is hosted by Qualtrics, so you'll visit their site to fill it out.

An unexpected error occurred. Please try again later.
Your session has expired

Please sign in to continue

Sign In
edit