I tried that but I can't find the stretching option
I'll give it a try
As with page numbering (I noticed that article too), you can talk to me. I've published about 14 books on KDP, so I've gone through all the crap. Especially when I found that KDP accepts (most) foreign language so long as it doesn't create missing words, but found that Amazon universally hates Zalgo text and rejects it often. I've done Hardcover, Paperback, and I've even made Hebrew and Japanese copies of Oracle of Tao (using Google Translate, so it probly sucks). I'm not sure I'm good at explaining though.
My only issue with the cover creator is the fact that all of the templates they have available have some kind of text box that I can't get rid of. I had my artist make the cover to the Amazon KDP dimensions but it is off by about .3 mm. I was able to find someone who could stretch it for me but if it doesn't work then I'll try this out.As with page numbering (I noticed that article too), you can talk to me. I've published about 14 books on KDP, so I've gone through all the crap. Especially when I found that KDP accepts (most) foreign language so long as it doesn't create missing words, but found that Amazon universally hates Zalgo text and rejects it often. I've done Hardcover, Paperback, and I've even made Hebrew and Japanese copies of Oracle of Tao (using Google Translate, so it probly sucks). I'm not sure I'm good at explaining though.
For covers, I recommend using GIMP. Also, click on download template. This is not just for newbies, it's basically a requirement because you'll need to know, given your page size and page number, how big the cover ought to be. You'll want to make a picture that matches the dimensions of the book exactly, and make a binding that lines up with the binding lines on the template. Use the Scale Image and Canvas Size to make sure that the picture matches the dimensions they give you. Like this. Here's my Japanese copy of my book. You can see the layer sections in the bottom right. You can make as many or as few layers, but the important thing is that text and such blends well and fits properly into the front, binding and back margins. Oh and make sure Scale Image is in inches, not px. That's how Amazon measures. It needs to be the dimensions in inches and have a X/Y resolution of 300 pixels/in (300 dpi). Interpolation doesn't matter, I often use None.
If it's too hard to figure GIMP layers, do this instead. Use Amazon KDP's CoverCreator and simply add a picture. You can do a front cover only, or full cover (in this case, make the binding blank so Cover Creator can insert text). The PDF version is really for those who want to make a very custom book or for those who are working in Hardcover or foreign language books (usually required for Hebrew or Japanese, because their covers are very different).
This option. People underestimate the CoverCreator but it is not only perfectly viable by may even save you resizing headaches later if the page number changes.
Now if you are working with a Hardcover and have to use PDF? The required margins in your case probably refer to the binding. Either the text of the binding is too big, or the binding is too big or small. Read the instructions carefully, and use GIMP with the template. Export to PDF. Yeah, it's a straight up pretty picture that you're turning into a PDF. So any margin issues are at the art end. Simply redraw the margins until things fit.
Don't use Adobe Acrobat for this. That's for text-heavy PDFs. This is an art-heavy PDF so use an art program!
Or better yet, until you've managed to do at least one PDF like this, use the CoverCreator.
Alright sweet! I'll give it a try. Thank you so much.There, I finally logged in.
As you can see, I premade a big picture so it recognizes it as a wraparound picture. To the best of my knowledge, the only requirement for CoverCreator to do this is for the picture to be wider than it is tall. If you have a tall picture, you'll tend to get front only options.
But instead of 2 or 4 (my picks for front cover, though #3 is okay too), we're gonna pick 1 and try to blow it up.
On this one, you get a great deal of excess to the picture. It's front-only so the stuff that extends to the binding and back cover does not show up. However, something seems to be wrong as all front cover text is missing. So we're gonna restart, and this time, we'll choose the last option.
In addition to the first design screen, there are three tabs: paint roller, a box thing, and a T. That is, color designs, layout, and text. I switched to this layout. There are advantages to both options but neither is ideal (this is when you would use PDF mode, tbh). Type 1 has a small space for a picture, but the back has a clickable image, allowing you to have a front cover and back cover. Type 2 has a bigger space for the front cover, but no back cover. It also has a butt-ugly pink secondary color. Let's make it all black.
Type 2 turns out to have extra space, so we click on the edge tabs and stretched the picture. Finished result.
But I've decided I don't want a single front page at all, so I'm gonna start over.
Did you know that there's a second page? This time, we're going to click on the full-cover. We've chosen Cinzel Decorative and a kind of silver color to go with our book.
When you're done hit Preview. They'll show the results and you say Save & Submit. This works for everything but Hardcover and foreign language, so unless you want to do something cool (like a collage cover), it's not necessary to use a PDF. The trick is to force the creator to switch to wraparound mode.
If you really must use a PDF, learn to use GIMP well, then have the main cover and the binding as separate layers. That way if the binding is all by 0.33 mm, you can just expand the binding.
