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Design and Illustration

Guides to how books look: covers, interior layout, trim sizes, illustration styles and print-ready files, explained for first-time authors.

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 6 min read

Bleed vs no bleed on KDP: when a book needs bleed, the page sizes and margins for each setting, how…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 6 min read

How to calculate spine width for KDP: the per-page figure for each paper, a table of spine widths by page…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 7 min read

The best book formatting software in 2026, compared by the kind of book you're making: Vellum, Atticus, Kindle Create, Word,…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 6 min read

Book cover dimensions for every format: ebook sizes by store, the paperback cover formula with a worked example, hardcover and…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 10 min read

How to format a paperback with KDP's free Word template: nine steps from trim size to a PDF with embedded…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 10 min read

16 book cover design ideas, each with an original mockup, the genres it fits, and the trap to avoid, plus…

Design and Illustration Oct 24, 2026 10 min read

How to make a book cover yourself: eight steps from genre research to print-ready files, a free thumbnail test, the…