How Do I Turn My Word File Into a Print-Ready PDF for KDP?

To make a print-ready PDF from Word, set the page size to your trim size and use the margins KDP asks for before you format the book. Then embed the fonts, save the file as a PDF and open it in KDP’s previewer. The same order works in Google Docs, with one catch I cover below.

What page size should I use?

The page size in your file must be the trim size you picked in KDP. KDP’s Paperback Submission Guidelines say that for a book without bleed you “set the page size to your selected trim size (width by height)”. A 6 x 9 inch book needs a 6 x 9 inch page, not Letter or A4. If you have not picked a size yet, see how to choose a KDP trim size.

What margins does KDP want?

KDP sets a minimum inside margin by page count, and the outside margin must be at least 0.25 inch without bleed. These are the numbers on KDP’s margin page:

KDP says the inside margin is sometimes called the gutter, and to enter the same value for both. In Word you can make facing pages match. Microsoft’s help says to go to Layout, then Margins, then Custom Margins, and under Multiple Pages choose Mirror margins. You then type your values in the Inside and Outside boxes. It gives steps for both Windows and Mac.

You only know your page count once the book is formatted. So set a first guess, finish the layout, then check the count against the table and change the inside margin if the book moved into the next band. For example, a book that grows from 140 to 160 pages during editing moves from the 0.375 inch band to the 0.5 inch band.

How do I embed the fonts?

KDP’s guidelines say to “embed all fonts and images” in your file before you submit it. Microsoft’s page on embedding custom fonts gives the steps for Windows:

1. Click File, then Options.
2. Choose the Save tab.
3. Tick “Embed fonts in the file”.
4. Leave “Embed only the characters used” unticked. Microsoft says it makes the file smaller but limits editing, and advises against it.

Microsoft’s steps are written for Windows. Its page says embedding is supported in Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac but gives only a short note on where to find it, so I won’t invent Mac steps. Microsoft also says “Not all TrueType fonts can be embedded”, because the font maker sets the permission. If a font will not embed, pick another. My post on the best font for a self-published book helps with that. Keep text at 7 points or larger, which is KDP’s minimum.

Should I use Save as PDF or Print to PDF?

On Windows, Microsoft’s Save or convert to PDF page says to choose File, then Save a Copy (or Save As), click Browse, pick PDF in the list and click Save. On a Mac it says File, Save As, then File Format, then PDF. It notes that with the Online Service option custom fonts may be replaced, so embedding is recommended.

The same page describes Print to PDF only for Word for the web, and says that gives a basic PDF. It does not say Print to PDF is wrong for a book, so I won’t either. I use Save as PDF and let the previewer decide.

KDP says a PDF is required if your book has bleed, and that you should flatten transparent objects and layers before publishing.

What if I write in Google Docs?

Google’s page settings help says to open File, then Page setup, choose Pages at the top, and change the Paper size and Margins. These settings do not work in pageless format. The help page does not say whether you can type a custom paper size, so look in the Paper size list for your trim size. If it is not there, a Word file is easier for a book.

Moving a book from Letter or A4 to a book trim size changes the page count, because the pages are smaller. That is my advice from formatting many books, not a rule. Set the size first, then check the length.

How do I check the PDF before I order?

Upload the PDF to KDP and open the previewer. It flags text outside the margins, unembedded fonts and wrong page sizes. My post on a rejected KDP interior covers each flag and how to fix it, so I won’t repeat it here.

After the previewer is clean, order a printed proof copy and read it on paper. That is my advice, and a screen can hide problems such as text sitting too close to the fold.

Can I do it in Word at all?

Yes. I format in Atticus now, but Word works if you set it up first: page size, mirrored margins, styles for headings and fonts embedded, in that order. If you would rather not, my team formats your book and I check it before it goes back: an EPUB from $67, or with the print PDF from $127, delivered within 3 business days of getting your manuscript, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. See book formatting