📖 In-Depth Educational Guide • 6 min read
How to Prepare Puzzle Interiors for Amazon KDP (No Print Errors)
By WordGridly Editorial Team • Updated October 2026
Amazon KDP automated interior review will flag and reject any PDF that has text too close to the spine or outer page edges. Learn how to set up your puzzle interior margins, bleed, and DPI to pass review on your first submission.
1. Understanding Gutter Margins for Physical Binding
The "gutter" is the extra inside margin where physical pages are glued into the paperback spine. As page count increases, the gutter margin must also increase:
- 24 to 150 Pages: Minimum 0.375 in (9.5 mm) gutter margin.
- 151 to 300 Pages: Minimum 0.500 in (12.7 mm) gutter margin.
- 301 to 500 Pages: Minimum 0.625 in (15.9 mm) gutter margin.
In WordGridly, toggling the KDP Gutter Margins button automatically injects these safe inner boundaries so no puzzle letters are lost in the spine.
2. Bleed vs No-Bleed for Puzzle Interiors
Standard puzzle interiors are published with No Bleed. This means elements do not extend past the trim edge, allowing Amazon to trim the book cleanly without risk of slicing into words or borders. Keep your outer margins at least 0.375 inches from the edge.
3. Vector PDF vs 300 DPI Raster Bitmaps
Uploading low-resolution PNG or JPEG interior files causes Amazon review warnings for "fuzzy text". WordGridly compiles 100% pure vector PDFs where text characters and grid lines are mathematical curves that render at maximum press sharpness.
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