Every self-publishing platform has its own cover file requirements, and the differences are significant enough to cause rejections and display problems if you are not aware of them before you design. The file that Amazon KDP accepts and displays correctly will sometimes produce a degraded thumbnail on Draft2Digital or be rejected outright by IngramSpark's print-on-demand workflow. Understanding what each platform needs — and preparing a file strategy that covers all of them — is the kind of technical groundwork that saves hours of revision after the fact. This guide covers the specific requirements for the five platforms most independent authors use.
Amazon KDP Ebook Cover Requirements
Amazon KDP's ebook cover requirements have been reasonably stable for several years. The platform accepts JPEG and TIFF files. The ideal resolution is 2560 pixels on the longer dimension, which for a standard book cover aspect ratio of 1.6:1 (height to width) means a canvas of approximately 2560 x 1600 pixels. KDP specifies a minimum of 1000 pixels on the longest side and a maximum file size of 50MB, which is generous enough that compression is rarely an issue. The color mode should be RGB, not CMYK — ebook covers are displayed on screens, not printed, and CMYK files will either be rejected or converted in ways that can shift colors unpredictably.
KDP's minimum aspect ratio requirement is 1.6:1 height to width, with a maximum of 1.9:1. The most common target is exactly 1.6:1, which corresponds to the standard trade paperback proportions and looks correct in Amazon's browse grids. Covers that fall outside this ratio will be rejected during upload. If you design your cover at 2560 x 1600 pixels in Canva and export as JPEG at high quality, you will meet all of KDP's requirements with one file.
IngramSpark Print Cover Requirements
IngramSpark is primarily a print distributor, and its cover requirements are fundamentally different from ebook-only platforms because a print cover must include the spine and back cover in addition to the front. IngramSpark provides a cover template generator — available on their website — that produces a PDF template with the exact dimensions for your specific book based on page count, trim size, and paper type. You must use this template rather than estimating dimensions because the spine width changes based on page count, and an incorrectly sized spine will cause the cover to be rejected.
IngramSpark's print cover files must be submitted as PDF in CMYK color mode. This is the key difference from ebook platforms: print reproduction requires CMYK color data because printing presses use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks rather than the red, green, and blue light channels of screen display. A cover designed in RGB in Canva and submitted directly to IngramSpark will either be rejected or printed with colors that look significantly different from what you see on screen. The conversion from RGB to CMYK is best done in software that handles color profiles correctly — Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Publisher, or a professional PDF export workflow. Canva's paid Print version has some CMYK export capability, but checking the output against the template is essential before submitting. IngramSpark also requires bleed — typically 0.125 inches on all sides — which means your design must extend beyond the trim marks by that amount, and important elements like title text must stay within a safe zone inward from the trim marks.
Draft2Digital Cover Requirements
Draft2Digital distributes to multiple retailers including Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo, and Apple Books. Its cover requirements are simpler than IngramSpark's because it handles only ebook distribution. The platform accepts JPEG and PNG files. The recommended size is at least 1600 pixels on the longest side, with a 1.6:1 aspect ratio preferred. Files must be in RGB mode and should not exceed 10MB. In practice, a JPEG exported at high quality from a 2560 x 1600 pixel canvas will easily meet all of these requirements and will also be compatible with the individual platforms that Draft2Digital distributes to, since D2D optimizes the cover for each retailer's specific display requirements before submitting.
The practical advantage of Draft2Digital is that a single well-prepared cover file can reach multiple storefronts without modification. The trade-off is that D2D's distribution agreements with some retailers require exclusivity — if you are already publishing directly on Kobo Writing Life, for example, you cannot also distribute the same title through Draft2Digital to Kobo. Understanding which channels you are using directly and which through aggregators before you upload avoids overlap conflicts.
Kobo Writing Life Cover Requirements
Kobo's direct publishing platform accepts JPEG and PNG cover files. The minimum dimensions are 1400 x 2100 pixels, which corresponds to their standard 2:3 aspect ratio (width to height, or equivalently 1.5:1 height to width). This is slightly different from KDP's 1.6:1 ratio, which means a cover designed precisely to KDP's 1.6 ratio will display with minor pillarboxing on Kobo's store if the proportions are not adjusted. For most authors, this difference is small enough to be acceptable — a 2560 x 1600 pixel KDP cover will display adequately on Kobo even if it is not pixel-perfect for their 2:3 spec. Authors who want precisely correct display on both platforms can design at 2100 x 1400 pixels (exactly 1.5:1) and accept the slight difference in KDP's display, or maintain two versions of the cover file.
Apple Books Cover Requirements
Apple Books accepts covers through its iTunes Producer tool or via aggregators like Draft2Digital and StreetLib. For direct submission through iTunes Producer, Apple requires JPEG format at a minimum of 1400 x 1873 pixels and a 1.338:1 height-to-width ratio — one of the more unusual aspect ratios in the industry, derived from the physical dimensions of a trade paperback in their store's display conventions. File size must be under 4MB. For authors submitting through an aggregator, these requirements are handled by the aggregator, which resizes and reformats the cover for Apple's specifications automatically. Direct iTunes Producer submission is primarily relevant for authors with large backlists managing submissions directly; most indie authors reach Apple Books through Draft2Digital or StreetLib without needing to manage Apple's specific file requirements manually.
A Practical File Strategy for Multiple Platforms
The most efficient approach for authors publishing on multiple platforms is to design at 2560 x 1600 pixels in RGB JPEG, which satisfies KDP and Draft2Digital (and through D2D, most other ebook retailers) with one file. For IngramSpark print distribution, build a second file using IngramSpark's provided template in CMYK mode, treating the ebook file as reference art rather than the source file for print. For direct Kobo or Apple Books submission, a simple resize of the master JPEG file within those platforms' specifications is usually sufficient. This two-file strategy — one ebook master, one print-ready PDF — covers the full distribution landscape without requiring a different design for each platform, just different technical preparations of the same design.