Free Self-Publishing Tools for Print Books
Get your print book right the first time, with no sign-up.
What are self-publishing tools? They are free calculators and checkers that size your book cover, work out your spine width and margins, and check that your pictures are sharp enough to print. They use the exact rules from Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, so your files pass the first time.
File Manager for Authors
Keep your book, every draft and edit, notes, cover files and any other file in one place. Free, no sign-up, your files stay on your device.
KDP Cover Size Calculator & Template Generator
Exact full-wrap cover size, spine width and a downloadable 300 DPI cover template for any KDP paperback.
Book Spine Width Calculator
Spine width in inches and millimeters for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark, by page count and paper.
Book Margin & Bleed Calculator
KDP's minimum gutter and outside margins for your page count, IngramSpark's safe area, and your exact PDF page size with bleed.
PDF & Image DPI Checker
Drop in your book PDF to see the real DPI of every picture on every page, or check one picture. Printers ask for 300 DPI. Nothing leaves your device.
Word Count to Page Count Calculator
Estimate how many printed pages your book will be, and its spine width, from your word count.
Book Cover Dimensions
Print cover sizes for every common trim size, with bleed, spine and pixel sizes.
IngramSpark Cover Template Guide
How to get and use IngramSpark's template, and the template mistakes that get covers rejected.
IngramSpark Rejection Messages Explained
What every common "Title Processing Error" really means, and how to fix it.
Free guides and templates
- Free book formatting guide (step by step)
- Free manuscript checklist (printable)
- Free indie author templates
- Free book cover templates by genre
- Print rejection fix guides
Quick answers
What free tools do self-published authors need?
A cover size calculator, a spine width calculator, a margin calculator, a DPI checker for pictures and a page count calculator. SparkPrep has all of them free, with no sign-up.
Are these self-publishing tools really free?
Yes. Every calculator and checker on this page is free and works without an account. Your files are read on your own device.
Do these tools work for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark?
Yes. The numbers come from each printer's own published rules, including KDP's margins and spine widths and IngramSpark's safe area and bleed.
More free help from SparkPrep
- Book preflight, explained (what it is and who needs it)
- Print file fixes: bleed, margins, fonts, transparency, color
- Print cover sizes and spine width charts
- KDP and IngramSpark rejection messages decoded
- First book guide for new self-publishers
Want it all checked for you?
SparkPrep checks your actual cover and interior against KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble and Lulu rules, explains every problem in plain English and fixes it, before you upload.
Try SparkPrep