How do I make a print-ready PDF of my book?

Set the trim size and paper, preview how chapters will look on the printed page, and export a PDF interior for a paperback or hardcover.

Before you start

A book long enough to print. The ready-made Print PDF follows KDP's paperback limits of 24–828 pages and refuses an export outside them.
Pictures with enough detail for print: at least 200 DPI at the size they print.

Choose File ▸ Export… (⌥⌘E / Ctrl+Alt+E). The Exports page opens.
Under Ready-made exports, press Set up beside Print PDF. The export opens on its own page.
Print PDF starts as a 6 × 9 paperback interior.
On the Style tab, pick a Book style, such as Classic Trade.
Scroll down to Preview and choose Chapter and Print to see how a chapter opens on the page. Full Scope lays out the whole book with its real page numbers.
Check chapter openings, margins and type before you export.
Open the Formats tab. Set Binding, Trim and Paper and ink. Tick Include printer bleed area only if your printer asks for bleed.
The note under Paper and ink gives the page range the printer accepts.
Press Export PDF.
Press Export PDF. A list of anything worth checking appears first.
If something must be fixed, the list is headed Export blocked, and those problems sit in a red Must fix before export group, such as a picture below 200 DPI or a page count outside the printer's range. Press Open source to go to one.
Fix each one, for example by using a higher-resolution picture or choosing a different Trim, then press Export PDF again. Items under Warnings won't stop the export: read them, then press Acknowledge and export.
When the Exported message appears, press Show in Folder and open the PDF.

Click a screenshot to see it larger, then use the arrow keys to step through them.

Each chapter starts where the style says, for example on a new right-hand page.
Margins look even, with a wider inside margin for the binding.
Page numbers and running headers appear where you expect them, and the numbering runs in order.
Pictures are sharp and stay inside the margins.
The trim size in your PDF viewer's document details matches the one you chose.

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