Key takeaways
- Approve the book in Print Previewer before requesting a proof.
- Review the proof against the exact submitted files and specification.
- Test physical use as well as text correctness.
- Correct the source files, upload again, and repeat when defects are material.
Request the proof
Upload final candidates
Use the intended interior, cover, metadata, trim, ink, paper, and bleed settings.
Launch Print Previewer
Resolve blocking errors and inspect every page.
Approve the preview
KDP requires preview approval before a draft proof request.
Request printed proofs
Use the Bookshelf menu, choose the quantity and marketplace, then complete the emailed cart link within the stated window.
For the broader publishing workflow, continue with What Trim Size Should You Choose for a KDP Book?.
Inspect the physical cover
- Title and author match metadata
- Front, spine, and back alignment
- Safe zones, bleed, and barcode area
- Color, contrast, image sharpness, and fine details
- Spine text legibility and centering
- Finish, trimming, and visible manufacturing defects
Inspect the interior systematically
- Trim, margins, gutter, and binding behavior
- Typography, headings, running heads, and page numbers
- Blank pages, chapter starts, and table of contents
- Tables, charts, screenshots, and image resolution
- Footnotes, references, links, and cross-references
- Writing space and page handling for workbooks
- Widows, orphans, clipped content, and accidental template text
For the closely related decision, read Amazon KDP Publishing Checklist: Manuscript to Live Book.
Use the proof like a reader
Read several continuous sections, look up a topic from the contents, follow a cross-reference, complete a representative activity, and hold the book in the intended setting. Physical usability defects often appear only during use.
Mark issues in an issue log with page, severity, cause, fix, and verification status. Separate manufacturing damage from source-file defects.
Before moving to the next stage, use The Complete Amazon KDP Upload Guide for First-Time Authors as a practical follow-through.
Correct and verify the right artifact
Fix manuscript or cover problems in the source file, regenerate the correct output, upload it, and inspect the new preview. Order another proof when the change affects physical layout, color, binding, or other uncertain production behavior.
After publication, verify the live listing and a customer-equivalent copy where the risk justifies it.
Common questions
Can I order a KDP proof before publishing?
Yes. KDP allows proof requests for draft print books after you approve the book in Print Previewer.
How many KDP proof copies can I order?
KDP's current guidance allows up to five proof copies per order. Check the live rules and marketplace availability.
Do KDP proof copies have a watermark?
Yes. KDP says proof copies have a Not for Resale watermark and a unique barcode without the book's ISBN.
Official sources and further reading
Platform policies and royalty terms can change. Check the current Amazon documentation before publishing.
Move from research to production
Create the nonfiction manuscript you plan to publish on KDP.
Give Draft Fast your reader, promise, and project details, then review an organized manuscript prepared for editing and publishing.