How to Create KDP Interiors on Canva For Free!

Hi, welcome to my page. Iā€™m Subha and in this blog post I will show you how to create KDP interiors on Canva.

I have been using Canva for the last 7 years or so. Itā€™s an amazing drag and drop software with a ton of graphics, icons, shapes and text built into it.

The good thing is Canva has a very quick learning curve, you can learn it fast and start creating your very first kdp interiors the same day.

With that said, now let create some KDP interiors in Canvaā€¦

Create KDP Interiors On Canva Step By Step

how to create kdp interiors on canva
Image by Author made in Canva

Below I will show you how to quickly create kdp interiors usingĀ CanvaĀ for free.

You donā€™t have to purchase a paid subscription for that neither do I.

With that said, letā€™s just dive inā€¦

Step 1- Deciding on The KDP Trim Size

This is the very step you need to follow to create a free book interior using Canva.

Choosing a trim size depends on the type of book you want to create.

If you are going to create a journal or planner you can go with the standard 6Ɨ9 inch trim size.

On the other hand, if you are aiming for a childrenā€™s book like a coloring book, story book or activity book then you should select a larger trim size like 8.5Ɨ11 inch.

Below some of the most popular trim sizes that KDP supports;

Paperback: Small Trim Size

  • 5ā€³ x 8ā€³ (12.7 x 20.32 cm)
  • 5.06ā€³ x 7.81ā€³ (12.85 x 19.84 cm)
  • 5.25ā€³ x 8ā€³ (13.34 x 20.32 cm)
  • 5.5ā€³ x 8.5ā€³ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
  • 6ā€³ x 9ā€³ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)

Paperback Large Trim Sizes

  • 6.14ā€³ x 9.21ā€³ (15.6 x 23.39 cm)
  • 6.69ā€³ x 9.61ā€³ (16.99 x 24.41 cm)
  • 7ā€³ x 10ā€³ x (17.78 x 25.4 cm)
  • 7.44ā€³ x 9.69ā€³ (18.9 x 24.61 cm)
  • 7.5ā€³ x 9.25ā€³ (19.05 x 23.5 cm)
  • 8ā€³ x 10ā€³ (20.32 x 25.4 cm)
  • 8.25ā€³ x 6ā€³ (20.96 x 15.24 cm)
  • 8.25ā€³ x 8.25ā€³ (20.96 x 20.96 cm)
  • 8.5ā€³ x 8.5ā€³ (21.59 x 21.59 cm)
  • 8.5ā€³ x 11ā€³ (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
  • 8.27ā€³ x 11.69ā€³ (21 x 29.7 cm)

Hardcover Small Trim Size

  • 5.5ā€³ x 8.5ā€³ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
  • 6ā€³ x 9ā€³ (15.24 x 22.86 cm)

Hardcover Large Trim Sizes

  • 6.14ā€³ x 9.21ā€³ (15.6 x 23.39 cm)
  • 7ā€³ x 10ā€³ (17.78 x 25.4 cm)
  • 8.25ā€³ x 11ā€³ (20.96 x 27.94 cm)

For the sake of this tutorial, I am choosing an 8.5ā€³ x 11ā€³ as my trim size.

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Step 2: Creating a New Document in Canva

To create a new document in Canva, head on toĀ Canva.comĀ create a free account.

Once logged in click on theĀ Create a designĀ button from the top right corner.

create a design in canva

From the popup window, click on theĀ Custom size,Ā as show below;

create a custom size design canva

On the next popup window, change the Units toĀ in (inches)Ā by defaults itā€™s set toĀ px (pixels).Ā Then enter your kdp interiorā€™s width and height.

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input design dimensions in canva

Finally click on theĀ Create a new designĀ button, this will create a blank document of your select size in the new tab.

blank document in canva

Step 3: Adding Margins

Margins are very important when it comes to creating and publishing books on Amazon KDP.

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Though KDP asks you to add a different inside and outside margins, for the sake of ease you can set a 0.5 inch margin all around.

There are many ways to add margins in Canva, I found a very simple one for you.

First you need to drag a rectangular shape from theĀ Elements tab.

You can either use the search bar under Elements tab, or scroll a bit down to see the shapes section as shown below;

adding a rectangle shape in canva

Next click on the first shape (rectangle), now you have aĀ little rectangleĀ on your canvas.

add a shape in canva document

If you click on the rectangle, you will see aĀ shapes menuĀ on the top. This allows you to change the color and border of the shape.

shape menu in canva

From the shapes menu click onĀ Color CircleĀ and set the shape color toĀ No Color.Ā This will make the shape transparent.

change shape color canva

Next click on theĀ Border StyleĀ option from the shapes menu, set the border to line andĀ Border weightĀ to 4. Have a look at the screenshot below;

change shape border canva

As you set the shape margin, you can see aĀ Border colorĀ button next to the border style button. Click on it and set the border color to red.

shape border color canva

Finally, click on the rectangle shape again, and from the top menu click on the three dots.

This will show a drop down menu, here click on theĀ PositionĀ button.

Now you can see a bigĀ Arrange optionĀ on the left side. This allows you to align the shape on the page and change its width and height.

resize shapes in canva

From the position tab, set the rectangleĀ width to 7.5 inchĀ and theĀ height to 10 inches. This will create a 0.5 inch margin all around (left, right, top, bottom).

Also, make sure the rectangle is bothĀ horizontally and vertically alignedĀ on the page.

position shapes in canva

You have aĀ 0.5 inch marginĀ on your canvas to create a KDP book interior.

I know it seems like a lot of work but trust me itā€™s not that difficult once you practice it a couple of times.

Step 3: Start Designing Your KDP Interior

Now comes the exciting part. Below I will be creating some of the most popular KDP Interiors by using text, shapes, and elements.

1. Create a Sketch Book

Sketch book is one of the easiest KDP book interiors that you can create on Canva. For that all you need is to drag a rectangular shape onto the canvas.

Go to Elements, shapes and click on the rectangle shape to add it to your blank document.

Enlarge the shape by using the handles keeping it just shorter than the margins. Look at the screenshot below;

creating a sketchbook interior in canva

Next click on the shape, change the shape fill color toĀ No ColorĀ and the set shape border as lined.

Then change the shape border color to black. You can do these steps by using the shapes menu.

using shape menu in canva

Next, click on the shape, adjust the border thickness and then delete the red margins. This will leave with you a simpleĀ sketchbookĀ page.

blank sketchbook kdp interior

Finally you can duplicate this page 99 times to create a 100-page sketchbook interior.

duplicate pages in canva

Once you are satisfied with the look and feel of your sketchbook interior, go to theĀ ShareĀ button from top-right, then click onĀ Download.

Change the file type toĀ PDF PrintĀ and click the download button again.

download as pdf print canva

Next, I will show you how to create a simple lined journal in Canva.

2. Create a Lined Journal

Creating a lined journal in Canva is super-easy. For the sake of demonstration, I will stick with the trim size (8.5 x 11 inches).

With your margin in place, you can press L from the keyboard to add a line on the page.

adding a line in canva

Next increase the length of the line by using theĀ adjusting handles.Ā Place the line to the top of the page as shown below.

adding simple line in canva

Next you can adjust the thickness on the line.

To do that select the line and from the top menu click on theĀ Line styleĀ option and set theĀ Line weightĀ to 1.

change line weight in canva

Now select the line and pressĀ Ctrl+DĀ from your keyboard to duplicate the line.

duplicate lines in canva

Now click on the second line, select theĀ PositionĀ from the top menu and set the Start Y and End Y values to 1.19 inches.

This will add a line to line distance of 0.34 inches which is standard for creating a wide ruled paper.

line to line distance in canva

Note:Ā The Start Y and End Y for the first line is 0.85 inch, so you can add 0.34 in for the second line (0.85 + 0.34 = 1.19 inch).

Next, pressĀ Ctrl+DĀ while the second line is still selected, this will add a third line 0.34 inch below the second line.

To add more lines, keep pressingĀ DĀ while holding theĀ CtrlĀ key. Add as many lines as many fit in the red margin.

kdp lined journal interior canva

Finally, delete the red margin then go to the Share button, and download this as PDF Print.

Before downloading, you can duplicate this page 99 times to create a 100 page KDP journal interior.

downloading journal interior canva

This is how you can quickly make a KDP journal using Canva for free.

3. Create a KIDS Coloring Page

You can also create simple coloring pages for kids and turn them into a coloring book to publish on Amazon.

To create a coloring page, select the trim size. In my case it is 8.5 x 11 inches.

First of all go to the text tool and add a heading and change it to whatever text you want.

create kids coloring page in canva

Next, change the font type toĀ Poppins, itā€™s a kid-friendly sans-serif font perfect for creating educational books for kids.

changing font in canva design

Now select the text, click on theĀ EffectsĀ button, and select theĀ HollowĀ from the left side menu. This will create a colorable text for kids.

You can also play with the thickness of the outline, by default it is set to 50.

canva hollow text effect

Next you can go to theĀ Elements tabĀ from the left menu, search for apple line art and under theĀ Graphics sectionĀ pick an apple image with a black outline.

add line art in canva

Now you can duplicate this first page, go to the second page and change the text toĀ Ball.Ā Delete the apple image.

Then search and add aĀ Ball line artĀ on the page to create a ball coloring page for kids.

ball coloring page for toddlers

This is how you can createĀ 30 to 50 coloring pages for kidsĀ and download them as PDF Print.

If you canā€™t find any relevant line art fromĀ Canva Elements, you can always download them from other sites like Pixabay, Pexels orĀ Creative FabricaĀ and upload them to Canva.

There you have it, now you can create KDP interiors on Canva.

As you saw, I used texts, shapes and images to create very simple book interior pages.

You can also use tables, charts, and icons to create more complex pages for your Amazon KDP books.

āœØ Want to create kdp coloring books super fast? Check out the Coloring Book Maker Tool, which gives you access to over 9,250 hand-drawn coloring elements!

Conclusion!

In conclusion, creating KDP interiors using Canva is a relatively simple and cost-effective process.

By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily create professional-looking interiors for your self-published books.

Canva provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of design elements, making it accessible to both experienced and novice designers.

Whether youā€™re creating a journal, notebook, or coloring book, Canva has the tools and resources you need to bring your ideas to life.

Remember, the key to creating successful KDP interiors is to focus on quality and attention to detail.

By taking the time to carefully design your interiors, you can create books that stand out from the competition and attract readers.

So, get creative and start designing your own KDP interiors today!

Talk soon,

Subha

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