Print File Specifications — IngramSpark / Lightning Source
Technical specs for building print-ready interior and cover PDFs. Sourced from IngramSpark’s official “File Creation Guide” (Aug 2026 edition). Apply this before generating a Cover Template or exporting a print interior PDF for any MMP title.
Universal PDF requirements (interior and cover)
- PDF standard: PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002 — either is accepted, don’t assume only X-1a works. Export via Acrobat Distiller or InDesign’s export dialog set to one of these compliance levels. A plain Word-exported PDF is neither of these and will not pass — it needs a proper conversion/preflight pass first.
- Color space: CMYK throughout. No RGB, no spot colors (PMS/Pantone) — convert everything, including inside supporting .eps files. RGB files that are submitted will be auto-converted to CMYK by the printer, with unpredictable color shift that becomes the publisher’s responsibility to fix.
- Fonts: must be fully embedded.
- Rich black formula (when true black, not registration black, is wanted): 60% Cyan / 40% Magenta / 40% Yellow / 100% Black. Total ink density must not exceed 240% across any element — files over this may be rejected or may print with ink buildup/bleed-through issues.
- No crop, printer, or registration marks in the submitted file — not needed for the print workflow and may show up in the finished copies if left in.
- File format: single-file PDF only, not spread/2-up format — one page per page in the file. Multi-file or spread submissions are rejected.
Interior — Black & White text (MMP default)
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 600 ppi for 1-bit line art; 300 ppi for 8-bit grayscale images |
| Color space | Grayscale |
| Bleed | 0.125” (3mm) on three edges (top, bottom, outside) — never on the gutter/bind side |
| Margins | 0.5” minimum recommended on all sides of the text block |
| Page count | Stored as a multiple of 2 — an odd count gets a blank page auto-added; round up yourself in the metadata field regardless |
| Naming | isbn_txt.pdf or isbntxt.pdf |
Interior — Color / Premium Color
Same PDF compliance, bleed, and margin rules as B&W, but:
- Color space: CMYK (not grayscale)
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Recommend an additional 0.125” white strip inset from the bind-side trim edge, on top of the 0.5” margin, for perfect-bound/hardcover books.
Print cover files (all binding types) — PDF, CMYK
These specs are for the print cover PDF only. The ebook cover is a separate JPG asset with the opposite color mode — see below.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 300 ppi |
| Color space | CMYK |
| Bleed | 0.125” (3mm) all four sides |
| Type safety margin | 0.25” recommended from trim (template allows down to 0.125” minimum) |
| Body text ≤24pt | 100% black only, for best print results |
| Spine text | Not allowed at all for perfect-bound books under 48 pages |
| Spine safety | 0.0625” (2mm) each side of spine if spine ≥0.35” wide; 0.03125” (1mm) if narrower |
Barcode
- Mandatory on every cover. If self-supplied: 100% black only, on a white box/background, and it’s the only template element you’re allowed to reposition (never resize it).
- If you don’t supply one, leave a clear area at least 1.75” wide × 1” high on the back cover and the printer will place a generic one — but note this only happens automatically if the title has no ISBN assigned; otherwise a missing/unscannable barcode gets flagged.
Always use the Cover Template Generator
Don’t hand-build a cover PDF at guessed dimensions. On the IngramSpark dashboard: Tools & Resources → Cover Template Generator (or via “My Tools”). It needs your final trim size, page count, and paper stock to calculate the correct spine width — this only becomes accurate once page count is finalized, so generate the template late in the process, not early.
- The template’s pink (safe) and blue (bleed) guide areas must be fully covered by your design before final submission — if using a flat PDF/EPS template (not InDesign), these guide colors will print if left visible.
- Build your design onto the template at the exact size it was generated at — don’t add extra canvas size or your own crop marks.
Ebook cover file — JPG, RGB (not the print cover PDF)
The ebook upload takes a completely separate cover asset, with the opposite color mode from the print cover:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| File format | JPG only |
| Color space | RGB — the reverse of the print cover’s CMYK |
| Dimensions | 2560px on the longest side; minimum 1600px on the shortest side |
| Content | Front cover only — a full print-style spread with spine and back cover will be rejected |
Don’t submit the print cover PDF (or an RGB export of it) as-is for either slot: the print cover must stay CMYK for print, and the ebook cover must be RGB and front-cover-only. If a design tool exports the front cover as RGB “for screen,” that’s the ebook asset, not a substitute for the CMYK print cover PDF - check which one you’re uploading to which field before submitting.
Bleed-size math (for building your own page/cover dimensions before applying the template)
Final page width = trim width + 0.125" bleed (trim side only — none on bind/gutter edge)
Final page height = trim height + 0.125" bleed (top) + 0.125" bleed (bottom)
Full US trim-size → bleed-size lookup table is in the official IngramSpark File Creation Guide (PDF) — check that directly for sizes beyond MMP’s standard 6”×9” (which becomes 6.125” × 9.25” with bleed).
Reusable pre-submission checklist
- PDF/X-1a:2001 or PDF/X-3:2002 compliant (verify in Acrobat Preflight, not just “looks CMYK”)
- All fonts embedded
- CMYK throughout, no RGB or spot colors anywhere including in placed .eps files
- Total ink density ≤240% everywhere
- No crop/registration marks in the file
- Single-page-per-page PDF, not spreads
- Interior: 0.125” bleed on 3 sides only, 0.5” margins, page count rounded to even
- Cover: built on a freshly generated Cover Template (correct spine width for final page count + paper), pink/blue guide areas fully covered
- Barcode present and correctly sized, or 1.75”×1” clear area left for auto-placement
- No spine text if page count is under 48
- Ebook cover is a separate JPG, RGB (not CMYK), front-cover-only, 2560px longest side / 1600px min shortest side - not the print cover PDF or an RGB export of it
AI was used for research purposes on this guide, and for final formatting. Every fact and source is independently verified against the original; the analysis, argument and prose are the author's own.