Why won't Amazon accept my PDF???

[MamaHops]

I wrote and illustrated book for my son, so my husband bought affinity for me to edit and submit to Amazon. I have been trying to figure this out since April. I've ordered 5 proofs and they all look fine, but Amazon isn't accepting them because of the bleed and/or margins. I have no idea what to do. Should I start over and make a new document?? I want this finished before Christmas. *Insert crying emoji here*

[DuncanL]

Have you set a bleed and Amazon doesn't want one;  or not set it and they do?

If you can provide more details of the exact errors; and possibly a copy of the Affinity file;  then people here can try to provide suggestions.  (Cut it down to just a poage or two (save as a new file, not over the original!)  if you don't want to share it all.

[thomaso]

Hi @MamaHops, welcome to the Affinity forums!

There are numerous threads on the forum about issues with the print provider KDP. Unfortunately, the error messages from user reports seem to be rather vague and ambiguous, so users may need to check a number of possible causes in their documents that could be causing the issue. For example, for size/dimensions, it could be single vs. double pages, page dimensions, bleed, or a 'safety area' (which KDP says should be empty/no text). I remember a case where just a descender of the letter "g" exceeded the bottom of its text frame and was going out of KPD bounds, while moving it up a tiny bit solved the error for that user.

If you cannot provide a more specific issue or error message, one of the existing threads may be able to shed some light into troubleshooting options:

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/search/&q=kdp error

Another option for finding a solution could be the KPD forum or online/email support.

[PaulEC]

6 hours ago, MamaHops said:

I have been trying to figure this out since April. I've ordered 5 proofs and they all look fine, but Amazon isn't accepting them because of the bleed and/or margins.

I don't quite understand this. If Amazon/KDP aren't accepting the book, how are you able to get proof copies of it?
It would help if you could quote exactly why Amazon say the file is being rejected.

[MamaHops]

I apologize, here is a screenshot of the email I get. It's the same every time. When I upload the manuscript and cover, there are no errors showing, so I order a proof to check it before releasing. After I see the book proof, I go back to KDP to release it to Amazon and then they check it before releasing. Let me see if I can figure out how to save a couple of the pages and upload. I am NOT very tech savvy. I can write and draw pictures for a toddler, but I don't know much about this stuff. 

[MamaHops]

10 hours ago, DuncanL said:

Have you set a bleed and Amazon doesn't want one;  or not set it and they do?

If you can provide more details of the exact errors; and possibly a copy of the Affinity file;  then people here can try to provide suggestions.  (Cut it down to just a poage or two (save as a new file, not over the original!)  if you don't want to share it all.

I have posted a screenshot of the email I get when I try to release the book. 

[DuncanL]

In APub, If you go to File > Document Settings and select the Bleed tab,  what do you have set?

This is what they want (I think - it's not totally clear if the bleed values are per side or in total for width and height - but this should work.  If not.  then halve the values on each edge.)

 

They also say to keep page content 9.5mm from the edges;  so set the margins:

and make sure everything (except images you intentionally want to go into the bleed area) falls inside the blue margins.

[MamaHops]

28 minutes ago, DuncanL said:

In APub, If you go to File > Document Settings and select the Bleed tab,  what do you have set?

This is what they want (I think - it's not totally clear if the bleed values are per side or in total for width and height - but this should work.  If not.  then halve the values on each edge.)

 

They also say to keep page content 9.5mm from the edges;  so set the margins:

and make sure everything (except images you intentionally want to go into the bleed area) falls inside the blue margins.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me!! It is very much appreciated!! Another thing that I have noticed is that when I first started working in the program, I was able to manually enter all four numbers in the margin and bleed area, but now when I enter the number in one of the boxes (left, top, right, bottom) it changes them all 4 to the same number!! 

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, MamaHops said:

here is a screenshot of the email I get

The mail points to 3 aspects for specific pages (the given page numbers).

1. These pages don't have the required bleed.
   –> This is quite unlikely because Affinity exports with the same bleed setting for either all pages or exports all pages without bleed.
   –> If bleed is identical another reason may be different page dimensions for the given pages. It appears to be rather unlikely, too, unless you modified page sizes after creating the pages in the layout. However, in case of the latter, you need to ensure that the page dimensions are identical for all pages.
    
2. The page contents is smaller than the required size.
   –> Contents that exceeds the margin of 0.375 inch / 9.5 mm (as empty safety area, see 3. below) is required to fill the required bleed size, too.
   –> To fix this you can move or upscale the according objects to fill the bleed area.
    
3. The page contents is larger than the required size.
   –> Contents that exceeds the outer page edges but does not fill the bleed area (see 2.) is required to be smaller than the margin of 0.375 inch / 9.5 mm (as empty safety area).
   –> To fix this you can move or downscale or crop the according objects to a smaller size that keeps the margin area blank.
    

35 minutes ago, DuncanL said:

This is what they want (I think - it's not totally clear if the bleed values are per side or in total for width and height - but this should work.  If not.  then halve the values on each edge.)

Since the email specifies the vertical bleed size as twice the horizontal one, it appears that these are specifications for a facing / double page layout (a book) that they want to be exported without bleed on the inner edges (in the spine of the book).

[MamaHops]

7 minutes ago, thomaso said:

The mail points to 3 aspects for specific pages (the given page numbers).

1. These pages don't have the required bleed.
   –> This is quite unlikely because Affinity exports with the same bleed setting for either all pages or exports all pages without bleed.
   –> If bleed is identical another reason may be different page dimensions for the given pages. It appears to be rather unlikely, too, unless you modified page sizes after creating the pages in the layout. However, in case of the latter, you need to ensure that the page dimensions are identical for all pages.
    
2. The page contents is smaller than the required size.
   –> Contents that exceeds the margin of 0.375 inch / 9.5 mm (as empty safety area, see 3. below) is required to fill the required bleed size, too.
   –> To fix this you can move or upscale the according objects to fill the bleed area.
    
3. The page contents is larger than the required size.
   –> Contents that exceeds the outer page edges but does not fill the bleed area (see 2.) is required to be smaller than the margin of 0.375 inch / 9.5 mm (as empty safety area).
   –> To fix this you can move or downscale or crop the according objects to a smaller size that keeps the margin area blank.
    

Since the email specifies the vertical bleed size as twice the horizontal one, it appears that these are specifications for a facing / double page layout (a book) that they want to be exported without bleed on the inner edges (in the spine of the book).

Thank you so much for the information. For some reason, affinity isn't allowing me to enter different amounts for the margin or bleed. I remember being able to enter different amounts when I first started with this project. Now, when I enter a number into one of the boxes, it changes all four of them. 

[thomaso]

2 minutes ago, MamaHops said:

affinity isn't allowing me to enter different amounts for the margin or bleed.

Click the "lock" icon right to the value fields.

[MamaHops]

6 minutes ago, thomaso said:

Click the "lock" icon right to the value fields.

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

Thank you!!!!!

[thomaso]

@MamaHops, one more aspect – that neither the email nor your description mentioned – concerns the export setting "Area". Usually a print service requires the export of double page layouts as single pages within the PDF (and with the required bleed), which means in Affinity the option "All Pages" (not "All Spreads").

Therefore, you must ensure that you export using the exact "Area" type required by the KDP specifications for your print PDF: double pages (spreads) or single pages.

If they don't tell / use such terms (single/double/spread) you may be able to conclude the required setting by a specified dimension for the exported PDF pages: single pages are smaller (and e.g. portrait format) / spreads are larger (and accordingly landscape format). Usually the first value is the horizontal, the second the vertical dimension.

[MamaHops]

Just now, thomaso said:

@MamaHops, one more aspect – that neither the email nor your description mentioned – concerns the export setting "Area". Usually a print service requires the export of double page layouts as single pages within the PDF (and with the required bleed), which means in Affinity the option "All Pages" (not "All Spreads").

Therefore, you must ensure that you export using the exact "Area" type required by the KDP specifications for your print PDF: double pages (spreads) or single pages.

Yes, I had to figure that one out the first time I tried to upload the manuscript. This is all new to me, so when I see these errors, I don't even know where to begin. I should've come here when I first started! If I had time, I would take a class! 

[thomaso]

2 minutes ago, MamaHops said:

This is all new to me, so when I see these errors, I don't even know where to begin. I should've come here when I first started! If I had time, I would take a class! 

It can help or even be sufficient to research first the specific terms like page vs. spread, margin, bleed. While you need to consider these and make a decision when starting a layout document already, the meaning of these (and other layout or print related) terms is independent of any application or any print service and can be answered by more resources than just Serif, Affinity or Amazon.

Time? There is an Asian proverb "We have little time, we must proceed slowly". 🙄

[MamaHops]

9 minutes ago, thomaso said:

It can help or even be sufficient to research first the specific terms like page vs. spread, margin, bleed. While you need to consider these and make a decision when starting a layout document already, the meaning of these (and other layout or print related) terms is independent of any application or any print service and can be answered by more resources than just Serif, Affinity or Amazon.

Time? There is an Asian proverb "We have little time, we must proceed slowly". 🙄

 

9 minutes ago, thomaso said:

It can help or even be sufficient to research first the specific terms like page vs. spread, margin, bleed. While you need to consider these and make a decision when starting a layout document already, the meaning of these (and other layout or print related) terms is independent of any application or any print service and can be answered by more resources than just Serif, Affinity or Amazon.

Time? There is an Asian proverb "We have little time, we must proceed slowly". 🙄

Amen to that! I have a two year old, so my entire world has slowed down. 😅

[MamaHops]

I was just researching what to select for my PDF and I have been selecting PDF for print, but I just read that I should select PDF/x for KDP. Do y'all know anything about this?

[Twolane]

I regularly upload POD b&w print interiors, with the occasional b&w image on the inside, to Amazon. I use All Pages. Use DPI 300. PDF/X-1a:2003. Color space CMYK. ICC profile: Use document profile.

When you export your PDF, do you check it to be sure it looks correct?

Edited to add that I use Resample: Lancos 3 Separable to get a marginally better image. Include printer marks is UNCHECKED.

[Twolane]

Looks like the OP has disappeared. It's difficult to offer meaningful assistance when the problem has been occurring since April and a result is expected within days.

[Oufti]

14 hours ago, Twolane said:

Posted 14 hours ago

Looks like the OP has disappeared.

MamaHops

New Members

Joined Friday at 09:39 PM

Last visited 14 hours ago

😉

[Bad_Wolf]

Don't forget when you esport as PDF to set the option "Include Bleed" in the first export dialog (were you see the preview). If you do not set this option to selected, your bleed is not present in the exported PDF. You probably have to scroll through the dialog.

I hope you succeed in publishing your book before Christmas.