To publish a coloring book, create your line-art pages at print resolution, lay them out as a PDF at your chosen trim size (8.5 x 11 inches is the most common), add bleed if any art runs to the edge, design a wraparound cover, then upload both files to a print-on-demand platform such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark or Lulu and set your price. On KDP, colouring books are generally not treated as low-content books, so they follow the normal paperback rules, including an ISBN (KDP offers a free one).

This guide includes a few product links near the end. As an Amazon Associate, Freyja Publishing earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

This guide compares the three main print-on-demand routes side by side, explains paper, bleed and page-count choices that affect bleed-through and cost, works through the royalty maths using KDP’s published formula, and covers the content rules (including AI-generated art) that trip up new colouring book publishers. Spelling note: this site uses “colouring”, but the search term and Amazon’s US store use “coloring”.

At a glance

• Low-content or not? KDP’s Low-Content Books help page lists coloring books under “not generally low-content”, so most need an ISBN and can use KDP’s free one and Expanded Distribution.
• Size: 8.5 x 11 inches is the standard colouring book trim on KDP; smaller pocket sizes suit travel or children’s books.
• Interior: black ink on white paper is the usual choice. Printing illustrations on one side only reduces bleed-through from markers.
• Royalties: on Amazon.com, KDP pays 60% of list price minus printing at US$9.99 and above, but 50% minus printing at US$9.98 and below (at the time of writing, October 2026).
• Rules: you must own the rights to every image and tell KDP if any content is AI-generated.

Is a coloring book a low-content book on KDP?

This is the most common point of confusion. KDP’s help page on low-content books describes them as books with minimal or no content on the interior pages, meant to be filled in by the user, such as notebooks, journals, planners and log books. Coloring books and puzzle books are listed as “not generally low-content”, although KDP notes that exceptions exist.

The difference matters because the low-content setting changes several things. According to that KDP page (checked October 2026), low-content books:

• can be published without an ISBN, but are not eligible for a free KDP ISBN
• are not eligible for Expanded Distribution
• cannot be part of a series
• do not currently show the Look Inside sample if published without an ISBN

A colouring book published as a normal paperback avoids those limits. If you are not sure which category your book falls into (for example, a mostly blank sketchbook with a few outline pages), read KDP’s current page before you set it up, because the ISBN choice cannot be changed after publishing without unpublishing and republishing. The guide to whether you need an ISBN explains the free versus purchased ISBN trade-off.

KDP vs IngramSpark vs Lulu for colouring books

Each platform’s own guide only explains its own service. Here is a neutral comparison of the points that matter most for colouring books. Features and fees change, so check each platform’s current pages before you commit.

Factor	Amazon KDP	IngramSpark	Lulu
Main strength	Direct access to Amazon shoppers, where most colouring book buyers browse	Wide distribution to bookshops, libraries and other retailers	Own bookstore, direct sales and more binding styles
How you earn	Royalty rate x list price, minus printing cost	List price, minus the wholesale discount you set, minus printing cost	Set by Lulu’s pricing for each sales channel; check its calculator
Binding	Paperback (perfect bound) and hardcover	Paperback and hardcover options	Includes options such as coil binding that can lie flat (check current list)
ISBN	Free KDP ISBN available for standard paperbacks	Use your own; ISBN offers vary by country	Free Lulu ISBN option or your own
Best for	Most first colouring books	Books you want stocked in shops or sold via other retailers	Gift editions, lay-flat books, selling direct

Many publishers use KDP for Amazon and a second platform for everywhere else. The live comparison of KDP and IngramSpark covers the trade-offs in more depth, including using your own ISBN across both.

Choosing your trim size, ink and paper

Trim size

Colouring books for adults and older children are usually 8.5 x 11 inches (21.59 x 27.94 cm), the largest standard KDP paperback size apart from A4. It gives generous space for detailed designs. Smaller sizes such as 6 x 9 inches suit travel or pocket books, and square formats are available for some designs. Larger page sizes count as “large trim” on KDP, which costs more to print. The guide to book sizes and trims lists the options.

Ink and paper

Most colouring books use black ink on white paper, because readers add the colour. Cream paper slightly changes how coloured pencils and markers look, so white is the safer default. KDP also prints colour interiors in two grades:

• Standard colour: printed on the same lighter paper as black-and-white books, minimum 72 pages, and not available at A4.
• Premium colour: heavier paper (KDP gives 60-71 lb, 88-105 GSM, varying by printing location), minimum 24 pages.

A colour interior only makes sense if your pages include colour reference images or examples, because it costs far more to print (see the royalty maths below).

Bleed-through and single-sided pages

Print-on-demand paper is not designed for heavy alcohol markers, so ink can show through to the other side. The common solution is to print each design on the right-hand page with a blank (or lightly patterned) page behind it. That doubles your page count, which raises printing cost, but it protects the next design. Say clearly in your description that pages are single-sided, and suggest a sheet of card behind the page when using markers.

How to publish a coloring book: step by step

1. Choose your audience and theme. Adults, teens and young children want very different line thickness and detail. Simple bold outlines suit children; intricate patterns suit adults.
2. Create or license the artwork. Draw it yourself, commission an illustrator with a written rights agreement, or use art you hold a commercial licence for. Keep the licence documents.
3. Prepare high-resolution line art. KDP recommends images at 300 DPI for print. Clean, closed lines make colouring easier.
4. Set up the interior file. Use your trim size, and if any art touches the page edge, add bleed: KDP’s standard bleed is 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) on the top, bottom and outside edges, so an 8.5 x 11 inch book with bleed is set up at 8.625 x 11.25 inches. Keep important lines inside the safe margin.
5. Add front and back matter. A title page, copyright page and, ideally, a test page for trying out colours. A short “this book belongs to” page is popular in children’s books.
6. Export a print-ready PDF and check it in KDP’s previewer for margin and bleed warnings.
7. Design the cover. It is one wraparound file (back, spine and front). Spine width depends on page count and paper, so calculate it with the platform’s tool; the guide to the KDP cover calculator walks through it. KDP only allows spine text on books above a minimum page count.
8. Enter your details. Title, subtitle, description, categories and keywords. Do not tick the low-content box unless your book genuinely fits KDP’s definition.
9. Answer the AI content question honestly (see below).
10. Price it, order a proof copy, and check it with real pens and pencils before you click publish.

Royalty maths for a coloring book

KDP’s paperback royalty formula is: (royalty rate x list price) minus printing cost. At the time of writing (October 2026), the Amazon.com rate is 60% at a list price of US$9.99 or more, and 50% at US$9.98 or less. Expanded Distribution pays 40% minus printing. Other marketplaces have their own thresholds, for example 7.99 GBP on Amazon.co.uk and 13.99 AUD on Amazon.com.au. Prices change, so always confirm with KDP’s royalty calculator.

KDP’s published printing costs for Amazon.com at the time of writing are:

Interior	Page count	Regular trim	Large trim (e.g. 8.5 x 11)
Black ink, white or cream	24-110	US$2.30 flat	US$2.84 flat
Black ink, white or cream	110-828	US$1.00 + US$0.012 per page	US$1.00 + US$0.017 per page
Standard colour	72-600	US$1.00 + US$0.0255 per page	US$1.00 + US$0.0402 per page
Premium colour	42-828	US$1.00 + US$0.065 per page	US$1.00 + US$0.08 per page

KDP also states that bleed and cover finish do not change the printing cost.

Worked example

Take a 100-page, 8.5 x 11 inch, black-ink colouring book with 50 single-sided designs. Printing cost on Amazon.com is US$2.84.

• At US$9.99: 60% x 9.99 = 5.99, minus 2.84 = about US$3.15 per copy on Amazon.
• At US$8.99: 50% x 8.99 = 4.50, minus 2.84 = about US$1.66 per copy. Dropping the price by one dollar nearly halves the royalty, because of the rate threshold.
• Expanded Distribution at US$9.99: 40% x 9.99 = 4.00, minus 2.84 = about US$1.16.
• The same book in premium colour: printing would be US$1.00 + (100 x 0.08) = US$9.00, so a US$9.99 price would not cover the printing cost at all.

These figures show how the formula works; they are not a forecast of sales or income. The guide to print-on-demand economics goes further into pricing and margins.

Content rules: rights, trademarks and AI art

• Own or license everything. Do not trace or copy other artists’ work, and avoid characters, logos or brands you do not own, even as “fan art”. Trademark and copyright rules vary by country.
• Public domain is not automatic. Old artwork may be public domain in one country but not another, and modern scans or restorations can carry their own rights.
• Disclose AI-generated content. KDP’s content guidelines ask publishers to tell KDP when text, images or translations are AI-generated (created by an AI tool) when they publish or update a book. Using AI only to brainstorm or edit your own work is treated as AI-assisted and does not need disclosing. Read the current guidelines, and the live guide to using AI in self-publishing safely, before you rely on AI art.
• Do not mislead in the description. State the page count, whether pages are single-sided and the intended age range.

Pre-publish checklist

• Every image is yours or licensed for commercial print use, with paperwork saved.
• Line art is at 300 DPI with clean, closed lines.
• Bleed is set correctly (or no art touches the edge).
• Designs are single-sided if you expect marker use.
• The low-content box is unticked unless KDP’s definition genuinely fits.
• Cover spine width is calculated from your final page count and paper.
• AI-generated content question answered accurately.
• Price checked against the 50%/60% threshold in each marketplace.
• A printed proof has been tested with pencils and markers.

Common mistakes

• Treating a colouring book as low-content by default, then losing access to a free ISBN, series linking and Expanded Distribution.
• Printing designs back to back, so marker ink ruins the next picture and readers leave unhappy reviews.
• Pricing just under the threshold, such as US$9.49 on Amazon.com, which drops the royalty rate to 50%.
• Low-resolution or fuzzy art that looks fine on screen but prints with jagged lines.
• Thin, open lines that make colouring frustrating, especially for children.
• Using characters or brands you do not own. This risks removal of the book and account problems.
• Skipping the proof copy. Screen previews do not show paper feel or bleed-through.

If you already publish novels, the guide to adding a print-on-demand paperback covers the same KDP print workflow from a fiction author’s angle.

Sources this guide draws on: KDP Help pages on Low-Content Books, Color Ink Options, Paperback Royalty, Paperback Printing Cost and Content Guidelines (all checked October 2026); IngramSpark and Lulu product and pricing information pages.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an ISBN to publish a coloring book on Amazon?

Usually yes, because KDP generally does not treat colouring books as low-content. You can use a free KDP-assigned ISBN or buy your own. Only books that genuinely fit KDP’s low-content definition can be published without one.

What size should a coloring book be?

8.5 x 11 inches is the most common size for adult and children’s colouring books on KDP because it gives plenty of space. Smaller sizes work for travel or pocket books, and cost less to print if they fall within KDP’s regular trim range.

How many pages should a coloring book have?

Many colouring books have 25-50 designs, which becomes 50-100 interior pages if each design has a blank back. KDP’s minimum for a black-ink paperback is 24 pages. Choose a count that gives good value without pushing the printing cost too high.

Can I sell an AI-generated coloring book on KDP?

KDP’s guidelines allow AI-generated content as long as you disclose it when publishing and the content follows all other rules, including copyright and quality guidelines. You are responsible for making sure the images do not copy existing works or protected characters.

How much does it cost to publish a coloring book?

Uploading to KDP is free; you pay through the printing cost deducted from each sale, plus any proof or author copies you order. Your real costs are usually artwork, cover design and your own time. See the guide to self-publishing costs for budgeting.

A colouring book is one of the simplest print products to make, but the details (low-content status, single-sided pages and the price threshold) decide whether readers are happy and whether each sale is worth it. Test a proof, price with the formula, and keep your rights paperwork safe.