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KDP Print Previewer Cutting Off Text on Both Sides? Check Your Page Size, Not Your Margins

TL;DR

If the KDP print previewer clips text on both the left and right edges, your document's page size doesn't match your trim size, usually because Word is still set to Letter (8.5 x 11) while the book is 6 x 9. Set the page size to your trim first, then set mirror margins with the inside margin KDP requires for your page count, then export a fresh PDF. Text cut off on only the inside edge is a gutter problem instead.

Read where the text is cut off

Where the cut happens tells you the cause:

Both edges clipped on every page: the text block is wider than the page. The document's page size isn't your trim size.
Only the inside edge clipped or flagged, alternating left and right: the gutter (inside margin) is too small for your page count.
Only images at the edges flagged: a bleed setting mismatch, not a text problem.

Most advice in author groups says "tighten your margins" for all three. That only helps the second one.

Why both edges get cut

Word starts every document on Letter paper, 8.5 x 11 inches. If you write the whole book that way and pick a 6 x 9 trim on KDP, your text is laid out for a page 2.5 inches wider than the one it's printed on. The previewer lays your pages onto the trim and anything outside it is cut or flagged.

Shrinking the margins on a Letter page doesn't change the page. You need to change the page itself.

The fix, in this order

Set the page size. In Word, Layout > Size > More Paper Sizes, and type your trim exactly, for example 6 x 9 inches. If you have images that run to the page edge, use the trim plus bleed (6.125 x 9.25 for 6 x 9) instead.
Set mirror margins. Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, choose Mirror margins under Multiple pages, so the inside and outside swap between left and right pages.
Set the inside margin for your page count. KDP's minimum gutter grows with the book: 0.375 in up to 150 pages, 0.5 in for 151 to 300, 0.625 in for 301 to 500, 0.75 in for 501 to 700, and 0.875 in above that. Keep the outside, top and bottom at least 0.25 in, and more if you can.
Check the reflow. Changing the page size reflows everything. Your page count will change, and chapter openings, images and tables may move. Scroll the whole document.
Export a new PDF and upload it. Don't re-upload the old one.

The free KDP margin calculator gives you the exact page size and minimum margins for your trim, page count and bleed choice, so you don't have to look them up.

One more thing to check while you're in there

If you drafted in another app or pasted from an AI chat, look for stray formatting characters in the text, like literal asterisks around words that were meant to be bold. They show up in print exactly as typed, and the previewer won't flag them.

When it's not worth fighting Word

A long book with images, tables or a lot of front matter can take hours to reflow by hand after a page-size change. Our manuscript formatting service builds the print-ready interior at your trim size from your existing file.

FAQ

Why does my text look fine in Word but get cut off in the KDP previewer?

Word shows your text on whatever page size the document uses. If that's Letter and your trim is 6 x 9, the previewer cuts it down to the trim.

What margins does KDP require for a 6x9 paperback?

The inside margin depends on page count, from 0.375 in for up to 150 pages to 0.875 in above 700. Outside margins need at least 0.25 in without bleed and 0.375 in with bleed.

Can I just pick a bigger trim size to match my document?

You can, but only if 8.5 x 11 is the book you want. Most fiction and nonfiction looks right at 5.5 x 8.5 or 6 x 9.

Skip the formatting entirely. ebookdone writes the book and hands you every KDP-ready file — $9–$19 per book, no subscription. The outline and first chapter are free.

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