Single-Sided Coloring Book Page Planner
Plan a single sided coloring book for KDP: designs, blank backs and matter pages in a numbered page-order map you can export as CSV.
Final interior PDF pages
83 pages
Printed sheets
42 sheets
Odd page numbers are right-hand pages; every design sits on a right-hand page with its blank back printed behind it on the same sheet. This count falls in the 24–150 gutter tier (minimum inside margin 0.375") and spine text is available.
Data source: spec version kdp-spec-2026-08, last verified against the official KDP help pages on .
KDP can change its specifications at any time — always confirm against the official pages before uploading. This tool gives print-spec math only; it does not guarantee KDP acceptance. All calculations run in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
How the single-sided page planner works
KDP prints every PDF page on both sides of the sheet — there is no single-sided setting. A single sided coloring book kdp planner therefore has one job: place a blank page after every design in the PDF so the printed book shows art on one side only. This planner models physical left/right pages explicitly: page 1 is a right-hand page, even numbers are left-hand pages, and when you choose "right-hand page" it inserts one alignment blank (if needed) so every design lands on a right page — with its blank back printed on the same sheet.
One missing blank back shifts every following page, changes the final count, and can move you into a different gutter tier — which is why the whole sequence is planned before assembly.
Worked example: 40 designs
2 front matter + 40 designs with blank backs + 1 back matter, first design on a right-hand page: the plan is 83 PDF pages on 42 sheets. Design #1 is page 3 (right), its blank back is page 4, and every design stays on an odd page through the book.
Common mistakes
- Dropping one blank back mid-book. Every later design flips to the left side and the final count changes — re-run the plan after any edit.
- Ignoring the alignment blank. With odd front matter, the first design lands on a left page unless you add one blank first.
- Excessive blank runs. KDP's submission guidelines list excessive blank pages as a common failure — alternating art/blank is fine, but avoid long runs of empty pages in matter sections.
- Assuming KDP prints single-sided. It never does; the blanks must be in your PDF.
Frequently asked questions
- Can KDP print a coloring book single-sided?
- KDP has no single-sided switch — it prints every PDF page on both sides of the paper. To get a single-sided coloring experience you place a blank page after each design in the PDF yourself, which is exactly what this planner maps out.
- How many pages do 40 coloring designs become?
- 80 pages of designs plus blank backs, before front and back matter. With 2 front-matter pages and 1 back-matter page the final interior is 83 PDF pages.
- Should blank pages include text?
- Optional. A small "This page is intentionally left blank" line or a marker-test frame reassures readers the blank is deliberate. Keep any label inside the margins and consistent across the book.
- Does adding blank backs change the spine?
- Yes — blank backs count as pages, and spine width is page count × paper thickness. A single-sided book has roughly double the pages, and therefore roughly double the spine, of a double-sided book with the same designs.