Why does IngramSpark keep rejecting my cover?

The most common causes, in order: the full-wrap dimensions don't match what IngramSpark computed for your trim, page count, and paper (spine width is the usual culprit); the file is RGB when Ingram requires CMYK; embedded images are under 300 DPI (very common with Canva exports); bleed is missing or short of 0.125 inches; and live text sits inside the barcode zone or too close to trim.

How do I know the correct cover size for IngramSpark?

Full-wrap width = back trim + spine + front trim + bleed on both outer edges; height = trim height + bleed top and bottom. The spine depends on your exact final page count and paper stock. IngramSpark's cover template generator gives the number, or use a cover checker that computes the expected wrap from your spec and measures your PDF against it.

Can a rejected IngramSpark cover be fixed automatically?

Some failures yes, some no. RGB→CMYK conversion, PDF/X-1a conformance, ICC profile stripping, and font embedding can be auto-fixed. Wrong spine width and low-resolution source art cannot, those require rebuilding the design at the right dimensions. A good checker tells you which category your failures fall into before you pay anyone.

IngramSpark Rejected Your Cover? 7 Real Reasons

An IngramSpark cover is a single wraparound PDF, back cover, spine, front cover, plus bleed, that must match the dimensions Ingram computes from your trim size, page count, and paper stock. Seven failure modes account for nearly every rejection.

The 7 causes

1. Full-wrap dimensions don't match the computed template

Ingram derives an exact wrap size from trim + spine + bleed. If your page count changed after the cover was designed, even by 10 pages, the expected spine changed and your file no longer fits.

Fix: regenerate with the final page count. Spine ≈ pages ÷ PPI for your paper (white ≈ 444 pages/inch, cream ≈ 400). Our cover checker computes the expected wrap and measures your file against it.

2. Spine width wrong (the page-count trap)

The most common version of #1: the designer was told "about 300 pages," the final book is 342. Spine text now wraps onto the front cover, or the barcode shifts onto the spine.

Fix: never finalize a cover before the interior is locked. Below ~100 pages, skip spine text entirely, it won't fit Ingram's minimum.

3. RGB instead of CMYK

Canva, Word, Google Slides, and most design tools export RGB. IngramSpark requires CMYK PDF/X-1a. The file looks perfect on screen, that's the problem; screens are RGB.

Fix: a true CMYK conversion with flattened transparency, this one IS automatable. BookReady's $9 auto-fix runs Ghostscript PDF/X-1a conversion, the same engine print shops use.

4. Embedded images under 300 DPI

The pre-flight reads the actual pixels of each embedded image, not the file's metadata. Canva's "300 DPI" export is the classic offender, it rasterizes at ~96 DPI internally and upscales. Full explanation here →

Fix: rebuild from higher-resolution source art. No tool can invent pixels that were never exported, anyone promising otherwise is upscaling, which Ingram also flags.

5. Missing or short bleed

Covers must extend 0.125" past trim on every outer edge. A file built at exact trim size has zero margin for the cutting blade, Ingram rejects rather than risk white slivers.

Fix: extend background art 0.125" past trim on all sides. Solid-color backgrounds are easy; photographic ones need the source image to be big enough.

6. Content in the barcode zone

Ingram places its ISBN barcode in the lower-right of the back cover (about 2" × 1.2"). Text or busy artwork there triggers a rejection or an ugly white box stamped over your design.

Fix: keep that corner clear or fill it with a quiet area of the design. The checker measures the zone and flags overlap.

7. Fonts not embedded / PDF version too new

Same rules as interiors: every font carried inside the file, and a PDF version Ingram's pipeline accepts (1.3–1.6 is safe). Designer handoffs via "Save As" from preview apps are the usual source.

Fix: export from the design tool directly with fonts embedded, or let the auto-fix re-embed and down-version the file.

Find out which one hit you, free

Upload your cover. 11 checks including per-image DPI, computed spine width, and the barcode zone. Auto-fix what's fixable for $9. Money-back if Ingram still says no.

Check my cover now →

Designed in Canva?

Canva covers have their own failure pattern, see the dedicated Canva PDF checker and the Canva → IngramSpark export guide.

IngramSpark rejected your cover.
One of these 7 things is why.

The 7 causes

1. Full-wrap dimensions don't match the computed template

2. Spine width wrong (the page-count trap)

3. RGB instead of CMYK

4. Embedded images under 300 DPI

5. Missing or short bleed

6. Content in the barcode zone

7. Fonts not embedded / PDF version too new

Find out which one hit you, free

Designed in Canva?

Get the cover pre-flight checklist

IngramSpark rejected your cover.One of these 7 things is why.

The 7 causes

1. Full-wrap dimensions don't match the computed template

2. Spine width wrong (the page-count trap)

3. RGB instead of CMYK

4. Embedded images under 300 DPI

5. Missing or short bleed

6. Content in the barcode zone

7. Fonts not embedded / PDF version too new

Find out which one hit you, free

Designed in Canva?

Get the cover pre-flight checklist

IngramSpark rejected your cover.
One of these 7 things is why.