KDP publishing error "insufficient gutter" for first 3 chapters only

[Natalie Rucando]

Hi all! I keep getting the same error when uploading to KDP showing errors specifically in the first 3 chapters. I am publishing a book that I formatted in InDesign and have previously been able to upload the book successfully to KDP and get an author's copy.

Now, once I have made some changes, text only, in some of the InDesign files, it seems that only my first chapter document is causing the error. So, I've tried uploading the book with that chapter removed and it is accepted by KDP. I also created a book with only the first 3 chapters, exported to PDF, and this was accepted by KDP with no errors.

Methods I have used to fix the error message:

Recreated Chapter 1 InDesign file with an existing template used for all of the other files - AND by using a file for a random chapter that wasn't flagged.

Exported in various PDF versions. PDF/X -1a, High Quality, Press Quality, etc.

Created a new Word/RTX file for the first chapter and re-copied/pasted the contents. And, also used the "Place" file feature into the new and existing InDesign file for Chapter 1.

Tried to isolate error coming from Word doc thinking that white spaces were being brought over from the original word doc into the InDesign file/files. However most changes to the text came from typing directly into the InDesign file. Exporting features i.e. color settings, flattening layers, PDF settings. Page numbering. Removed png image used for the chapter’s names for each of the affected first 3 chapters. Downsampling (yes or no?)

Looked for overset text, removed italicized words. (I did not find overset text, and removing italicized words did not make a difference.)

Twice, I re-created the first 3 chapters using the previously used chapter’s template, which was used for all of the 50 chapters.

I'm at a loss. Feel like I can't move on until this issue is resolved. Help!

[Eugene Tyson]

As the rest of the files are ok then I'd suggest it's a file issue itself

If a document is not behaving well then try 

File>Export 
Choose IDML

Open the IDML in InDesign
Save the file as a new InDesign file with a new name
See if the issue persists.

-----------------------------------

alternative to check if this works - could be something built up in the background of the file. 

Open the document that contains the pages you want to move.

Check the Page Setup of the Source:
With the source document open:

Go to File > Document Setup to see the page size, orientation, and number of pages.

Go to Layout > Margins and Columns to check the margin settings.

Make a note of these details — you’ll need them for the new document.

Create a New Document (Destination):
Go to File > New > Document.

Enter the same page size, orientation, and margins as the source document.

Go to File > Save As, give it a name, and save it somewhere you can find easily.

If it’s not open already, go to Window > Pages.

Switch back to the source document. In the Pages panel, select the page thumbnails you want to move.

To select a range: click the first, hold Shift, then click the last.

With the pages selected, click the menu icon (three lines) at the top right of the Pages panel and choose Move Pages…

Set the Destination:
In the Move Pages dialog box:

Move Pages: This will list your selected pages.

Destination: Choose your new document from the dropdown list.

Location: Choose where the pages should go beginning, end, before or after a certain page.

Click OK and the pages will move into the new document

Save this and see if it works for you now. 

--------

Why Saving an InDesign File Over Itself Can Be Problematic

Increased Risk of File Corruption

Continuously overwriting the same file can cause it to become unstable or corrupted over time. This corruption may render the file unopenable, leading to potential loss of work. ​

Accumulation of Redundant Data

Each save can add metadata and other information to the file, causing it to bloat. This not only increases the file size but can also degrade performance, making the document slower to open and edit.​

Loss of Version History

By not creating separate versions of your document, you lose the ability to revert to earlier stages of your work. This can be problematic if you need to backtrack or retrieve previous content.​

Best Practices to Mitigate These Issues

Use "Save As" Regularly: Periodically save your document with a new name (e.g., "Project_v2.indd"). This practice creates a new, clean version of the file, reducing the risk of corruption and keeping file size manageable.​

Export to IDML

Exporting your document to InDesign Markup Language (IDML) can help reset the file's structure, eliminating hidden issues and improving performance. This is particularly useful if you notice the file behaving erratically. ​

Maintain Backup Version

Regularly create backup copies of your work. This ensures that you have access to previous versions in case of corruption or accidental changes.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Natalie Rucando

What font? 

Maybe it's related to the "optical margin alignment"? 

[beno41599860]

Can you share the .indd file?

[Pariah Burke]

This happened to me when I was publishing InDesign Masterclass: Text Techniques . The number of pages, the thickness of the paperstock, and the resulting creep was just slightly larger than KDP's required bind edge gutters. KDP's preview showed me which pages, but the problem wasn't immediately clear (as witnessed by all my hair pulling and swearing at the preview that it "!@#!ing fits right there in the line!!!" 🙂.)

After a lot of trial and error (and contemplating never laying out my own books ever again), I finally discovered the issue KDP was complaining about. Ultimately I had to shift the content of certain pages outward from the spine about 2.5 points. Some of my figures, especially those with drop shadows and other not-white-but-really-close-to-it effects, looked within KDP's gutter guides, but were slightly outside.

If yours is more than a handful of things to move slightly, if you need to move the entire content of multiple pages, other Adobe Community Expersts or I can help you do that semi-automatically; you won't need to CMD+A, nudge, nudge, nudge every single page. Just let us know.