Placeit Makes Mockups. You Need Print-Ready Covers.
Stop paying $14.95/month for mockup generators. Get actual KDP-compliant covers with automatic spine calculation, bleed zones, and 300 DPI quality for $3.50 each.
Why Placeit Doesn't Work for KDP Print Books
Placeit is a popular mockup generator designed for creating product previews, social media graphics, and marketing materials. While it offers book cover mockups, it's not built for creating actual print-ready KDP covers.
The confusion: Placeit creates beautiful 3D mockups of your book for marketing, but it doesn't generate the print files KDP needs. You still need spine calculation, bleed setup, and proper PDF formatting separately.
The Critical Difference
Placeit makes your book look good in screenshots. KDPEasy makes your book actually work on Amazon KDP. One is marketing, the other is production.
Placeit Quick Facts
Pricing:
$14.95/month or $89.69/year
Primary Use:
Mockups for marketing, not print production
KDP Features:
None - no spine calculation or bleed zones
File Output:
PNG/JPG images for mockups only
Best For:
Marketing images, not actual book covers
8 Reasons Placeit Fails for KDP Print Books
Why KDP authors need actual cover creators, not mockup generators.
Placeit creates 3D preview images for marketing. It does NOT generate print-ready PDFs with spine, front, and back cover layouts. You can't upload Placeit mockups to KDP - they're just marketing images.
Reality Check: A mockup shows how your book looks. It doesn't create the actual cover file.
Placeit has zero tools for calculating spine width based on page count and paper type. You'd need to manually figure this out using KDP's calculator and build the file elsewhere.
Reality Check: Without spine calculation, you can't create print book covers at all.
KDP requires 0.125" bleed and specific safe zones for text. Placeit mockups don't include these technical specifications. You're creating marketing images, not production files.
Reality Check: Upload a Placeit mockup to KDP and you'll get instant rejection.
$14.95/month for mockup templates is expensive when you still need another tool to create the actual KDP cover. You're paying for something that doesn't solve your core problem.
Reality Check: You need TWO tools - Placeit for mockups + another for actual covers.
Placeit exports PNG and JPG images. KDP needs print-ready PDFs with embedded fonts and proper color profiles. You can't use Placeit's output files for print book publishing.
Reality Check: PNG mockups are for Instagram, not for Amazon KDP uploads.
Placeit's book mockups use pre-made scenes and templates. You can't create custom cover artwork - just drop your existing design into their 3D mockup templates.
Reality Check: Placeit assumes you already have a cover design. It doesn't create one.
Placeit mockups are optimized for screen display, not print production. No 300 DPI guarantee, no CMYK color support, no print-specific quality controls.
Reality Check: Beautiful on screen doesn't mean printable in books.
Many new authors buy Placeit thinking it creates book covers, then discover it only makes mockup images. You waste money and time before realizing you need a different tool entirely.
Reality Check: The name "Placeit" implies placement/mockups, not cover creation.
Placeit vs KDPEasy: What You Actually Get
One makes mockups for marketing. The other makes actual KDP covers.
| Feature | Placeit | KDPEasy |
|---|---|---|
| Print-Ready KDP Covers | ||
| Automatic Spine Calculation | ||
| Bleed & Safe Zones | ||
| 300 DPI Print Quality | ||
| AI-Generated Artwork | ||
| Marketing Mockups (3D) | ||
| Monthly Subscription | $14.95/mo | $0 |
| Cost Per Cover | N/A (no covers) | $3.50 |
| Time to Create | 5 min (mockup only) | 2 minutes |
| File Format | PNG/JPG | Print PDF |
| Can Upload to KDP? | No | Yes |
Get print files, not just marketing images
Stop Paying for Tools That Don't Create Covers
Placeit is great for mockups, but you need actual cover files to publish.
Or $89.69/year ($7.47/mo)
Annual Cost
$179.40
For marketing mockups only
Pay only when you create covers
Cost Per Cover
$3.50
Actual production files
What Your Money Gets You
Placeit ($179.40/year)
- Mockup images for social media
- Still need another tool for actual covers
- Can't publish with Placeit files
KDPEasy ($35 for 10 covers)
- Actual print-ready cover files
- Upload directly to Amazon KDP
- Everything you need to publish
Why KDP Authors Choose KDPEasy Over Placeit
KDPEasy creates the actual cover file you upload to Amazon. No mockups, no marketing images. Just production-ready PDFs with spine, bleed, and safe zones.
Don't pay for mockup software then search for cover creation tools. KDPEasy does everything you need to publish in one place.
Every cover meets Amazon's technical specifications automatically. No guessing, no rejection errors, no manual calculations.
Unlike Placeit's template mockups, KDPEasy generates original AI artwork for your cover. Every design is unique to your book.
Pay only when you create covers. No $15/month for tools you're not using. Credits cost $3.50 per cover and never expire.
Download your cover and upload it to KDP in the next 5 minutes. No additional editing, no format conversion, no technical issues.
Switch from Placeit to KDPEasy
Use Placeit for marketing mockups, KDPEasy for actual cover production.
Understand the Difference
Placeit creates marketing mockups (3D book previews for social media). KDPEasy creates production files (actual covers to upload to Amazon). These are different tools for different purposes.
Create Your Cover with KDPEasy
Sign up free and generate your print-ready cover in 2 minutes. Enter book details, choose art style, download PDF. This file goes to Amazon KDP.
Create Cover NowOptional: Keep Placeit for Marketing
If you want 3D mockup images for Instagram or ads, keep Placeit. Use your KDPEasy cover as the source image for Placeit mockups. Best of both worlds.
Or Cancel Placeit and Save
If you only used Placeit trying to create covers (not marketing mockups), cancel it and save $179/year. KDPEasy does what you actually need.
What Authors Say About the Switch
Real feedback from publishers who discovered the difference.
"I spent months trying to use Placeit for KDP covers before realizing it only makes mockups. KDPEasy actually creates the files I need. Wish I found this sooner!"
Tom H.
First-Time Author
"Now I use KDPEasy to create my covers, then import them into Placeit for marketing mockups. Perfect workflow. Each tool does what it's actually designed for."
Lisa R.
Non-Fiction Publisher
"Cancelled my Placeit subscription since I don't need mockups. KDPEasy gives me everything I need to publish for $3.50 per book. Way better value."
Carlos M.
Fiction Author
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding the difference between mockups and production files.
No. Placeit creates 3D preview images (mockups) for marketing purposes. These are PNG/JPG files that don't include spine calculation, bleed zones, or the proper dimensions KDP requires. You need actual print-ready PDF files like those KDPEasy creates.
It depends on your goal. If you only need mockups for social media marketing, keep Placeit. If you need actual cover files to publish on KDP, use KDPEasy. Many authors use both: KDPEasy for production, Placeit for marketing images.
A mockup is a 3D preview image showing what your book looks like (for Instagram, ads, etc.). A cover file is the actual production PDF with front cover, spine, and back cover that you upload to Amazon KDP to print your physical book. They serve completely different purposes.
Yes! Create your cover with KDPEasy, then upload the cover image to Placeit to generate 3D mockups for marketing. This is the professional workflow: KDPEasy for production, Placeit for promotion.
No. KDPEasy focuses on creating print-ready cover files for actual book publishing. If you want 3D mockup images for marketing, use Placeit or similar tools. KDPEasy gives you the production file you upload to Amazon.
Simple: To publish your book on Amazon KDP, you need KDPEasy (creates the print file). To create marketing images showing your book in 3D for social media, you need Placeit (creates mockups). Most authors only need KDPEasy. Use Placeit only if you need promotional images.
If you only need cover creation (not mockups), you save $179.40/year by switching from Placeit ($14.95/mo) to KDPEasy ($3.50 per cover). For 10 covers/year, KDPEasy costs $35 vs Placeit's $179.40.
Yes. KDPEasy covers are specifically designed for Amazon KDP with automatic spine calculation, proper bleed zones, safe areas, and 300 DPI quality. Upload the PDF directly to KDP with 99%+ acceptance rate.
Get Print Files,
Not Just Mockups.
Create actual KDP-compliant covers in 2 minutes. Try it free with 5 credits. No subscription required.