Where Are Amazon KDP Books Printed?

It’s an interesting process that takes your book from a digital file to a physical copy that someone can hold in their hands and read. Let's take a look at how Amazon makes that happen.

How Amazon KDP Books Are Printed

Unlike traditional publishers with their central printing facilities, Amazon KDP uses a "print-on-demand" system where a book is only printed when a customer purchases it. One at a time. Amazon does not maintain warehouses full of copies of your book just waiting to be sold. This system reduces waste space and cuts inventory to nothing. It’s a very efficient and intelligent system.

Global Printing Network

Amazon KDP books are printed in various locations around the world. So, when somebody in Canada orders your book, it'll be printed at a facility in Canada. If the person is in Tokyo, it will be printed in Japan. This reduces shipping time and costs, making the whole process faster and more convenient for the reader.

The known Amazon printing facilities are: (There are likely more, but Amazon does not disclose every location.)

United States: Charleston, SC, San Bernardino, CA, Nashville, TN, Pennsylvania and Indiana 

Europe: Wrocław, Poland, Milton Keynes, UK, Madrid, Spain and Germany

Canada

Australia: Melbourne, Victoria

Japan

The Technology Behind It

Amazon uses advanced printing tech to produce high-quality copies as fast as possible. Some facilities utilize HP PageWide web presses, others use Xerox equipment. The facilities are highly automated with integrated binding and trimming systems. This allows them to meet customer demand efficiently while maintaining the consistent quality of the books they print.

In short, Amazon KDP's print-on-demand model gets your book printed where and when it's needed in order to get it into the hands of your readers around the world.