Using InDesign to Create eBooks Boston InDesign User Group Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Using InDesign® to Create eBooks
Boston InDesign User Group
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Download materials at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29546208/Boston_IDUG_ePub.zip
Presented by Colleen Cunningham, Senior Book Designer, Adams Media
What is ePUB? It’s a Container.
• The ePUB format is the open eBook standard developed by the International
Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). It is based on a number of other open
standards including XHTML and CSS, just like the web.
• The ePUB format is like not an app (software-like) or a PDF (not re-flowable).
• ePUBs and eReaders go together. It’s best to get familiar with both.
• The ePub format is about reading convenience. Users can read on a wide
variety of devices, but this creates production challenges: different screen
sizes re-flow the text; reading engines support different code complexity;
users can change text size and sometimes the fonts.
• Currently ideal for straight text and content that does not require a lot of
formatting, but this summer ePUB3 and HTML5 will support more formatting.
Device support will follow . . . by the end of 2011?
(Some) InDesign Version Improvements
CS4
CS5
CS5.5
Cannot specify a cover image
Cannot specify a cover image
Can specify a cover image
Cannot include Publication
Year metadata
Cannot include Publication
Year metadata
Can include Publication Year
metadata
Cannot break text (all text
frames must be linked); images
must be inline or anchored
Cannot break text (all text
frames must be linked); images
must be inline or anchored
Can specify order of unlinked
text frames and images in new
Articles panel
Cannot export nested styles
Cannot export nested styles
Can export nested styles
Cannot automate chapter
breaks; break ID file for chapter
starts (use book palette)
Can automate chapter breaks
(Bug: xrefs in multiple
documents can break)
Can automate chapter breaks
(Bug still there?)
Cannot specify a CSS template
Can specify a CSS template
Can specify a CSS template
Free InDesign Scripts for ePUB workflows
Compiled by Anne-Marie Concepción of InDesign Secrets:
Apply Nested Styles (hard-applies character styles)
http://in-tools.com/scripts.html#apply_nested
Turn GREP Styles to Character Styles
http://indesignsecrets.com/downloads/TurnGrepStyles2CharStyles.zip
PrepText (converts manual to character styles), CS4/CS5
http://indesignsecrets.com/downloads/preptext.zip
ePUB with Correct Links (read the special installation instructions), CS5 only
http://www.teusdejong.nl/thome/ho_body5.html#scripts
If you need help installing scripts, read this post:
http://indesignsecrets.com/how-to-install-scripts-in-indesign.php
Steps in the InDesign to ePUB Workflow
Create file in InDesign and export
Validate
Unzip (if necessary—not using editing
software that un/zips automatically)
Test on device(s) for quality assurance
(QA)
Edit code for finessing and validation
Upload to eBook seller (buy an ISBN,
supply metadata in separate feed)
Zip (if necessary)
ePUB to Kindle conversion (if necessary)
InDesign File Prep: Best Practices
❍ Tools for visual hierarchy of content: font
weight, font size (in relation to other
content), white space, and indents.
❍ Style text with paragraph and character
styles to translate into HTML (no “+”).
❍ Replace multiple returns with space attached
to paragraph styles—they register as no
space. Remove soft returns in running text—
they register as hard returns.
❍ Remove special spaces (non-breaking, thin,
etc) as they can create odd characters. Try
using tracking or “no hyphens” in print file.
❍ (CS4/5) Thread text in order and anchor all
images/captions and floating sidebars—
unthreaded text and unanchored objects are
pushed to front or end of the ePub file.
InDesign CS4 used for demo
❍ Hyperlinks: Create in hyperlinks panel.
❍ Cross references: Replace page references
from the print file with cross references to
chapters or sections in hyperlinks panel.
❍ Include chapter numbers, titles, and
subheads in ePUB TOC menu.
❍ (CS4) Break up single InDesign file for section/
chapter starts. Use the book palette. XHTML
files have to be < 300 K for validation.
❍ (CS4) Place cover image as .jpg in first ID file.
❍ Enter metadata (File / Info)
❍ Consider converting complex tables into
art. See http://www.ebookarchitects.com/
conversions/enhanced.php for examples.
InDesign to ePUB Export: Best Practices
❍ Choose “Defined Styles” over “Local
Formatting” to keep your ePUB file size low.
Manual formatting = more code.
❍ Lists: map bulleted lists to unordered lists
and map numbered lists to ordered lists (but
the code will need to be fixed in the ePUB).
❍ Consider choosing “original art” option
and re-sizing art to 100% in Photoshop for
control over output quality:
❑ 600 pixels on longest side is a good size
for detailed images
❑ keep images < 10 MB
❍ Avoid embedding fonts. This increases
the file size and there are rights issues.
Embedding = redistributing the font.
InDesign CS4 used for demo
What will not export:
• Anchored master page items (watch for
unanchored master page items, they will
be pushed to the end of the ePUB)
• Elements on the pasteboard
• InDesign-generated TOC and index
• Drop caps, caps, small caps, white spaces
• (CS4/5) Outlines created or placed within
the InDesign document (shapes and fonts)
• Rules attached with paragraph styles
• Font weights besides roman, italic, bold,
and bold italic (like medium)
ePUB Editing: Best Practices
❍ Unzip the ePUB file (if necessary)
❍ Edit the ePUB file:
❑ (CS4/5) add date metadata to content.opf
<dc:date>2011</dc:date>
❑ (CS4/5) add cover file to the content.opf
in metadata and manifest
❑ fix spacing of headers called out in TOC
[in CSS] margin-top:
OPTIONAL EDITS:
❑ add more space to the outside margins
[in CSS] set body and @page margins
❑ avoid page breaks after heads (not
support on the iPad yet)
[in CSS] h1 {page-break-after: avoid;}
❑ set font preferences (see iosfonts.com)
[in CSS] font-family: sans-serif; serif; [etc];
❑ add cross-referencing
[in HTML] use #xx and id=“xx”
❑ embed audio/video files, set long tables
❑ add additional metadata to content.opf
in non-linear files (see ebookarchitects.
com for examples of ePUB enhancements)
❑ make images scalable in relation to width
use HTML5 <audio> and <video> tags
of eReader screen
[in HTML] style = “max-width: 100%;”
❑ fix list formatting
[in CSS] p.bullet to li.bullet, indent=0
Dreamweaver CS4 used for demo
❑ apply div HTML/CSS for images/captions
❑ fix drop caps / caps / small caps
❍ Zip the ePUB file (if necessary)
Inject QA into your eBook workflow!
❍ Your ePUB file must be pass validation in
order to be accepted by eBook retailers:
❑ www.threepress.org/document/epub-validate
❑ www.code.google.com/p/epubcheck
❑ www.code.google.com/p/flightcrew
❍ Review on multiple eReaders if your ePUB is
meant for multiple accounts:
❑ use ADE for rough proofing
❑ can only proof iBooks on the iPad
❑ use eReaders whenever possible
❑ use eReader apps whenever possible
❍ Remove copyrighted content specifically for
print from eBook editions.
❍ When reviewing, check the following:
❑ formatting: spacing, indents, character
styling, capitalization, page breaks
❑ TOCs: click-able menu works and TOC
page cross-references work
❑ cross-references: work and correctly
point to other parts of the book (and that
there are no unlinked “see page xx” left
over from print material)
❑ hyperlinks: work and correctly point
to web address, try to avoid deep web
addresses as they may change when web
sites are edited (“&” will break a link when
used in a hyperlinks, Amazon uses them in
their hyperlinks)
❑ art: is scaled correctly and is placed at
the correct dimensions
Adobe Digital Editions used for demo
Converting ePUB to Kindle
❍ ePUB files are not used on a Kindle. Kindle eBook formats include .mobi, .azw, and .prc (similar).
Amazon’s Kindle Publishing Programs page has all the information you need.
❍ InDesign does not export directly to the Kindle format, so use conversion software on an InDesigngenerated ePUB file such as Kindlegen.
❍ It’s recommended that the newer version of Kindlegen (v1.1) only be used for files with audio/
video. Otherwise, the new version needlessly inflates eBook’s file size.
❍ Download the Kindle Previewer to check the formatting and validate your Kindle eBook.
❍ Common changes to formatting during ePUB to Kindle conversion include:
❑ lost space between paragraphs
❑ lost hanging indents
❑ inconsistent handling of drop caps
❑ image re-sizing on the Kindle (small images are expanded to fit screen unless dimensions are set
inside the image tag)
❍ Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines has specific instructions regarding how to code the cover in
the content.opf file. Their preferred format for the cover is a .jpg image of 600 x 800 pixels.
Last Words
Experiment
Reach out to the ePub community
Have fun!
ePUB Resources
TWITTER
DBW
MY SITE
ADOBE
INDESIGN SECRETS
LIZ CASTRO’S BOOK
BLOG
EBOOK ARCHITECTS
www.twitter.com–use #ePrdctn
www.digitalbookworld.com (@digibookworld)
www.thebookstudio.wordpress.com (I’m @BookDesignGirl)
www.adobe.com/digitalpublishing (@adobe)
www.indesignsecrets.com (@amarie)
www.elizabethcastro.com/ePUB (@lizcastro)
www.www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com
www.ebookarchitects.com/resources.php (@jtallent)
Presented by Colleen Cunningham, Senior Book Designer, Adams Media