InDesignSecrets Videocast #7: Exporting EPUB Files
Seems like everyone is asking us how to make ePUB files these days. The process is far harder than it should be, but it’s not that complicated once you get the hang of it. Check out this 15 minute videocast that steps you through the basics of exporting EPUB from InDesign.
You can watch the videocast by clicking on the video below, or — if you want a larger version of it — go directly to our channel at indesignsecrets.blip.tv. These videos are also available on Adobe.tv (though it usually takes a few weeks for each episode to be posted there). Alternatively, you can watch (or even subscribe) to the video podcast on iTunes with this link.
Note that this videocast focuses on the Export to Digital Editions feature, which was greatly enhanced in version CS4. If you’re still using CS3 and want to make epub, you’re almost certainly going to want to upgrade.
Comments? Special features you’d like us to cover? Please chime in below!
Great info, David and Anne-Marie. Welcome to the bleeding edge of EPUB and eBooks!
I look forward to reading Gabriel’s article, but as of this date, I don’t think InDesign Magazine October/November 2009 has been posted yet, at least I haven’t received notice of it.
DRAT! You’re right, Steve. As the name suggests, the October issue will come out next month. But when it does, it’ll be worth it to have already be a subscriber, so you’ll get it right away.
In the meantime, I should also include the link to Steve’s recent blog post on creating epub documents, which complements the videocast well! Thanks.
Nice piece David and Anne-Marie;
One note on the TOC export that I like: if you create a TOC style in your publication (book) AND create a TOC for the book you get page numbers and all the predictable good bits for both print and PDF (including working links.)
When you export to ePub and select the TOC style, this is the basis for the navigation in the eBook AND InDesign drops the TOC from the layout for the ePub. InDesign knows to drop the TOC story (and Index) when exporting to ePub.
Sort of best of both print and ePub worlds.
At last, some real information about ePubs. If you go surfing for information under eBooks or ePubs you are usually faced with those that are available – not how to create them other than “it’s like a pdf…” etc.
I’m really looking forward to Gabriel’s article, he has been very helpful with his podcasts and his approach to work.
I’ve been a fan since I won his book as a prize at the London InDesign User group.
Nice how-to, thanks! It would be great if in a future videocast or a note you could cover how to add a cover image too (so that your thumbnail isn’t the first page of text, ugly, eek). There are various ways to add cover images to epubs – after battling with CS3’s clunky epub export, I now work with the epub code after export to add a cover, but that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Would it be easiest to add a one-page document, containing only the cover image, at the start of your book?
Colin Fleming (the TOC commentor above) is from Adobe, and is doing a session on ePub at Adobe MAX next week in LA (sorry I’ll have to miss it!). Here’s the description of his session from http://max.adobe.com/:
“Learn best practices and step-by-step instructions on how to take your content from creation to publication to distribution on eBook readers such as Reader Digital Book, Kindle, and iPhone. This session is organized into three sections: layout of books using Adobe InDesign, export of a book from InDesign to Adobe Digital Editions, and conversion of a book into the appropriate file format for use on a particular reading device. Leave this session with best-practices techniques and practical guidance on how to build eBooks for digital distribution.”
Hi!
A question about splitting my file first and creating a book. What are the pros of that vs. the cons? What if I have a file with over 50 chapters – I don’t want 50+ files.
Thanks!
@CRM: In CS5 you don’t need to have 50 files anymore; you can autosplit the chapters based on a top-level heading in the TOC. But in CS4 and earlier, having separate files is somewhat necessary. Ugh.
Have you heard of any issues with exporting Spanish and Canadian French to epub files? Do you have any resources to any related articles about foreign language ebooks?