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wmlbrown52
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epub picture book problems

Aug 7, 2012 1:03 PM

Tags: #export #epub #graphic #picture-book #novel

Hi,

 

I'm exploring how to make "picture books" in ID and export them as epubs. I say "picture books" as a generic term which could cover children's books, graphic novels, or any other publication that contains images that need to be in a certain order with or without text.

 

I've tried exporting a book that had a mix of text and images, and it quickly became a nightmare - even though I was anchoring images to text.

 

Now I'm going the easy way. No text, images only.

 

Each image is a page. Yes, it's a glorified pdf publication, but readable (this is the goal, anyway) on an ebook reader - Nook, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.

 

The inDesign document is laid out on individual pages - NOT spreads. When I convert it to an epub doc, and open it on my Mac's epub reader, the pages show up two-abreast. That's NOT what I want it to look like. It is meant to be read a page at a time. It also will not page advance properly. I click on the page advance and it jumps several pages to the middle or the end.

 

Using Caliper, a free ap that, among other things, can view the epub, it shows up properly - one page at a time.

 

I'm plowing through Adobe tutorial videos to learn more about creating epubs - liquid layout, etc., but so far I've only made another problem. Now instead of scrolling through a page at a time, it scrolls to mid page! Any suggestions as to how to make it advance a full page at a time?

 

Thanks very much for suggestions and constructive comments.

1981 Views   6 Replies   Latest reply: Nigel Chapman, Aug 17, 2012 8:15 AM
 
Replies
  • sheilerama
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    1. sheilerama,
    Aug 12, 2012 11:51 AM   in reply to wmlbrown52
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    Hi,  I too am making a children's illustrated book using ID (version 5.0) and using each image as a page.  I am still new to this too but since our goals seem to be the same and since the trouble I'm having is not what you're having... I hope you don't mind my budding in.....

     

    When you say, "When I convert it to an epub doc, and open it on my Mac's epub reader, the pages show up two-abreast. " - I have a couple of questions:

     

    1) which epub reader are you using?  For now I've been using Adobe Digital Editions and my pages show up one at a time.  I'd try using ADE to see if you get the same problem.

     

    2) do you have the files contained in a book in ID, rather than a series of ID documents? 

     

    3) If you do have the files in a book are you exporting to epub using the book file dialogue box right arrows to do so (I mean, the drop down box on the book dialogue box)?

     
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  • wmlbrown52
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    2. wmlbrown52,
    Aug 15, 2012 6:27 AM   in reply to sheilerama
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    Thanks for the reply!

     

    I'm also using ADE, and getting the pages two at a time rather than the desired one-at-a-time.

     

    I have the files contained in a book in ID, not a series of ID documents.

     

    I export to epub using the menu: File> Export. I'm not using a drop-down box. Should I be? I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. Do you mean the "Book" workspace? I'm using the "Digital Publishing" workspace.

     

    What's the trouble you're having?

     

    I'm made some progress on this. I'm ignoring the 2-abreast pages on ADE since I assume most people won't be using it. My latest issue is; how do I see it in Nook or Kindle? I don't see any way for those readers to open any publications other than ones I've purchased from Amazon or iTunes.

     
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  • LindsayLewchuk
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    3. LindsayLewchuk,
    Aug 16, 2012 2:48 PM   in reply to wmlbrown52
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    I'm in the same boat.  I created a picture book about my Great Dane puppy - it has background, pictures, text, and audio files.  However, when I export to epub I lose the audio files entirely.  The background disappears.  The pictures and text don't stay on the same page.  I watched the videos on left to right top to bottom flow, but am still having problems.  When I export to an interactive PDF everything exports as I have designed it in Indesign - audio works, nav buttons work, picture and text stay in place.

    I'm using Adobe Digital Editions to view the Epub.  I have all the files contained in on document. 

    If you all could link any help files you found useful, I'd appreciate it!

     
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  • LindsayLewchuk
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    4. LindsayLewchuk,
    Aug 16, 2012 3:56 PM   in reply to wmlbrown52
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    Hey,

    So I've been watching videos and this one http://tv.adobe.com/watch/cs-55-design-premium-feature-tour-/create-mo re-compelling-ebooks-with-indesign-cs55/ is very helpful.  Using the article function solved a lot of my problems.  I anchored the pictures to the last letter of each title page to get the picture to flow behind the text. 

    epubtrials.png

    I'm also playing around with different export options in the paragraph window and object export window.  Also, I had to click "ordering - same as articles panel" in the export dialog box.

     
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  • wmlbrown52
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    5. wmlbrown52,
    Aug 16, 2012 4:28 PM   in reply to LindsayLewchuk
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    Oh, yes, that was a helpful video.

     

    Other helpful pages:

    http://helpx.adobe.com/content/help/en/indesign/using/export-content-e pub-cs6.html

     

    There are related subject links here: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-indesign-cs5/articles-panel-in-indesig n-cs55/

     

    That page has an embedded video that I found somewhat irritating and off-the-point.

     

    Meanwhile, I've discovered that Amazon/Kindle offers a plug-in for InDesign that supposedly turns your book into a Kindle ebook. PC and Mac versions.I downloaded it to my iMac. But, I first had to download a "certificate", which did not go quite as the instructions said it would. And when I tried to install the plug-in I got an error message that it was "signed with a certificate that was out of date." So, that's a dead end - for now.

     

    This link may not work if you are not signed on, but maybe it'll give you a start on finding it.

    https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A2MB3WT2D0PTNK

     

    You have to sign up to be a book "publisher" with Amazon/Kindle. There's a lot of info there about how to go about publishing, selling, etc. I haven't absorbed most of it, yet.

     

    Bill B.

     
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  • Nigel Chapman
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    6. Nigel Chapman,
    Aug 17, 2012 8:15 AM   in reply to wmlbrown52
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    Last time I looked, Amazon's plug-in offered less control than InDesign's own ePub export feature. And I can't say I'm happy installing certificates from third parties just because they tell me to.

     

    You can use Amazon's Kindle previewer to see what your book will look like on various models of Kindle and Kindle apps for different devices. Get it from here:

     

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000765261

     

    It will open ePub as exported from InDesign.

     

    I can't comment on the types of publication you are talking about here, as mine are mostly text with some images, but in general I've found that the ePub/Kindle exported from InDesign (whether directly or using Amazon's plug-in) is not good enough for publication. You usually need to open up the ePub and tinker with the CSS, at least.

     

    Also, if you are doing children's books, you may get on better with Kindle Format 8. (There's a link to information about this on the right of the page linked to above.) The original Kindle format is a severely limited subset of the ePub format. Unfortunately, KF8 only seems to work fully on Kindle FIre devices, though Amazon say they are going to upgrade their other devices and readers.

     
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