*** From the Archives ***

This article is from January 21, 2010, and is no longer current.

Making eBooks from InDesign, Part 1

This article is excerpted from the October/November 2009 issue of InDesign Magazine, #32. Subscribe to InDesign Magazine.
It’s been talked about for years: a paperless book that can be downloaded from a Web site and read on an electronic reading device. And now that thousands of eBooks are being downloaded every day, the eBook revolution is finally upon us.
After ordering an eBook, you can instantly download it to your computer, smartphone, or dedicated eBook device and start reading it. You can search through the text for a specific word or phrase. You can adjust the size of the text and choose a different font. You can add digital bookmarks and non-permanent annotations. And you can fit an entire library into a single reading device.
With all these benefits combined with an increased consumer appetite for eBooks, it’s no wonder that publishers are making material available in digital format. When you think of an eBook, you likely imagine a PDF file that has been designed and packaged for commercial delivery via the Internet. The standard PDF format is certainly widely used. But more recently, a new XML-based eBook format has emerged, called EPUB. It’s specifically designed for reflowable books and other publications. And yes, the EPUB format works great on Apple iPads!
In this article, I’ll first introduce you to the EPUB file format. Then I’ll teach you best practices to follow when setting up an InDesign document that will be exported as an EPUB file. After that, I’ll walk you through the basic steps involved in exporting an EPUB file.
In part 2, I’ll show you how to edit an EPUB file after export.
Click the image below to download the article as a PDF file.

Go to part 2.
 

  • HawaiiBill says:

    We need MORE NEW material on InDesign. Thank you

  • Anonymous says:

    we need more NEW material on InDesign. Thank you
    free ebook download

  • Anonymous says:

    where to get more info about making PDF Ebooks

  • Anonymous says:

    “Click the image below to download the article as a PDF file”???? That’s hilarious because of the fact that it’s an article about NOT making pdfs and using EPUBs!

  • Anonymous says:

    Taking advantage of the digital book, means adding video as sell as words and pictures.

  • Anonymous says:

    On page 10, why do you alot 2 pages each for Cover, for FrontList (what is Front List?), for Title Page, for Copyright, and for TOC?
    I am using a different file for each of these, but I only used one page (when there is text on one page only). Thanks, C.

  • Anonymous says:

    I used Indesign to create my ebook Using the Kindle plug in and now my images do not fill the pages on my Kindle Fire. They are only 25% of the page. My page size is 1024 x600 and 72 dpi. What am I doing wrong?

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