Epub Full Page Cover Image

I guess that asking in the *_Pages for iPad_* dedicated forum will be more efficient.

It seems that iPad users are not numerous here.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) 31 août 2010 18:22:44

Has anyone found a way to create an epub in Pages with a full page cover image?

Not sure what you mean by a "full page cover" here. Since iBooks reserves space for the "book-like" rendering of the file pages, it is impossible to "fill the entire screen" with cover art. It is, however, possible to determine the proper aspect ratio and maximum dimensions before scaling is applied to cover art embedded as the first page in an iPad ePUB file.

Anyone else tried this?

Yes. I've played with it. Based on comments from Legend Maker application creator, there is supposedly a max of 740x560 for images. Unfortunately, it was not mentioned whether this limitation is for generic use in an "standard" ePUB file, a limitation on the standard 8.5x11 inch US Letter sized page, or for universal compatibility all eReading devices. I, for instance have tested images as large as 860x560 pixels on the iPad but did notice scaling was being applied to "fit" the in the available display area.

If you visit the site, view the cover art in the slideshow mode. You should not that there is little change in the display height of the 815x560-to-820x560 sequence and little change in the width display in the 820x560-to-825x560 sequence which implies a close approximation of the useable iBooks "cover" display.

It seems that iPad users are not numerous here.

Not really true. I simply took a few hours off from Pages project testing and ran some additional test in order to better respond to this question.

Basically, what I did was create a number test projects in Pages and display them on my iPad. I then screen captured the embedded cover art in iBooks on the iPad and compared the results. At this time I have only completed the first phase of testing -- i.e., to determine the iPad specific aspect ratio. Results have been posted on a temporary web site I created earlier today in response to a different question in this forum. Phase two will require me to determine the actual max dimensions that can be used on the iPad/iBooks application. (I.e., I may post further results to a non-temporary web site to cover iPad specific ePUB file creation using Pages if this becomes an on-going thing.)

I used the floating option. Start by creating a big image (21 x 30 cm as an example), save as jpg, then select the floating option and cover the whole page with your mouse. I will do some testing today to know exactly the image size I should use.

I will do some testing today to know exactly the image size I should use.

Two questions:
1) How are you getting Pages to support the export of floating objects to the ePUB format?
2) How are you preventing automatic scaling of image to "fit" within the useable iBooks/iPad display area?

1. Place your image in the first page of your document.
2. Select the image by clicking on it once
3. Select an option that in the toolbar (below iWork.com icon) that says "Floating"
4. Drag the image to cover the whole page
5. When exporting the pages document to epub select "Use first page as book cover image"

That's it.

1. Place your image in the first page of your document... 5. When exporting the pages document to epub select "Use first page as book cover image"

This is not what I call "full page" cover art and since it creates an external cover entry and is scaled relative to the documents page size used. (I.e., I can drag and drop a smaller image to iTunes and achieve the same iTunes/iBooks display results.) I am referring to an "embedded" "full page cover" as the first page of an ePUB file which iTunes uses as the default external cover art yet remains viewable within the ePUB file in iBooks, as well as being recognized as cover art by other applications and readers.



Message was edited by: Jon Walker

Apparently Pages works a different way. Kindle will use the image in the first page as the cover image and you will also may see it as you open the book. Epub in iBooks will only use your cover page. If you add a break page and insert your image again it should work fine. Remember, using this epub will show two images or a repeated cover page in other formats. If you need to publish to other formats (example: kindle) I would create an html file instead.

The question is about ePub export from Pages 4.0.4. The iPad comes in to view the file in iBooks.

??

If you need to export only for iBooks (ePub). Use the first two pages with cover image, then check the option to use the "first page as book cover image". The result is: cover image seen in iBooks and also the cover image inside the book.

Hope this helps.

Epub in iBooks will only use your cover page. If you add a break page and insert your image again it should work fine.

It will only display as external cover at scaled or thumbnail size in iBooks/iTunes but is still stored in the ePUB file at full file size which is, to my mind, a waste of file space for iBooks viewing so doubling the storage space with a secondary embedded image is a definite "no-no" as far as I am concerned. Since the "full page" embedded cover is compatible with all applications and devices I use (Kindle 2, Sony Edition PRS-600, Sony PRS-500, iPad/iBooks, Adobe editions, Library reader, etc.), I prefer to use this approach for all devices/applications for both internal file viewing and external cover recognition using a single image file.

If you need to publish to other formats (example: kindle) I would create an html file instead.

I use a single Pages Project tagged RTF file to simultaneously generate both ePUB and Kindle compressed HTML compatible files. Unfortunately, this work flow does not allow me to directly embed/use images, shapes, frames, etc. as can be done using the Pages to ePUB export option. Thus, I am simply weighing the advantages/disadvantages of the latter. While I thank you for pointing out that a "Cover" floating object can actually be passed through the ePUB export process, it does not create a single image iBooks viewable "full page" cover as I assume the original poster may or may not have desired.

Has anyone found a way to create an epub in Pages with a full page cover image?

There are two forms of cover art that can be created using Pages. The first is an image embedded on the first page of the file which is displayed as part of the ePUB file and which many readers will use as a thumbnail icon for "cover" purposes. (Unfortunately, iTunes does not automatically use this image for iTunes/iBooks cover art.) The second method is to set the "Cover" option during ePUB export from Pages. This option takes the first page of the file, an image and/or text, and turns the entire page into a scaled image file recognized by most readers--including itunes/iBooks. Unfortunately, this process makes the first page non-viewable in the current version of iBooks.

To create a "full page cover" embedded in and iBooks viewable within the Pages exported ePUB file, you must first reset the document to zero top/bottom and left/right margins. This will allow you to insert an image of maximum dimensions. Note, however, that you will have to use a US Legal or custom size document page since the full page cover height in the iBooks portrait view is larger than the standard US Letter document size will allow. Maximum image dimensions appear to be about 560x823 pixels. Wider images will be proportionately downscaled to fit within the 560x823 display area shortening the height of the image. In a similar manner, images with a portrait height in excess of the maximum will be scaled to fit within the max allowed height and thus shrink the display width of the image. Images having a 560:823 (approximately 0.68:1) aspect ratio but larger than the stated dimensions will be scaled to fit the full maximum allowed area while smaller files will simply be displayed at their smaller dimensions within iBooks allocated display area.

The secondary method built into Pages will accept any image or first page up to and including the size of your project document. That is, the document dimensions become the "canvas" for the cover art image and anything within the first page area is removed from the iBooks display, converted to an image file which has been scaled to a reduced size. In my test case, I turned an 825x560 embedded image into an external file. I.e., this:

became this:

(Note: The background was colored black to show entire "canvas" size of this first "US Legal" sized page image. Any or all of this area could have been filled since the entire canvas is is used to create the "thumbnail" cover art image file.)

Hope this helps you understand what is going on and what options are available here.

I'm not sure what the "??" in your reply to me signifies. I was responding to Yvan explaining that this topic was appropriately placed in the Pages '09 forum. Even though the iPad is involved, the iPad version of Pages is not. ePub files are viewed using iBooks on the iPad.

What I meant with the ?? is that I didn't understand the question. The topic is in place, since Pages'09 app for desktop/laptop is used to create ePub files to be used in iphone/ipod/iPad