Inacceptable issues when generating ePub-documents

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Level 1

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Inacceptable issues when generating ePub-documents

I use Pages for exporting ePub-files since this is possible. But in december I updated from Pages 4.2. to Pages 4.3 and from now on I get two intolerable problems: The documents are too large and they are not valid.

First issue:

I tried to generate an ePub-document an from Pages 4.3 and I became aware that the ePub-document was extremly large. So I went back to Pages 4.2., did the same and the result was acceptable. In comparison:

- the size of the ePub-document, generated from Pages 4.2 had 11 MB

- the size of the ePub-document, generated from Pages 4.3 had 59 MB

I tried to generate an ePub-document based on the Pages-template for generating ePub-documents I found in the HT4168-support-page, but I got same problem: Too large ePub-documents when generated by Pages 4.3. So I had a look into the package of the ePub-document generated by Pages 4.3 and I noticed that the images in the document are exported in a very large size. The images in an ePub-document, exported from Pages 4.2. have e.g. 68 KB (294 x 114px), when exported from Pages 4.3. they have 386 KB (882 x 342px). That is more than 5 times larger!

Next issue:

When I try to check my ePub-file for validity I noticed that the ePub-documents exported from Pages 4.3 are not valid. Not so with the ePub-documents generated by Pages 4.2. The Error message comes like this:

FEHLER in "test.epub/OPS/cover.xhtml" (Zeile 5, Zeichen 550):

Das Element "div" ist an dieser Stelle nicht erlaubt. Erwartet wird ein Element-Ende-Tag, Text oder eines der Elemente "a", "abbr", "acronym", "applet", "b", "bdo", "big", "br", "cite", "code", "del", "dfn", "em", "i", "iframe", "img", "ins", "kbd", "map", "noscript", "ns:svg", "object", "q", "samp", "script", "small", "span", "strong", "sub", "sup", "tt" oder "var" (mit xmlns:ns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg")

Someone in the forum suggested use Sigil to open such an ePub-file and save it again, that would fix the problem. But this didn't work for me.

Is there a chance to get the issue fixed or do I have to go back to Pages 4.2. (that might help for some time)?

Posted on Jan 15, 2013 11:57 PM

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Answer 1

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Jan 16, 2013 8:25 AM in response to vitessa

You have to Tell Apple this. We answering here a just end-users like you. You can use this link for giving feedback to Apple http://www.apple.com/feedback/pages.html . You can also find it in Pages Pages menu.

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Answer 2

vitessa Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 16, 2013 9:08 AM in response to fruhulda

Telling Apple about the issue is a good idea and I already did that. But I got no answer and I really don't expect to get an answer (I never got one before).

But I'am here to look for other users experience with issues like that. Is it a single problem of my own, is it a common issue is it even a "feature", do others have the the same issue? And one of the most important reasons why I post here is to find a possible fix.

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Answer 3

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Jan 16, 2013 9:19 AM in response to vitessa

Those of us that usually answers here doesn't seem to do any epubs-documents. My only comment is that it seems that Pages 4.3 has more problems than the 4.2 version. Not only with epubs documents.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2013 10:00 AM in response to vitessa

I have given up with Pages now for epub files. They are massive, and do not pass epub compliance. I have got round it by 2 ways - you have to open your epub in Sigil and resave - this will sometimes sort the problem out, (but not the size - eg an epub I did in 4.2 was 8.9mb, I had to edit it in 4.3, and it grew to 51.3 mb). The other way is long winded but works providing you have a copy of microsoft word for mac.

Export your pages file to word, then save as a docx file. Make sure your chapter headings are styled as Heading 1, 2 etc (not Chapter Heading, Heading etc). Delete the Pages table of contents (you can either generate a new one in word or just leave it out).
Download Calibre (free programme). In calibre, go to preferences menu>get plugins to enhance calibre. Click on DOCX input (free plugin) and install. Drag your docx file into calibre, edit your metadata (your front cover may not be showing, just a random picture). Then click on convert books and output epub. And wait a minute or two.
Your epub will be created in the calibre library but there will be a couple of errors
Open Sigil (free programme). You will see your cover image is distorted. On your titlepage.xhtml you need to click on source code view. The error value of attribute "preserveAspectRatio" is invalid - use SIGIL to look at the titlepage.xhmtl. Then look at the code view for the page. Delete the section that says preserveAspectRatio="none" and save. The picture will look normal again. And that should be it.
If you have footnotes, there will be another set of "id" errors that I can go into later if necessary, but again easy to solve.

This sounds fiddly but isn't really. The epubs are a normal size and pass compliance.

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