Epub 3

Finding a Epub3 demo used to be rather difficult, and I can recall the digging I had to go through when I wanted to see one for the first time. Luckily for eBook geeks, that is about to change.

The IDPF recently started a new project which is going to make it easier to keep up with the latest Epub features.  Rather than ask around for people to point you at sample files, you can now check one single site where (I hope) you’ll be able to find all the demos that the various developers have been working on.

As of this week, there were 8 files on hand (I’m hoping that will increase). Right now you can read them in iBooks, and they show off various tricks like embedded fonts, video, and audio.

Epub Samples

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The Epub3 spec is only  few months old, and I’m sure there re many who re still learning its nooks and crannies. O’Reilly can help you with that.

They’ve just released a new free eBook with a collection of their best tips for how to make an Epub3 eBook. The book description has more detail: “Through practical tips and examples, Accessible EPUB 3 takes you inside the EPUB 3 format and explores how you can enrich and enhance content for all readers. Author Matt Garrish demystifies the process of making content easier to access, demonstrating how accessible practices are intertwined with standard content best practices.”

The eBook can be downloaded for free from O’Reilly in  DRM-free Epub, Kindle, or PDF formats. Registration is required, but you won’t be asked for your credit card info.

O’Reilly

Epub3 has just recently been finalized as an eBook format, and there’s already a tool you can use to make sure your file works right.

Are you planning to sell your eBook in iBooks or other eBookstores? Then you’ll need this tool. It checks whether your eBook meets the requirements for Epub and Epub3, and it can tell you how your eBook meets the specs s well as what you need to fix. The IDPF has volunteered the space on their servers, and they’re making the tool available to all.

But you might want to wait a few more days before using this tool. This validator is based on EpubCheck by Threepress Consulting, and a new version was just released this weekend. It is not yet online.

This online validator is also limited to files smaller than 10MB, so that might hamper your efforts; thanks to audio and video Epub3 files can easily hit 50MB or more. Luckily you can also download a copy and run it on your own computer.

Validator

I’ve just added a new blog to my RSS feeds, and I think you should do the same.

Last week Matthew Diener launched Epub Secrets, a new blog that’s going to focus on the intricate technical details in the Epub file format. Tell me, do you follow the #eprdctn discussion on twitter? Then you are probably going to be interested in this blog.

Matthew offered more details in the inaugural post: “This blog was the brainchild of David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepcion, the fine folks behind InDesignSecrets. As speakers and trainers of designers, production staff, and editors, they have answered many questions about how to make error-free ePUBs. Their hope is that this blog will document steps you can take to make better ePUBs and provide you with a public forum to discuss best practices and issues facing those who create ePUB files.”

He’s  also asking for volunteers who would like to contribute posts and technical expertise.

Matthew is planning to build the blog into a trusted source for best practices on making Epub, and as a first step he’s started building a list of Epub related resources found around the web.

Epub Secrets

Your eBooks are about to get a lot noisier and and a lot more interactive.

The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) met today in Frankfurt, and the assembled members voted to accept the current Epub3 spec as final. This move will pave the way for developers, eBook creators, and eBookstores to start getting ready for the new and best eBook format to hit the market.

Read more

I’ve found a rather unusual eBook to offer today. O’Reilly, a publisher of technical manuals and reference guides, has just released a short intro into the soon-to-be-released Epub3 eBook format. It’s currently available a a free and DRM-free download.

We’ve covered Epub3 from time to time on this blog, but I don;t know that we’ve ever completely explained what it is and how it differs from the Epub eBook that you may have purchased for you Nook, Kobo, or Sony Reader. What Is Epub 3? should answer most of your questions.

Here’s more details from the description: “What is Epub 3? discusses the exciting new format that is set to unleash a content revolution in the publishing world. Laden with features the printed page could never offer–such as embedded multimedia and scripted interactivity–EPUB 3 will forever change what a book can be. This article walks you through the format and puts it in its place in the digital landscape, explaining why EPUB 3 is set to become the new global standard for ebooks as it also becomes the new accessible standard for ebooks.”

O’Reilly

Have you been wondering what you might see in the new Epub3 eBook format? Here’s your chance to find out.

equire Technologies, an Indian eBook creation service, posted this video on Youtube a few days back. It shows some of the things you might find in Epub3, including: fixed layout eBooks (double or triple column), embedded content, storage, drag & drop, and interactive touch painting & coloring. These features only work on iBooks right now, and technically this demo isn’t an Epub3 file. The Epub3 standard has not yet been finalized.

MPS, a MacMillan company, has posted a video example of a book made for the iPad using EPUB 3. We’ve embedded the video above, so that you can see what it looks like.

The eBook has various multimedia elements including audio and video, animations and slide shows. It also includes complex and fixed layouts and print-replica layouts, structured, hyperlinked indexes, as well as embedded fonts, right-to-left text and page progression. There is also a read aloud track.

The MPS blog has more: “We’d love to get your feedback on the sample and hear your thoughts on EPUB 3 in general – does it meet your expectations, which features will be the most useful, what are your plans for EPUB 3. Post a comment below or join the conversation on the EPUB 3 and HTML5 LinkedIn group here.”

MPS Limited, a Macmillan company, has partnered with Ingram Content Group’s VitalSource Technologies to adopt the new EPUB 3 formatting standard.

Under the terms of the deal, MPS will suport Ingram’s VitalSource Technologies platform, the company’s e-textbook platform, as it adds EPUB 3 and HTML5 capabilities.

MPS announced its new EPUB 3 and HTML5 support services in April at the London Book Fair.

What do you know about the new Epub standard that is due to be released in a few months?

If the answer is “not much” then I have a webinar you might want to watch. It’s hosted by Aptara, and features Bill McCoy, managing director of the IDPF, and Eric Freese, a member of the EPUB 3 Working Group. This 1 hour webinar will cover specifics on the draft standard as well as what’s new, what’s still on the table,  and what are the most hotly contested issues.

It’s on Thursday, May 12, at 11 am eastern.

Aptara