Export to EPUB – Typefi Support

Applies to the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31

The Export to EPUB workflow action exports an EPUB file from an Adobe InDesign file (.indd or .indb).

We improved and simplified Export to EPUB's user interface with the release of the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31. To see what changed, see Introducing the updated Export to EPUB user interface.

The Export to EPUB workflow action is divided into five tabs: General, Text, Links, Metadata, and Advanced.

You can also use workflow variables to specify input fields. To insert a workflow variable, click the lightning bolt icon and choose a variable from the pop-up menu.

General

Use this tab to specify the input, output, InDesign Server, and page range.

Export to EPUB, General tab

Field	Description
Input	The file path to the input InDesign document (.indd). Click the Choose File icon to choose the input InDesign document (.indd) or book (.indb). Alternatively, enter the file path—for example, Input/my-input.indd.
Output	The file path to the output e-book (.epub). Enter a name for the exported EPUB file (.epub). Alternatively, click Choose File to choose an output from the pop-up menu. The default output is output-1.epub.
InDesign Server	Choose the InDesign Server or Blinkenlights queue.
EPUB format	Choose the EPUB file format. Options include: EPUB 2.0.1 EPUB 3.0 The default EPUB format is EPUB 3.0.
Cover	Choose a cover image. Options include: None: The exported e-book will not have a cover image. Rasterize first page: InDesign will rasterize the first page in the exported document or the style source document or the exported book. External image: Select an external image (via the Cover image field) to use. The default cover is None.
Cover image	The file path to an external cover image. If you chose External image from the Cover pop-up menu, click Choose file to choose the cover image. Alternatively, enter the file path to the cover image—for example, Covers/images/my-image.png.
Content order	Choose the content order that page elements are exported. Options include: Based on page layout: InDesign determines page objects' reading order by scanning left to right and top to bottom. Same as XML structure: The order of the tags in InDesign's Structure View determines the reading order. Same as Articles panel: The order of elements in InDesign's Articles panel determines the reading order. Only the checked articles are exported. The default value is Based on page layout. In the majority of cases, Based on page layout is the best choice. The other two options require manual intervention using InDesign's user interface.
Required Metadata	Metadata is data about data. That is, if an e-book is considered to be data, then the information describing the e-book, like the title and creator, would be metadata. Use this section to enter the required metadata elements that an EPUB file needs to be successfully validated.
Identifier	Enter the identifier element(<dc:identifier>). The identifier contains an identifier, such as an ISBN or DOI, associated with the e-book. For more information about adding an identifier, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. If you leave this field empty, then InDesign automatically generates an identifier for you.
Title	Enter the title element (<dc:title>). The title is the title for the e-book. For more information about adding a title, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. If you leave this field empty, then the title will be the Output name. For example, the title for hello-world.epub is hello-world.
Creator	Enter the creator element(<dc:creator>). The creator is the name of the person or organisation who created the e-book. For more information about adding a creator, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. Including a creator element is a best practice for creating searchable e-books.
Date	Enter the date element (<dc:date>). The date defines the publication date of the e-book. Use the DateTime format (YYYY, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD) to enter the date. For example, you could enter 2020, 2020-08, or 2020-08-04. For more information about adding a date, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. If you leave this field empty, then Typefi Server automatically generates <dc:date> to the current date and time.

Text

Use this tab to configure how text is formatted in the exported EPUB file.

Export to EPUB, Text tab

Field	Description
Remove soft returns	Select Remove soft returns to remove all soft returns in the e-book. Deselect to keep soft returns. Remove soft returns is deselected by default.
Table of Contents	Use this section to specify an InDesign Table of Contents (TOC) style.
TOC style	Enter the Table of Contents (TOC) style. The TOC style is the style that Adobe InDesign uses to generate the TOC.
Split HTML	Use this section to specify if the e-book should be kept as one HTML file or split.
Split HTML	Select Split HTML to split the EPUB file using InDesign's export tags on a paragraph style, or at a single paragraph style. Deselect to keep the EPUB file as one HTML file. Split HTML is deselected by default.
Paragraph style	If you selected Split HTML, enter the paragraph style where the EPUB file should be split, or leave blank to split the EPUB file on InDesign's export tags.
Footnotes	Use this section to specify where footnotes are placed.
Footnotes	Choose where footnotes are placed. Options include: After paragraph: Footnotes are placed after the paragraph. End of the section (Endnotes): Footnotes are converted to endnotes. Inside a pop-up (EPUB 3): Footnotes are placed inside a pop-up (EPUB 3 only). The default value is End of the section (Endnotes).
Lists	Use this section to specify how lists are formatted.
Bullets	Choose how to export bulleted lists. Options include: Map to unordered lists: Bulleted lists are converted unordered lists that are formatted in HTML using the <ul> tag. Convert to text: Bulleted lists are converted to text and formatted in HTML using the <p> tag. If you have used native InDesign auto-bullets, sub-bullets are also included. The default value is Map to unordered lists.
Numbered	Choose how to export numbered lists. Options include: Map to ordered lists: Numbered lists are converted to ordered lists that are formatted in HTML using the <ol> tag. Convert to text: Numbered lists are converted to text and formatted in HTML using the <p> tag. Each list item begins with the paragraph’s current number as text. The default value is Map to ordered lists.

Links

Use this tab to configure how images (JPEG, GIF, or SVG), CSS, and equations are exported.

Export to EPUB, Links tab

Field	Description
Preserve appearance from layout Pass through compatible images	Select Preserve appearance from layout to configure images to inherit their appearance from the layout. Or, select Pass through compatible images to configure images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, or SVG) to be passed through and styled with CSS. Preserve appearance from layout and Pass through compatible images are mutually exclusive. By default, Preserve appearance from layout is selected and Pass through compatible images is deselected.
Ignore Object Export settings	Select Ignore Object Export settings to ignore InDesign's Object Export settings. Deselect to apply InDesign's Object Export settings. Ignore Object Export settings is deselected by default.
Image format	Choose the image format. Options include: GIF JPEG PNG: Disables the image compression settings; use this option for lossless images or for images that include transparency. Automatic: InDesign chooses which format to use in each instance. The default value is Automatic.
Resolution (ppi)	Choose the resolution of the images in pixels per inch (ppi). While operating systems have standardised on either 72 ppi or 96 ppi, mobile devices have not. Options include: 72 96 150 300 The default resolution is 150, which is the average for e-book devices.
JPEG options	Use this section to specify how JPEG images are exported.
Image quality	Choose the image quality for each JPEG image created in the output. Options include: Minimum Low High Maximum The default image quality is High.
Format	Choose how quickly JPEG graphics display when the file containing the image is opened in a browser. Options include: Progressive: JPEG images display gradually and in increasing detail as they are downloaded Baseline: A placeholder is displayed until the JPEG image is downloaded The default format is Progressive.
GIF options	Use this section to specify how GIF images are exported.
Palette	Choose how InDesign handles colours when optimising GIF files. Options include: Adaptive (No dither): InDesign creates a palette using a representative sample of colours in the graphic without any dithering (mixing of small spots of colours to simulate additional colours). Web: InDesign creates a palette of web-safe colours that are a subset of Windows and macOS system colours. System (Windows): InDesign creates a palette using the built‑in Windows system colour palette. System (macOS): InDesign creates a palette using the built‑in macOS system colour palette. The default palette is Adaptive (No dither).
Format	Choose how quickly GIF images display. Options include: Interlaced: GIF images display starts with a blurry placeholder that sharpens over time. Non-interlaced: GIF images loads progressively by filling in missing lines from the top down The default option is Interlaced. If you have a fast internet connection, there is little difference in effect between an interlaced GIF and a non-interlaced GIF.
SVG options (ID 2020 only)	You must use InDesign 2020 to export SVG. If you attempt to export SVG using an older version of InDesign, then the SVG options are ignored because the SVG is not exported.
Use SVG as	Choose how SVG is exported. To export SVG, you MUST select Pass through compatible images. If you select Preserve appearance from layout instead, then the SVG options are ignored because the SVG is not exported. Options include: Embed Code: Inserts SVG into the HTML as XML code. Object Tags: Inserts SVG wrapped in an <object> tag. The default option is to Embed code.
CSS	Use this section to specify how images are handled during the EPUB export.
Image size	Choose how the image aspect ratio is maintained. Options include: Fixed: The CSS size is determined by calculating the dimension of the object in points and defining the same dimensions in the CSS as pixels. The aspect ratio of the object is maintained. Relative to text flow: The CSS width is determined by taking the width of the object and expressing it as a percentage relative to the width of the text frame containing the text flow. The aspect ratio of the object is maintained. The default image size is Fixed.
Layout	Choose the image alignment. Options include: Align left Align center Align right The default layout is Align left.
Space before (px)	Specify the margin-top (px) added to images. The default value is 0.
Space after (px)	Specify the margin-bottom (px) added to images.. The default value is 0.
Page break	Choose to insert page breaks with images. Options include: None: Page breaks are not inserted with images. Before image: Page breaks are inserted before images. After image: Page breaks are inserted after images. Before and after image: Page breaks are inserted before and after images. The default option is None.
Equations	Use this section to specify how equations are exported to HTML.
Equations	Choose how equations are exported. Options include: Ignore: Equations are ignored. Equations images: Equations are exported as equation images. MathML: Equations are exported as MathML. The default option is MathML.

Metadata

Use this tab to add optional metadata, such as a description, publisher, copyright, and subject.

Export to EPUB, Metadata tab

Field	Description
Description	Enter the description (<dc:description>). The description is an abstract or account of the e-book. For more information about adding a description, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
Publisher	Enter the publisher (<dc:publisher>). The publisher is the entity responsible for making the resource available. For more information about adding a publisher, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
Copyright	Enter the copyright (<dc:rights>). The copyright is information about rights held in and over the e-book. For more information about adding a copyright, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
Subject	Enter the subject (<dc:subject>). The subject is the topic—typically expressed as keywords, key phrases, or classification codes—that describe the topic of the e-book. For more information about adding a subject, see the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.

Advanced

Use this tab to customise the export HTML and CSS files and add an internal cover, or additional CSS and JavaScript files.

Export to EPUB, Advanced tab

Field	Description
HTML & CSS	Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are a collection of formatting rules that control the appearance of content in a web page. When you use CSS to format a page, you separate content from presentation.
Generate CSS	Select Generate CSS to specify if you want InDesign to generate an external CSS file for the exported EPUB file. Deselect Generate CSS to export your document to an EPUB file without generating a CSS file. Only the classes associated with the styles are marked in the HTML tags. No overriding classes are created. Generate CSS is selected by default.
Margin top (px)	Enter the CSS margin-top value (px). The default value is 0.
Margin right (px)	Enter the CSS margin-right value (px). The default value is 0.
Margin bottom (px)	Enter the CSS margin-bottom value (px). The default value is 0.
Margin left (px)	Enter the CSS margin-left value (px). The default value is 0.
Preserve local overrides	Select Preserve local overrides to include local formatting such as italic or bold. Deselect to ignore local overrides. Preserve local overrides is selected by default.
Include embeddable fonts	Select Include embeddable fonts to include all fonts that are embeddable in the e-book. Deselect to omit. Include embeddable fonts is selected by default.
Add internal cover	Select Add internal cover to add an internal cover to the e-book. Deselect if you do not want an internal cover. Add internal cover is deselected by default.
Additional CSS	The file path to one or more external Cascading Style Sheets (.css). Click Choose Files to choose additional CSS files. Alternatively, enter the file path to the additional CSS files—for example, Styles/my-style.css.
JavaScripts	The file path to one or more external JavaScripts (.js). Click Choose Files to choose additional JavaScript files. Alternatively, enter the file path to the additional JavaScript files—for example, Scripts/my-script.js.