The New Kindle Format 8 (KF8)

If you do go through KindleGen, then it is best to do lots of testing. In some cases though, it may be easier to build a Kindle file.

In any ebook system, there is default styling applied to the files. Joshua Tallent said that mobipocket has a different styling system, such as headings, compared to KF8. Other differences are

• KF8 uses webkit and has default margins
• In mobipocket, headings 5 and 6 are basically same size, but in KF8, heading 6 is much smaller (may not want to use)
• By default, mobipocket justifies text and indents
• KF8 justifies text, and margins above and below paragraphs

Media Queries are also interesting to explore. There is not yet enough support for media queries. For example, you can’t have a CSS file specifically for each device, which would make single-source files for ebooks much easier.

“It is easier to make different versions of your eBooks for the different retailers than to use media queries on a single file,” Joshua said.

But, there are some media queries you can use. For example, you can tell an ebook what to when displaying in portrait v. landscape mode on the iPad. Media queries are great for very complex books. But if you use media queries, you should test the files extensively. This means turning on and off the publisher defaults and testing landscape v. portrait view modes.

Other notes on media queries:

• useful for applying styles that work ins some devices or settings, but not in others
• most powerful in iBooks on iPad, and in KF8
• standard values are “all” and “screen”
• can also target devices based on screen dimension with width and height or min-/max+ values
• more general, use orientation
• Nook ignores CSS after a media query

You can also apply CSS in link tags. This will allow for different CSS files. For example, for general styles, portrait, and landscape. There are a lot of good resources online for media queries. However, websites are different from ebooks, so you will have to do testing.

Creating a KF8 file

If you have an EPUB file and want to make it KF8, Joshua said the key is to not think of it as EPUB anymore. First, crack open the EPUB file and pull out the OEBPS folder and related files, or just the source files.

Next, remove the cover HTML file and all references in the .opf and .ncx. It’s not necessary in the Kindle format.

Make sure that the metatag pointing to the cover image is still in place. Then, move the anchors in front of the formatting tags. Change them to name attributes, meaning name= (not id=).

Convert poetry, lists, etc. to KF8 backwards compatibility formatting. Then flatten transparent PNGs and GIFs. If you have transparent images, they will not be supported. Instead, they will show up as a black box on the screen. This is another reason not to use a single source ebook file, since Apple wants transparent images.

Lastly, make sure that small images have both width and height attributes. Otherwise, the small image will look double its size and look very pixelated.

There are a few small quirks to remember as well. For example, for poetry width=”-30″ means it’s a hanging indent. Lists are slightly different too. Use <div> classes and paragraph styles to make it look like a list in KF8–you can use them for tables too. Joshua said this works well, because you’re not relying on &nbsp to line words up. But, this does not work in mobipocket, so you will have to use a hacking system.

You can read Joshua Tallent’s book, Kindle Formatting: The Complete Guide, to learn more about all the steps to building KF8 files.

Other things you can do in KF8:

• CSS for shadows, coloring, small caps, borders, etc.
• Pull quotes (top and bottom borders to set apart)
• Small caps and transform properties are compatible

Mobipocket doesn’t allow floating content to the side, so use images for the border instead. You can hide them in KF8 format.

The best resource for KF8 is the Kindle publishing guidelines. It’s not exact, so you will have to do testing. But over time, Amazon will make adjustments. Although KF8 supports HTML5, it doesn’t require valid HTML5. However, you will want to validate your files anyway.

Amazon is working on building KF8 support into its other devices, so Joshua Tallent said we should expect to see updates to the Kindle 4 and Kindle Touch in the coming months. He recommends that you continue to build mobipocket files, unless you’re building specifically KF8, in which case always test for backwards compatibility, just in case.

KF8’s fixed layout is similar to Apple’s fixed layout, but instead of having an xhtml file for each page, there is a file for each spread. For KF8, you should use percentages instead of pixels for future-proofing. KF8 fixed format also has some extra code for magnified text boxes.

Joshua said he does not think there will be a universal format for ebooks soon. But he also doesn’t think it’s just because of Amazon. According to him, everyone is vying for a sport to stand out and become more prominent in their own ways. Nook did this with it’s children’s book builder, and Apple started with the iBooks iAuthor. Joshua said it’s an issue of capitalism. There’s a lot of competition in the market, so everyone wants to stand out in the crowd.

It’s clear, however, that Amazon will not go to EPUB, since they could have done that with KF8. Joshua said Amazon has valid reasons for going with KF8: it has a built-in dictionary index and fixed layout, which EPUB does not have yet.

One important takeaway is that it makes sense to spend time building what works. For example, if you’re going to make sales in Kindle, it makes sense to build in their format.

The BISG said that in the beginning of April it will release a live document that will show which devices support which features of EPUB 3. So at the very least, we’ll know what works for who!