Comments for Webbish Books http://webbishbooks.com for learning webbish and making better eBooks Tue, 01 May 2012 11:54:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Kindle Maximum Image Size by Araby http://webbishbooks.com/kindle-maximum-image-size/#comment-244 Araby Tue, 01 May 2012 11:54:13 +0000 http://webbishbooks.com/?p=365#comment-244 Yes, the revised statement on image size appears in Kindle Publishing Guidelines, version 2012.3, section 3.5.2. However, the latest version of Kindlegen, mentioned in the second paragraph of 3.5.2, is still version 2.4, and will, as noted, process images to under 127KB. In Acrobat, document properties indicate that the new Guidelines file was created on 3/29/2012, and was probably made available some time after that. Amazon does not include version information on their Publishing Program page nor provide alerts when the Guidelines are updated, so I'm grateful for your comment. Eventually, Kindlegen will catch up. Until then, the Kindlegen conversion program will be used by Amazon KDP, by publishers as a standalone program, and with a UI in Kindle Previewer. After Amazon announced the change from 63KB to 127KB, it took a long time for Kindlegen to catch up. As always, if you zip up your document files and upload them directly to Amazon, you can include images at 256KB or whatever size you have, if you want to let Amazon process your images. I would bet that for the immediate future, the compiled package files will continue to have images at a maximum size of 127KB. There are still a lot of eInk Kindles out there that do not use KF8. Maybe Amazon will change the software for recent models if they continue to produce them. They've made some vague statements about the upgrade path, but nothing concrete. For the benefit of other readers (like me) who hadn't yet downloaded KG 2012.3, here's the full 3.5.2 Guideline: <blockquote><b>3.5.2 Image Guideline #2: KindleGen Performs Automatic Image Conversions</b> Kindle Format 8 supports JPEG and GIF images of up to 256 KB in size. This is double the previously supported maximum, and provides for richer nuances in images, particularly for large images or content with gradient patterns. KindleGen performs the necessary conversions automatically from the supported input formats, so you should provide images with the maximum resolution available and let KindleGen do the rest. If the automatic image conversion is unsatisfactory, try optimizing the images before feeding them to KindleGen. If the images are in the JPEG or GIF formats and are less than 127 KB in size, KindleGen does not alter them.</blockquote> In the past, automatic image conversion has been not so hot. With Kindlegen 2.4, results are better, but folks who find "letting KindleGen do the rest" is not as good as optimizing images beforehand will have best results with files that don't trigger Kindlegen resizing. It's been my experience that Kindlegen honors file-size guidelines with cover images more than inside images, which are always processed and compressed further even when they're well under the file-size limits. I keep hoping that will change, too. Yes, the revised statement on image size appears in Kindle Publishing Guidelines, version 2012.3, section 3.5.2. However, the latest version of Kindlegen, mentioned in the second paragraph of 3.5.2, is still version 2.4, and will, as noted, process images to under 127KB.

In Acrobat, document properties indicate that the new Guidelines file was created on 3/29/2012, and was probably made available some time after that. Amazon does not include version information on their Publishing Program page nor provide alerts when the Guidelines are updated, so I’m grateful for your comment.

Eventually, Kindlegen will catch up. Until then, the Kindlegen conversion program will be used by Amazon KDP, by publishers as a standalone program, and with a UI in Kindle Previewer. After Amazon announced the change from 63KB to 127KB, it took a long time for Kindlegen to catch up.

As always, if you zip up your document files and upload them directly to Amazon, you can include images at 256KB or whatever size you have, if you want to let Amazon process your images. I would bet that for the immediate future, the compiled package files will continue to have images at a maximum size of 127KB.

There are still a lot of eInk Kindles out there that do not use KF8. Maybe Amazon will change the software for recent models if they continue to produce them. They’ve made some vague statements about the upgrade path, but nothing concrete.

For the benefit of other readers (like me) who hadn’t yet downloaded KG 2012.3, here’s the full 3.5.2 Guideline:

3.5.2 Image Guideline #2: KindleGen Performs Automatic Image Conversions
Kindle Format 8 supports JPEG and GIF images of up to 256 KB in size. This is double the previously supported maximum, and provides for richer nuances in images, particularly for large images or content with gradient patterns. KindleGen performs the necessary conversions automatically from the supported input formats, so you should provide images with the maximum resolution available and let KindleGen do the rest.
If the automatic image conversion is unsatisfactory, try optimizing the images before feeding them to KindleGen. If the images are in the JPEG or GIF formats and are less than 127 KB in size, KindleGen does not alter them.

In the past, automatic image conversion has been not so hot. With Kindlegen 2.4, results are better, but folks who find “letting KindleGen do the rest” is not as good as optimizing images beforehand will have best results with files that don’t trigger Kindlegen resizing. It’s been my experience that Kindlegen honors file-size guidelines with cover images more than inside images, which are always processed and compressed further even when they’re well under the file-size limits. I keep hoping that will change, too.

]]> Comment on Kindle Maximum Image Size by David Forthoffer http://webbishbooks.com/kindle-maximum-image-size/#comment-243 David Forthoffer Tue, 01 May 2012 09:08:25 +0000 http://webbishbooks.com/?p=365#comment-243 The KF8 Publishing Guidelines at <a href="http://kindlegen.s3.amazonaws.com/AmazonKindlePublishingGuidelines.pdf" title="http://kindlegen.s3.amazonaws.com/AmazonKindlePublishingGuidelines.pdf" rel="nofollow"> say in section 3.5.2 that Kindle Format 8 supports JPEG and GIF files up to 256 KB. The KF8 Publishing Guidelines at say in section 3.5.2 that Kindle Format 8 supports JPEG and GIF files up to 256 KB.

]]> Comment on Kindle Catalog Cover Update by Araby http://webbishbooks.com/kindle-catalog-cover-update/#comment-241 Araby Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:55:25 +0000 http://webbishbooks.com/?p=562#comment-241 Yes, you could reduce the size of your original image to 800x600 for the inside cover. The proportions remain the same so it should work well. Don't flatten the image first, so text stays sharp. Your dimensions fall within the guidelines for the catalog cover, so it should be fine. Amazon will process the image to make a variety of thumbnails and the big product image, but I haven't seen any get cropped. Yes, you could reduce the size of your original image to 800×600 for the inside cover. The proportions remain the same so it should work well. Don’t flatten the image first, so text stays sharp.

Your dimensions fall within the guidelines for the catalog cover, so it should be fine. Amazon will process the image to make a variety of thumbnails and the big product image, but I haven’t seen any get cropped.

]]> Comment on Kindle Catalog Cover Update by simon http://webbishbooks.com/kindle-catalog-cover-update/#comment-240 simon Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:32:36 +0000 http://webbishbooks.com/?p=562#comment-240 If I'm feeling lazy, and want to create the cover only once, is it safe to use 1800 by 2400 for the catalog cover, then reduce the image down to 600 by 800 for the inside-the-book cover? Or is that likely to cause issues? Would the 1800 by 2400 be too big for catalog? Or get cropped? If I’m feeling lazy, and want to create the cover only once, is it safe to use 1800 by 2400 for the catalog cover, then reduce the image down to 600 by 800 for the inside-the-book cover? Or is that likely to cause issues? Would the 1800 by 2400 be too big for catalog? Or get cropped?

]]> Comment on Kindle Catalog Cover Update by Araby http://webbishbooks.com/kindle-catalog-cover-update/#comment-239 Araby Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:43:20 +0000 http://webbishbooks.com/?p=562#comment-239 The <i>print size</i> of an image varies with its resolution and the number of dots-per-inch supported by the printer. The screen size of an image depends on its pixel dimensions, not dpi/ppi. It will look bigger or smaller depending on screen resolution, which varies with monitors and eReaders. The same image will appear smaller on a Kindle or Nook than on your computer monitor because these devices have higher resolutions than most monitors. A 600x800 pixel image will look the same on-screen, whether its 72ppi or 300ppi. You can test this yourself in Photoshop or another graphics program by creating images of the same dimensions at various resolutions. At 100%, they will appear identical. Amazon uses the catalog cover to make various smaller images and thumbnails, and for the Pan-and-Zoom feature. If you give them a big, non-lossy image, they have more to work with. If you redo your eBook cover for submission to CreateSpace, Amazon's print-on-demand service, you do have to pay attention to resolution. In that case, the cover template dimensions are determined by paper size and spine thickness and the image must be at least 300dpi. The image is enormous on screen, but the print size is correct for CreateSpace. A couple of articles: <a href="http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/mythdpi.html" rel="nofollow">The Myth of DPI</a> <a href="http://www.dpiphoto.eu/dpi.htm" rel="nofollow">Misunderstandings about dpi</a> The print size of an image varies with its resolution and the number of dots-per-inch supported by the printer. The screen size of an image depends on its pixel dimensions, not dpi/ppi. It will look bigger or smaller depending on screen resolution, which varies with monitors and eReaders. The same image will appear smaller on a Kindle or Nook than on your computer monitor because these devices have higher resolutions than most monitors.

A 600×800 pixel image will look the same on-screen, whether its 72ppi or 300ppi. You can test this yourself in Photoshop or another graphics program by creating images of the same dimensions at various resolutions. At 100%, they will appear identical.

Amazon uses the catalog cover to make various smaller images and thumbnails, and for the Pan-and-Zoom feature. If you give them a big, non-lossy image, they have more to work with.

If you redo your eBook cover for submission to CreateSpace, Amazon’s print-on-demand service, you do have to pay attention to resolution. In that case, the cover template dimensions are determined by paper size and spine thickness and the image must be at least 300dpi. The image is enormous on screen, but the print size is correct for CreateSpace.

A couple of articles:
The Myth of DPI
Misunderstandings about dpi

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