Getting to grips with creating EPUB Summary This
Getting to grips with creating EPUB
Summary “This workshop will help faculty, alt media and DSO colleagues get up to speed with this publishing standard and its built-in accessibility features. Attendees will learn how to create EPUB publications using simple tools, how to evaluate EPUBs for accessibility, and how to edit and add accessibility features to existing EPUB files. We will conclude with some top picks for reading apps to recommend to students. ”
Abstract “In this workshop we will show we can use familiar tools to make various EPUBs, from a straightforward paper to an entire book. Participants will learn how to evaluate whether an EPUB is valid and accessible. And you may want to modify even a perfectly constructed EPUB, such as by adding specific explanatory notes or additional resources. Using freely available tools, we will learn how to make improvements to an EPUB file, and how to validate the new version we made. Finally, we’ll explore the latest evaluation results and experience the EPUBs we made in the reading apps that you may want to recommend to your learners. ”
Key points 1. If you can operate a word processor, you can build a wonderful EPUB 2. Software tools can quickly assess if an EPUB file is valid, and help identify accessibility issues 3. It isn’t rocket science to edit an existing EPUB, add explanatory notes and other accessibility enhancements
Introductions Rachel Comerford Senior Director of Content Standards and Accessibility Macmillan Learning
Introductions Joseph Polizzotto Alternate Media Supervisor UC Berkeley
Introductions George Kerscher Chief Innovations Officer DAISY Consortium
Introductions Richard Orme Chief Executive DAISY Consortium
Agenda • • Introduction and overview Make an EPUB from Google Docs Make an EPUB from Word Check out the EPUBs we just made- key things to look for The anatomy of an EPUB Enhancing and EPUB in Sigil Validating your EPUB Lunch • • • How do publishers make EPUB? Making more sophisticated EPUBs with Word. To. EPUB Reading apps Other tools (Calibre, Jutoh, In. Design, Pandoc) Wrap up discussion
Tools we will use • • • Google Docs Microsoft Word. To. EPUB e. Can. Crusher EPUBChecker • Ace by DAISY • Thorium Reader • Sigil • Plugins for EPUBCheck, Ace • Tweak. EPUB
Installing the tools • How did we get on?
Making your first EPUB • Point and shoot to get EPUB from Google Docs https: //docs. google. com/document/d/1 -Kroujnsouc. Vq. IY 0 PV 6 wz. BR 3 HKXr. Mj_Th 20 Tk_4 Aes/edit? usp=sharing
Top tips on EPUBs from word processors Structure your document with heading styles Describe your images Include proper hyperlinks Include proper tables Use proper numbered and unnumbered lists Avoid textboxes and floating shapes Ideally, fix issues in word processor not in EPUB
Making your second EPUB • Point and Shoot with Word. To. EPUB https: //dl. daisy. org/sharing/The_Sinking_of_the_Titanic. docx
Viewing EPUBS in Reading Systems Introducing Thorium Reader
Inside an EPUB • Introducing e. Can. Crusher and other ways to open the EPUB container
Anatomy of an EPUB • Mimetype • simple text file with a single line of text • It should not be in a folder. • The mimetype file tells the operating system of the e. Reader how the e. Book is formatted—the MIME type. • All mimetype files in e. PUBs should be the same: application/epub+zip • META-INF • • The META-INF folder contains one XML file: container. xml. The container. xml file points to the contents of the e. Book. Its general structure is • <container> • <rootfiles> • <rootfile>
Anatomy of an EPUB (2) • OEBPS/OPS • • The OEBPS folder contains guts of your. epub file. It’s where your content lives. Images, text, fonts, stylesheets It’s made up of the. opf, . nav, and. css and all the files that make up the content of the e. PUB. • OPF (Package. opf or Content. opf) • XML file that identifies all the contents of your e. Book—files, images, etc. —and establishes the structure of the e. Book. • contains four different sections • <metadata> contains title, subtitle, language, ISBN, author, description, subjects, publisher, publication date, copyright, price, and cover markup up in Dublin. Core. • <manifest> is a list of all the files included in the OEBPS folder except the. opf file. This includes the. nav, the. css, . html/xhtml files, image files, font files, and anything else included in the e. PUB. • <spine> The spine is a list of all the “chapters” or. html/. xhtml files in the OEBPS in the order in which they should open as a reader goes through the EPUB. • <guide> The guide section identifies some specific files that are used by e. Readers, namely the cover and table of contents.
Anatomy of an EPUB (3) • NAV • Navigation! This file tells you where everything goes • CSS • The Cascading Style Sheet or. css file is the file that tells the e. Reader how to display different elements in an EPUB.
Editing an EPUB • Introducing Sigil
Adding Extended Description • After the image add useful explanation in the <details> element: <details> <summary>Extended description</summary> <p>Your description goes here</p> </details>
Running EPUBCheck • After making changes, let’s ensure our file is still valid
LUNCH
How do Publishers (usually) Make EPUBs? • Traditional Workflow • Design for printing in In. Design • Adjust design for digital and export EPUB • Make additional edits to export for style, accessibility, metadata etc. • Positive outcomes? • Print book is out faster • 'Pretty' and 'unique' book designs • Everyone is used to it – more institutional knowledge • Negative Outcomes? • Takes longer to get an accessible digital product • Lots of manual work on files – less can be automated, scripted
How do (some) Publishers Make EPUBs? • Newer workflows • • Design for digital (and print) Code manuscripts for easy conversion Build XML based book Export based on different profiles (epub for channel partners, print, 'enhanced' epubs with embedded interactives etc. • Postive Outcomes? • Born accessible files with limited editing required • Multiple formats available at the same time • Easy to script standards to make experience consistent • Negative Outcomes? • Might lead to the print book releasing later than it used to • New format = need for training, lack of institutional knowledge
Making more sophisticated EPUBs with Word. To. EPUB More advanced authoring topics (metadata, cover image, inline TOC, page numbering, citations and transitions, stylesheet adjustments) Quality Assurance (integrated workflow of Sigil, EPUBChecker, Ace and Thorium)
Digging deeper • Anything specific from the group before we move on?
Other reading apps • Now you’re making wonderful EPUBs, what are some options for reading them?
EPUB Resources • EPUB Community • EPUB in Higher Education Working Group • EPUB Professional Development • DAISY Consortium You. Tube Playlist • Access Text Network EPUB Webinar Series • EPUB Accessibility Using In. Design – Lynda. com • Sources of Higher Ed Books in EPUB format • • • Vital. Source Red. Shelf EBSCO e. Bookshare – for eligible students only Access Text Network – for DSO professionals • Creating EPUBs • Word. To. EPUB by DAISY • Reading EPUBs • Reading Systems Roundup • Accessible Reading Systems – Training Guides • Checking EPUB Validity and Accessibility • EPUBCheck • ACE – EPUB Accessibility Checker • EPUB Reference • Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base
Questions
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