In fact, an EPUB “file” is a zipped folder of specialized HTML documents, images, and other information that can be inspected and modified. EPUB isn’t a monolithic file format, as much as a specification. (I just finished a self-published book using InDesign in just this way.)īut the standard use of EPUB is for a reflowable document, like a sophisticated Web page. You can create a document in Pages, InDesign, and other software, and then export to PDF and EPUB for different methods of distribution or to different purposes. While Amazon’s Kindle spread the notion of having a dedicated e-reader and an attached, constantly updated bookstore, the EPUB format allowed publishers to tailor their output to a single specification.ĮPUB is supported in both digital-rights managed (DRM) methods for proprietary bookstores, like Apple’s iBookstore, as well as an unencrypted format that can be read on almost every device and in every bit of software (including iBooks)-except Kindle.īecause of that broad support, it’s a reasonable format to distribute anything in, and Pages ’09 (version 4) and Pages 5 both offer an export option. The EPUB standard for ebooks is ridiculously popular.
