The document outlines the process of creating and finalizing an EPUB file, detailing its structure and components such as mimetype, meta-inf, and oebps/content. It emphasizes the importance of validation to ensure correctness in markup languages, and provides tools for coding, creating, and quality-checking EPUB files. Additionally, it lists resources for further information and support in EPUB production.

1. Making an EPUB file

2. Professional Workflow

3. Personal Workflow

4. Opening the EPUB
• mimetype
• META-INF
• OEBPS/ Content

5. EPUB is a package
masquerading as
a file format.
-Bill Kasdorf, APEX content solutions

6. mimetype
• Text file
• Contents of file:
application/ePub+zip
• Defines the media type as
Open Container Format (OCF)

7. META-INF
• Contains the container.xml file
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<container version="1.0"
xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:contain
er">
<rootfiles>
<rootfile full-path=”OEBPS/content.opf" media-
type="application/oebps-package+xml"/>
</rootfiles>
</container>

8. META-INF
• Optional files:
– encryption.xml
– signature.xml
– rights.xml
– manifest.xml
– metadata.xml

9. OEBPS/ Content
• Contains all viewable documents
(XHTML & .jpg) and stylesheets (CSS)
• Contains the .opf file
• Contains the . ncx file (replaced in
EPUB3 with a simplified toc.html file,
but only for EPUB3 devices)

11. .ncx file

14. Finishing the File
• Once all files are created they and added to
the appropriate files, you will need to rezip
the files.
• Every file but the mimetype gets zipped
(mimetype must be read first).
• You can do this through the command line/
terminal, script, or through an Epub
program like Calibre.
• Once zipped, you need to validate.

15. Validation
• Like all mark-up languages, EPUB needs to
be validated.
• It will pick up errors in ncx opf and html
files.
• It will alert missing or miscapitalized files.
• Use EPUB Check available from Google
code or Safari.

16. Free Tools
• Coding
– Notepad++ (PC)
– TextWrangler (MAC)
– iBooks author (MAC)
• Creating/ Zipping
– Sigil
– Calibre
– ePub Zip from MobileRead
• Quality Checking
– Adobe Digital Editions
– EpubCheck
– Kindle Direct: Gen & Previewer

17. Resources
• Twitter: #eprdctn
• Liz Castro
– EPUB Straight to the Point
– Pigs, Gourds, & Wikis
• Mobile Reads Forum
• IDPF
• DefectivebyDesign.org