Jump to content
You must now use your email address to sign in [click for more info] ×

Alternative export format


Recommended Posts

Many of us expected different possibilities for saving and exporting files. Considering the current trends in publishing it would be interesting to provide a 'flip pages' export/save format similar to that generated by Acrobat. It would allow to publish online books and catalogs without having to use external resources.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as export possibilities are concerned, I would dearly hope we can export to the Kindle format, retaining CSS styling without hard-coding in HTML. We publish poetry books and have to do some custom styling to get the formatting to handle correctly in the digital version. It's simple once it's set up, but it doesn't lend itself well to typical off-the-shelf prose formats. We always have to tweak the actual CSS.

For example, I have a style called "NewLine" that is applied to the entire document (like a body style), coupled with "NewStanza" and "NewDoubleStanza" styles that handle things like this:

{NewStanza}*First line of stanza 1.

[NewLine}Line 2 that may run long and wrap down, with the runover automatically hung.

{NewLine}Line 3 ditto etc.

{NewStanza}The start of a new stanza with additional X points of leading and "Keep with Next" protection

{NewLine}

{NewLine}

{NewLine}

{NewDoubleStanza}A new stanza the same as a regular {NewStanza} but with double the amount of leading.

*{NewStanza}, e.g., is CSS: < p class="NewStanza" >[Text]</p >

I am doing all our poetry book publishing (futurecycle.org) by first styling in Libre Office for the printed version (because we dumped all Adobe products), then importing into Calibre to effect the HTML manipulation so I wind up with the clean styling and no hard-coded junk, then finally working in BBEdit to finalize the HTML before uploading to Amazon for the Kindle version. I'm hoping to switch completely to Affinity Publisher for this entire workflow sequence. So far I'm knocked out by how slick AP it's looking and already feel at home with it because I've been using Affinity Designer for our cover work since it came out.

Before I put in a lot of testing effort with the Publisher beta, I need to know if you plan to have a STYLE-based (not hard-coded HTML) export to Kindle/export to ePub choice. See below.

In the attached two files, the CS- one is exported from Libre Office as HTML. The hard-coding is completely hopelessly unworkable and what I want to avoid. I could care less if machines can read it; I've got to be able to read it myself and train other people in how to create and debug it. The KD- file was an import of the .odt file from Libre imported into Calibre, put through some automatic cleanup via routines I had to program, and then just the body pulled into the middle of the document header and footer for some manual cleanup in BBEdit and CSS tweaking. The KD- file is the kind of file I want to wind up with on an export from Affinity Publisher.

(BTW, to explain why I did not link the CSS: Amazon KDP kept changing how it all worked and I didn't trust them. I'd love to be able to link CSS in Publisher and wind up with an export of what I need.)

CS-RD-Arabesque-Interior.html

KD-RD-Arabesque-Interior.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.