PageToScreen - On paper its one thing, on screen its another

The Merry Men

2011-12-13T09:40:41+00:00

The Frankfurt Bookfair 2011

2011-11-01T16:18:02+00:00

I spent 2 days at in Frankfurt and sneaked in a few photos, whilst walking around.

Using Dreamweaver to Edit ePUB eBooks

2011-09-08T10:47:02+00:00

If you need to tweak the styles of your ebook created with the iPad in mind then you can (with a bit of magic) set up Dreamweaver as a useful wysiwy(almost)g tool.

Dreamweaver, is, of course a web development and design tool. It will normally handle (x)HTML without any change. It will also allow you to edit other code and even XML. It will not edit the contents of a ZIP file (this is what a normal ePub package is) unless it is unpacked.

So read on to find out what the steps would be.

Building an eBook in ePub format from InDesign

2011-09-08T09:44:03+00:00

eBooks or APPS; the publishing choice

2011-08-26T15:46:34+00:00

Publishers are under increasing pressure to develop workflows that enable their assets to be published to mobile platforms such as the iPad and the Kindle. Many book publishers are already using a variety of methods to create eBooks and where these equivalent print products are very text heavy (such as trade fiction) then this is very appropriate. But under what circumstances would it be better to create an 'app' rather than an eBook?

Using BBEdit for ePUB

2011-08-23T11:01:37+00:00

BBEdit version 10 has the ability to open the contents of an ePUB file. You can edit the individual components of the ePUB - which, of course is actually a ZIPped file, and then re-save.

But does this actually work without issues?

HTML5 Validation and the rel tag

2011-05-31T08:24:39+00:00

I specify to my students that their sites must validate. We are using HTML5. The latest change (I don't disagree with it) is that the rel="lightbox' breaks validation. Why is this and can we fix it?

Dear Adobe, why did you drop PDFXML Inspector?

2011-05-04T19:06:27+00:00

The Adobe AIR application used to be a free download. It was useful because you could edit an ePUB file without needing to unpack it and re-zip it. I used it in my class to show how to edit XHTML and CSS.

HTML5 to be sure

2011-05-03T07:20:11+00:00

Internet Explorer 9 has been released for Windows Vista or 7. Apparently it supports more features of HTML5 and CSS3, but what about earlier version of IE and HTML5?

What do we need to do to our markup to be sure that IE7 and 8 will 'degrade' gracefully' or even deliver some elements and styles correctly?

The Greenness

2011-04-18T19:26:47+00:00

This time of the year is good for blossoms I know. But it is also the season when green is intense - fresh and bright.

InDesign to ePUB Problems: Some symptoms and their remedies

2011-04-07T06:46:46+00:00

Getting InDesign (CS5) to produce a decent ePUB format ebook is so problematic, that I sometimes wonder why we are bothering to use it at all! We could after all, use tools to build the components of the ePUB package by hand coding. Dreamweaver is a possibility and Sigil may also be a way to go.

However, one strategy may be to use InDesign as a starting point and then accept that we need to edit the resultant XHTML and CSS. This is the method that I am using, and I am promoting this method with my students.

After a few frustrating sessions recently, I thought I would note down a list of problems that can be solved. This may not be a comprehensive list...

The Encantadas or Enchanted Isles

2011-03-20T11:29:26+00:00

Benchmark

2011-03-05T10:36:30+00:00

Benchmarks are datum or reference points, from which other things are measured. We were in Christchurch, New Zealand in January 2010. I took this photograph of the benchmark on the stonework of Christchurch Cathedral - now sadly destroyed badly damaged by the earthquake in February 2011. Perhaps this stonework is still there. I doubt, though, if this is benchmark is at the same height above sea level. We were deeply saddened by the events in Christchurch (a city that we enjoyed visiting), and our sympathies go to the people who are still suffering. I post here too, a photograph of a benchmark here in Oxford.

iPad Publishing: eBooks and eZines

2011-02-14T16:18:04+00:00

This article comes with some small print:It is unlikely to ever be finished. On this day in February 2011 (when I started to write this down), things are moving very fast and with new tablet devices appearing and new tools becoming available, the whole process of publishing to tablet devices sits on shifting sands.How do like yours wrapped? The terms eBook (e-book, E-book, EBook, whatever), eZines and APPS have some very fuzzy boundaries. We are seeing eBooks that might be considered applications. We are seeing eBooks that might be regarded as interactive games and eBooks that are partially audio books. The range of development tools for eZines on the iPad (and other tablets) is growing but some are coming at a significant price. On the other hand, open source tools are gaining ground (more on this from me soon). Standards are evolving - just today we see the first public showing ePUB version 3.0.

Using Google Fonts

2011-02-08T15:23:27+00:00

You may have noticed the new layout.

Thanks!

Yes all done with HTML5 and liberal doses of CSS3. Thanks to PIE, it (more or less) works OK in Internet Explorer.

I have something else to mention; I am using Google Fonts. I have opted for the very nice, 'Cantarell', designed by Dave Crossland.