EPUB version
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn about accessibility metadata, ARIA roles, and structural enhancements available when exporting Adobe InDesign documents to EPUB format.
InDesign supports exporting content to EPUB Fixed Layout and EPUB Reflowable formats. EPUB Fixed Layout offers precise design control and is suited for image-rich content. EPUB Reflowable provides adaptable text for multiple devices, prioritizing readability and flexibility.
Export options for EPUB (Fixed Layout) and EPUB (Reflowable) formats
You can customize the following options when exporting to EPUB, depending on the selected layout format.
General options
Version
Specifies the EPUB version.
|
|
Description |
Supported formats |
|
EPUB 2.0.1 |
IDPF standard approved in 2007. Supported on a wide variety of devices. |
Reflowable only |
|
EPUB 3.0 |
Supports audio, video, JavaScript, and vertical Japanese text. Not supported on devices that do not support EPUB 3.0. Approved by IDPF in 2011. |
Fixed Layout and Reflowable |
Cover
Specifies the cover image for the eBook.
|
Option |
Function |
|
None |
Does not add a cover image. |
|
Rasterize First Page |
Creates a cover image by rasterizing the first page of the eBook. |
|
Choose Image |
Uses a selected image file as the cover. |
|
Alt Text (Reflowable only) |
Adds a short text description of an image used when it isn’t displayed or for screen readers. InDesign fills this from metadata by default, but you can edit it. |
Navigation TOC
Specifies how the EPUB viewer table of contents is generated.
|
Option |
Function |
|
None (Fixed Layout only) |
Does not include a table of contents. |
|
File Name |
Generates a TOC based on filenames. |
|
Multi Level (TOC Style) |
Generates a TOC using the selected TOC style. |
|
Bookmarks (Fixed Layout only) |
Generates a TOC from document bookmarks. |
|
Page Navigation (Reflowable only) |
Includes page break information for consistent navigation. |
Pagination Source (Reflowable only)
Identifies the origin of page numbers.
|
Option |
Description |
|
None |
Pagination without a source. |
|
ISBN Number |
Pagination from a source with a unique identifier. |
|
Other Source |
Pagination from a source without a unique identifier. |
Source
Activated only when ISBN Number or Other Source is selected.
Options (Fixed Layout only)
Spread Control specifies how page elements are exported.
|
Option |
Function |
|
Based On Document Setup |
Uses spread settings from File > Document Setup. |
|
Convert Spread To Landscape Page |
Converts spreads to landscape layout. |
|
Enable Synthetic Spreads |
Exports synthetic spreads. |
|
Disable Spreads |
Does not export spreads. |
Content (Reflowable Format only)
Specifies the reading order of exported content.
|
Option |
Function |
|
Based on Page Layout |
Bases reading order on item position on the page. |
|
Same as XML Structure |
Bases reading order on the Structure View tag order. |
|
Same as Articles Panel |
Bases reading order on the Articles panel order. Only checked articles are exported. |
Split Document (Reflowable Layout only)
Splits the document during export.
|
Option |
Function |
|
Single Paragraph Style |
Splits the document based on a selected paragraph style. |
|
Based on Paragraph Style Export Tags |
Splits the document using paragraph style export tags. |
Text (Reflowable Layout Format only)
|
Option |
Function |
|
Remove Forced Line Breaks |
Removes all soft returns from the exported eBook. |
Footnotes
Placement specifies footnote placement.
|
Option |
Function |
|
End of the section (Footnotes) |
Converts footnotes to endnotes. |
|
After Paragraph |
Places footnotes after the paragraph. |
|
Inside a Pop-up (EPUB 3) |
Places footnotes inside a pop-up. |
Note
Footnote rules defined in the document, such as a 10-point weight, are preserved when exporting to reflowable EPUB.
Lists
|
Category |
Option |
Function |
|
Bullets |
Map to Unordered Lists |
Converts bullets to HTML <ul> lists. |
|
Bullets |
Convert to Text |
Converts bullets to text within <p> tags. |
|
Numbers |
Map to Ordered Lists |
Converts numbers to HTML <ol> lists. |
|
Numbers |
Convert to Text |
Converts numbers to paragraph text. |
Object (Reflowable Layout Format only)
Controls how graphic and media objects are exported.
|
Option |
Function |
|
Preserve Appearance from Layout (for Graphic/Media objects) |
Inherits object attributes from the layout. |
|
Use Existing Image for Graphic Objects |
Uses existing graphic attributes. |
CSS
|
Setting |
Function |
|
CSS Size |
Sets the CSS Size as None, Fixed, or Relative to Text Flow. |
|
Layout |
Aligns images left, center, or right and sets padding. |
|
Space Before |
Adds space before an object (0–10,000 px). |
|
Space After |
Adds space after an object (0–10,000 px). |
|
Insert Page Break |
Inserts page breaks before, after, or before and after image. |
SVG options
|
Option |
Function |
|
Embed Code |
Embeds SVG HTML code. |
|
Object Tags |
Embeds SVG as object tags. |
|
Image Tags |
Embeds SVG as image tags. |
|
Export Math Objects as |
Exports math objects as SVG or MathML. |
|
Ignore Object Export Settings |
Ignores object export settings applied to individual images. |
Conversion Settings
|
Option |
Function |
|
Format |
Specifies whether images are converted to GIF, JPEG, PNG, or Automatic. Select Automatic to let InDesign decide which format to use in each instance. |
|
Resolution |
Specifies image resolution. Select between 72, 96, 150, 300 ppi. |
Format options
|
Format |
Option |
Function |
|
JPEG Options |
Format Method |
Set how JPEGs load in a browser. Select Progressive to display images gradually, or Baseline to show them only after fully downloading, using a placeholder until then. |
|
JPEG Options |
Image Quality |
Select the required image quality (Low, Medium, High, or Maximum) for each JPEG image created in the output. |
|
GIF Options |
Palette |
Controls how colors are handled during GIF processing. Select Adaptive (no dither) for a sampled palette without dithering, Web for web-safe colors, or System (Win) or System (Mac) for system palettes, which may produce unexpected results. |
|
GIF Options |
Interlace |
Loads the images progressively by filling in missing lines. The image appears blurry and progressively sharpens as it reaches full resolution if you deselect this option. |
|
PNG Options |
Compression Level |
Disables compression. Use PNG for lossless images or transparency. |
HTML & CSS (Reflowable Layout Format only)
|
Option |
Function |
|
Don’t include classes in HTML |
Removes the class and id attributes present in the tag during HTML Export. Any redundant div tags present in the HTML are also removed. |
|
Include classes in HTML |
Includes classes in HTML. |
|
Generate CSS |
Generates an external CSS for the exported file. If you export your document/book to EPUB without generating a CSS, only the classes associated with the styles are marked in the HTML tags. No overriding classes are created. |
|
Page Margin |
Sets page margins (0–10,000 px) |
|
Preserve Local Overrides |
Includes local formatting such as italic or bold. |
|
Include Embeddable Fonts |
Includes all embeddable fonts in the eBook. Fonts include embedding bits that determine if the font is embeddable. |
|
Add Style Sheet |
Specifies the URL of an existing CSS style sheet that will be used in the EPUB export. InDesign does not check whether the CSS exists or is valid. |
|
Remove |
Removes the selected style sheet. |
To create a nested list, select the consecutive item, increase its left indent, and adjust the bullet style if necessary.
CSS (Fixed Layout format only)
|
Option |
Function |
|
Add Style Sheet |
Specifies the URL of an existing CSS style sheet that will be used in the EPUB export. InDesign does not check whether the CSS exists or is valid. |
|
Remove |
Removes the selected style sheet |
JavaScript
|
Option |
Function |
|
Add JavaScript File |
Specifies the URL of an existing JavaScript. InDesign doesn't verify JavaScript existence or validity, so ensure your JavaScript setup is correct. |
|
Remove |
Removes the selected JavaScript. |
Metadata
Metadata from the document (or the style source document if a book was selected) is included with the exported file.
General
|
Field |
Function |
|
Identifier |
Automatically generated unique identifier (read-only) |
|
Title |
EPUB title |
|
Creator |
EPUB creator |
|
Date |
Creation date |
|
Description |
EPUB description |
|
Publisher |
Publisher information |
|
Rights |
Copyright information |
|
Subject |
EPUB subject |
Object Export Options
Specify object handling during EPUB export by going to Object > Object Export Options and then selecting the EPUB and HTML tab.
Preserve Appearance From Layout
|
Option |
Function |
|
Default |
Uses settings from the Export dialog box. In reflowable EPUB, this is controlled by the Conversion tab. |
|
Use Existing Image for Graphics Objects |
Keeps compatible images (JPG, PNG, GIF) unchanged and styles the container with CSS. |
|
Rasterize Container |
Rasterizes the entire object to preserve appearance. Text is no longer editable. |
|
Rasterize Content |
Rasterizes only the content. The container is styled with CSS, so appearance may differ from InDesign. |
Size
For a reflowable EPUB, select from the following options in the Size list to maintain the aspect ratio of an object, such as an image that has no internal fixed content.
|
Option |
Function |
|
None |
No CSS width or height is applied. Size is determined by content and CSS rules, and the aspect ratio is not maintained. |
|
Default |
Uses size settings from the Export dialog box or the Object tab. |
|
Fixed |
Sets CSS size based on object dimensions, converted from points to pixels. The aspect ratio is maintained. |
|
Relative to Text Flow |
Sets width as a percentage of the text frame width. The aspect ratio is maintained. |
|
Relative to Text Size |
Sets height in em units based on text size. The aspect ratio is maintained. |
|
Custom Width/Custom Height |
Uses specified CSS units such as cm, mm, in, pt, %, px, vh, vw, vmin, or vmax. The aspect ratio is maintained. |
Note
- These options don’t apply to main text frames.
- Objects containing Edge Animate don’t support relative measures.
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