Epub and cover images, question about file storage

JGB · 11-12-2008, 12:50 AM

I notice that when I load a .lit file into Caliber, it contains a cover image despite there being no image in the folder, when I export as epub I have a cover.jpg file, a 372kb epub without a cover, and a 335 kb .lit with a cover inside?

If I open the .epub with Adobe Digital Editions I don't have a cover anymore.
I was hoping to convert my whole library to epub, and be able to read it on the PC w/Digital Editions and on my sony reader.

Is there any way I can make Digital Editions recongnize the cover image, or put the cover within the .epub?

Or is it required to be outside the .epub file for the sony reader for some reason?

I'm mostly wanting to make sure I'm using a format that I won't have to reconvert to something else if I decide to move to another reader, I was hoping epub would do it, but if nothing but caliber knows to put cover.jpg on the book I'm rather stuck.

Also, is there any way I can make Caliber leave my files alone, I don't really want to move every single book to one giant directory of directory/Authorfolder/book title folder/book if I can avoid it.

kovidgoyal · 11-12-2008, 01:53 AM

the epub also contains the cover and no, you cant have calibre not move your books

wallcraft · 11-12-2008, 02:01 AM

Cover images are one of the weak spots of ePub. The practical implementations of OEB 1.0 included cover images, but they were not part of the standard. For example, LIT uses a guide item of type "other.ms-coverimage-standard" in the OPF file to indicate a cover image.

MobiPocket says (here) that cover images are included in IDPF 2.0 using the syntax:

Code:

  <metadata> <meta name="cover" content="my-cover-image" /> </metadata>
  ...
  <manifest> <item href="MyCoverImage.jpg" id="my-cover-image" media-type="image/jpeg" /> </manifest>

However, I have never seen this used in any actual ePub (and my guess is that ADE won't display such a cover image).

Instead, the image is usually placed inside an XML wrapper and placed as the first item in the spine. I don't know if Calibre is automatically adding cover images to ePubs from a LIT if they only occurred in the guide. There can be similar issues with recent MOBI files, which typically don't have the cover image embedded in the normal reading flow but rather selectable via a guide item.

JGB · 11-12-2008, 10:52 AM

If the Epub contains the cover image, why is there a seperate cover.jpg?
Caliber does load the cover images from the .lit files, and I tried changing them using the fetch image command to make sure caliber was putting them in.

however they don't seem to exist in the output file according to Digital Editions.
It displays a white page, and then the first page of text.

yekim54 · 11-12-2008, 12:17 PM

I, too, have noticed that the cover image in ePUB files generated by Calibre was no longer visible as page 1 on my Sony Reader or in the Sony eBook Library viewer. The cover image does show up as page 1 when using the Calibre viewer. The cover image as page 1 of ePUB files worked for me with version 0.4.98, but stopped working sometime after that version. I have been using the GUI version of Calibre on Windows XP to create the ePUB files from zipped HTML. Do I need to imbed the cover image in the HTML code in order for it to properly show up in ePUB?

kovidgoyal · 11-12-2008, 12:45 PM

There's a bug in the epub output (at least as far as Adobe DE is concenrned) that prevents the covers from showing up. I haven't gotten around to fixing it. But the cover is most certainly there. And the cover is stored in a separate file because not all ebook formats support the concept of a cover.

yekim54 · 11-14-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There's a bug in the epub output (at least as far as Adobe DE is concenrned) that prevents the covers from showing up. I haven't gotten around to fixing it. But the cover is most certainly there. And the cover is stored in a separate file because not all ebook formats support the concept of a cover.

Kovid, thanks for fixing this in version 0.4.105.

JGB · 11-23-2008, 12:54 AM

woo time to reconvert them all

that was a fast bug fix!!

GreenCanuck · 10-11-2010, 09:47 PM

I am using version 0.7.23 and I am getting the white cover in ADE & Sony Reader again. :-(

kovidgoyal · 10-11-2010, 09:48 PM

nothing has changed in 0.7.23 to cause that.

DoctorOhh · 10-11-2010, 11:48 PM

First, welcome aboard. Please feel free to ask any questions as you use calibre.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenCanuck

I am using version 0.7.23 and I am getting the white cover in ADE & Sony Reader again. :-(

I guess you didn't see this warning.

Old Thread Warning

Quote:

This thread is quite old and may contain outdated information. We recommend that you begin a new discussion if you like to talk about a similar topic. Of course, you may also proceed and reply here.

Instead of reopening a thread almost 2 years old that talked about calibre version 0.4.105 when the current version is 0.7.23 try opening a new thread next time (see attached).

11-12-2008, 12:50 AM	#1
JGB Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 1010000 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS505	Epub and cover images, question about file storage I notice that when I load a .lit file into Caliber, it contains a cover image despite there being no image in the folder, when I export as epub I have a cover.jpg file, a 372kb epub without a cover, and a 335 kb .lit with a cover inside? If I open the .epub with Adobe Digital Editions I don't have a cover anymore. I was hoping to convert my whole library to epub, and be able to read it on the PC w/Digital Editions and on my sony reader. Is there any way I can make Digital Editions recongnize the cover image, or put the cover within the .epub? Or is it required to be outside the .epub file for the sony reader for some reason? I'm mostly wanting to make sure I'm using a format that I won't have to reconvert to something else if I decide to move to another reader, I was hoping epub would do it, but if nothing but caliber knows to put cover.jpg on the book I'm rather stuck. Also, is there any way I can make Caliber leave my files alone, I don't really want to move every single book to one giant directory of directory/Authorfolder/book title folder/book if I can avoid it.

11-12-2008, 02:01 AM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Cover images are one of the weak spots of ePub. The practical implementations of OEB 1.0 included cover images, but they were not part of the standard. For example, LIT uses a guide item of type "other.ms-coverimage-standard" in the OPF file to indicate a cover image. MobiPocket says (here) that cover images are included in IDPF 2.0 using the syntax: Code: <metadata> <meta name="cover" content="my-cover-image" /> </metadata> ... <manifest> <item href="MyCoverImage.jpg" id="my-cover-image" media-type="image/jpeg" /> </manifest> However, I have never seen this used in any actual ePub (and my guess is that ADE won't display such a cover image). Instead, the image is usually placed inside an XML wrapper and placed as the first item in the spine. I don't know if Calibre is automatically adding cover images to ePubs from a LIT if they only occurred in the guide. There can be similar issues with recent MOBI files, which typically don't have the cover image embedded in the normal reading flow but rather selectable via a guide item.

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11-12-2008, 01:53 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	the epub also contains the cover and no, you cant have calibre not move your books

11-12-2008, 10:52 AM	#4
JGB Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 1010000 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS505	If the Epub contains the cover image, why is there a seperate cover.jpg? Caliber does load the cover images from the .lit files, and I tried changing them using the fetch image command to make sure caliber was putting them in. however they don't seem to exist in the output file according to Digital Editions. It displays a white page, and then the first page of text.

11-12-2008, 12:17 PM	#5
yekim54 What the Dog Saw Posts: 311 Karma: 981684 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dunn Loring Device: Sony PRS-650, Surface3	I, too, have noticed that the cover image in ePUB files generated by Calibre was no longer visible as page 1 on my Sony Reader or in the Sony eBook Library viewer. The cover image does show up as page 1 when using the Calibre viewer. The cover image as page 1 of ePUB files worked for me with version 0.4.98, but stopped working sometime after that version. I have been using the GUI version of Calibre on Windows XP to create the ePUB files from zipped HTML. Do I need to imbed the cover image in the HTML code in order for it to properly show up in ePUB?

11-12-2008, 12:45 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There's a bug in the epub output (at least as far as Adobe DE is concenrned) that prevents the covers from showing up. I haven't gotten around to fixing it. But the cover is most certainly there. And the cover is stored in a separate file because not all ebook formats support the concept of a cover.

11-23-2008, 12:54 AM	#8
JGB Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 1010000 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS505	woo time to reconvert them all that was a fast bug fix!!

10-11-2010, 09:47 PM	#9
GreenCanuck Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Ontario Canada Device: Kobo	I am using version 0.7.23 and I am getting the white cover in ADE & Sony Reader again. :-(

10-11-2010, 09:48 PM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	nothing has changed in 0.7.23 to cause that.

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