KF8 tools now available

[tomsem]

Kindle Publishing Team says:

We're pleased to announce that Kindle Publisher Tools with Kindle Format 8 (KF8) support are now available for download. Kindle Format 8 is Amazon's next generation file format offering a wide range of new features and enhancements - including HTML5 and CSS3 support that publishers can use to create all types of books. KF8 adds over 150 new formatting capabilities, including drop caps, numbered lists, fixed layouts, nested tables, callouts, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics - opening up more opportunities to create Kindle books that readers will love. Kindle Fire is the first Kindle device to support KF8 - in the coming months KF8 will be rolled out to our latest generation Kindle e-ink devices as well as our free Kindle reading apps.

Publishers have created thousands of KF8 titles already and customers are enjoying the improved formatting and reading features across all types of books. Additionally, KF8 features such as Kindle Panel Views and Kindle Text Pop Up enable great fixed layout books including graphic novels, comics and children's books. We've updated our Kindle Publishing Guidelines (http://kindlegen.s3.amazonaws.com/Am...Guidelines.pdf) to help publishers get started with Kindle Format 8.

Please download the new versions of KindleGen (http://www.amazon.com/kindleformat/KindleGen) & Kindle Previewer (http://www.amazon.com/kindleformat/KindlePreviewer) and get started today. More information about KF8, Kindle Publishing Tools & Guidelines can be found at http://www.amazon.com/KindleFormat.

Thanks,

The Kindle Team

Let the fun begin!

[JSWolf]

So does the Kindle 3/KK support KF8 or will there be support?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So does the Kindle 3/KK support KF8 or will there be support?

I doubt it. Since they're no longer selling new K3/KK's, I doubt they fall under the "latest generation" umbrella. I don't think there'll be any more feature updates for the KK. I'd love to be wrong about that, though.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't think there'll be any more feature updates for the KK. I'd love to be wrong about that, though.

I'd love for you to be wrong about that, too.

But, it's cool that they finally released the tools. I've been wanting to tinker with them for a while now. See some HTML5 stuff.

[Hoyt Clagwell]

I converted "Three Men in a Boat" from an ePub created by Zelda Pinwheel. The process was real simple. Here are a few screen captures from the Kindle Previewer App.

[pdurrant]

I'm looking forward to playing with the new tools.

And since Amazon are still selling the Kindle Keyboard, I'm hopeful that it will eventually get a firmware upgrade to work with KF8, despite the weasel-worded announcement.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

And since Amazon are still selling the Kindle Keyboard, I'm hopeful that it will eventually get a firmware upgrade to work with KF8, despite the weasel-worded announcement.

That'd be sweet. I'd buy a KK in a heartbeat if they do decide to let it join in the reindeer (KF8) games.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That'd be sweet. I'd buy a KK in a heartbeat if they do decide to let it join in the reindeer (KF8) games.

You can join in the Reindeer Games with a KK.

[mncowboy]

I think I've found a new workflow!
I used to go Word >> Sigil (EPUB) >> Calibre (mobi)
I've been playing with the new Kindle Previewer, and following works slick:
Word >> Sigil (EPUB) >> Kindle Previewer (mobi).
The process seems faster as well.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by mncowboy

I think I've found a new workflow!
I used to go Word >> Sigil (EPUB) >> Calibre (mobi)
I've been playing with the new Kindle Previewer, and following works slick:
Word >> Sigil (EPUB) >> Kindle Previewer (mobi).
The process seems faster as well.

Kindlegen/Kindle Previewer conversion is definitely to be preferred over calibre, especially if you are submitting to KDP. And now, these are the only tools that can generate KF8 (pending some future update to calibre). Kindle Fire is currently the only device with KF8 support, but I expect support for at least K4/KT to show up within a few months.

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Kindlegen/Kindle Previewer conversion is definitely to be preferred over calibre, especially if you are submitting to KDP. And now, these are the only tools that can generate KF8 (pending some future update to calibre). Kindle Fire is currently the only device with KF8 support, but I expect support for at least K4/KT to show up within a few months.

That may be true if you're submitting for publication or really needing KF8 but I don't find it true for personal use for my K3. I never had a lot of luck with converting using the original previewer or KindleGen for use on my K3 and, after trying these new versions last night, I like them even less.

They're great for previewing, just not for converting, at least for me. When converting from a properly formatted epub that looks great on ADE or on my Nook Tablet, the results on my K3 are sub-par. For example, every first page of a new section/chapter starts waaayyyy down the screen, at about the 90% mark, even though they should start up near the top, around 10-20%. These same files convert perfectly and look exactly like I want/expect them to using Calibre.

Trust me, as awesome a tool as it is, Calibre definitely has its own quirks and I would love to switch to the new publishing tools, but, at least for personal use, I can't

Your results may vary.

- Byron

[AThirstyMind]

So, Hoyt Clagwell, that's exactly the kind of book I want to give to my clients! What devices are compatible with KF8? Just Kindle Fire and maybe iPad? Did you use Kindlegen or MobiPocket. I haven't tried Kindlegen, but I have used MobiPocket for my clients (more than 100 books and counting). Which would you suggest...

[Hoyt Clagwell]

Originally Posted by AThirstyMind

So, Hoyt Clagwell, that's exactly the kind of book I want to give to my clients! What devices are compatible with KF8? Just Kindle Fire and maybe iPad? Did you use Kindlegen or MobiPocket. I haven't tried Kindlegen, but I have used MobiPocket for my clients (more than 100 books and counting). Which would you suggest...

As far as I know KF8 is only available for the Kindle Fire. I did try and load the book on my Kindle Touch to see how it would look and it looked awful. Also my KT was very slow after I loaded the book. After I removed the book all was back to normal. I used Kindlegen to create the book. It was created from an epub file previously posted to MR in which I new had the formatting that KF8 supports. For things like dropcaps you may want to start with ePub and then convert.

[AThirstyMind]

Thanks...I would assume the KF8 would be pretty good on the iPad? as well as Kindle Fire.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by AThirstyMind

Thanks...I would assume the KF8 would be pretty good on the iPad? as well as Kindle Fire.

I expect that the iOS and K4Mac and K4PC applications will be updated to handle KF8, but I don't think it's happened yet.