How to Make Cover Appear First

rosshalde · 12-13-2014, 01:00 AM

I am creating epub files in Sigil.
When I load them to my Kobo Touch, the thumbnail of the cover is in the menu, but when the book is selected, the first thing that show up is the first page that is not the cover. This page is usually in the TOC. Many of the books I am working with have beautiful pictorial covers and I would like people to be able to see them. Right now, you can swipe backwards once you open the file and it will show you the cover, but most folks will never do that. Does Kobo default to the first page in the TOC or just the first non cover page? Is there a way to make it show the cover as the default first page?

DNSB · 12-13-2014, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosshalde

I am creating epub files in Sigil.
When I load them to my Kobo Touch, the thumbnail of the cover is in the menu, but when the book is selected, the first thing that show up is the first page that is not the cover. This page is usually in the TOC. Many of the books I am working with have beautiful pictorial covers and I would like people to be able to see them. Right now, you can swipe backwards once you open the file and it will show you the cover, but most folks will never do that. Does Kobo default to the first page in the TOC or just the first non cover page? Is there a way to make it show the cover as the default first page?

When reading epubs, your Kobo should be defaulting to the first entry in the TOC the first time you read the book. So if the TOC's first entry is Chapter 1, your ebook would open on Chapter 1.

You can edit the TOC but do some reading first.

rosshalde · 12-13-2014, 01:36 AM

so if I make the cover the first entry in the TOC that would work? I can do that.

davidfor · 12-13-2014, 01:57 AM

Yes, it does. And what I do when I want something in the ToC but nothing shown on the page is put something like:

Code:

<h2 class="hidden">Cover</h2>

With the CSS:

Code:

.hidden {
    display: none
    }

That way the various ToC generators will create the entry, but there won't be anything on the page or an space taken.

JSWolf · 12-13-2014, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

When reading epubs, your Kobo should be defaulting to the first entry in the TOC the first time you read the book. So if the TOC's first entry is Chapter 1, your ebook would open on Chapter 1.

You can edit the TOC but do some reading first.

That's odd. I never have had to put the cover in the ToC if it wasn't there to get the cover to display. As long as the cover XML is the first itemref in the spine in the OPF, the cover should display when the ePub is first opened.

Here is a sample spine from one of my ePub eBooks.

Code:

<spine toc="ncx">
<itemref idref="cover" linear="no"/>
<itemref idref="html1" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html2" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html4" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html5" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html6" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html7" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html8" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html9" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html10" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html11" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html12" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html13" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html14" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html15" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html16" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html17" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html18" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html19" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html20" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html21" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html22" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html23" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html24" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html25" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html26" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html27" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html28" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html29" linear="yes"/>
<itemref idref="html30" linear="yes"/>
</spine>

rosshalde · 12-13-2014, 09:27 PM

JSWolf
and you use a Kobo to make sure your cover shows up?

davidfor · 12-13-2014, 10:12 PM

Yes, it does work, but, reading the warning calibre produces about it and what I see in the specs, it isn't reliable. From what I can see, exactly what happens with spine items with "linear=no" is dependent on the reading application. It appears a lot put them first or last, and other will not display them at all. For these, they can only be reached from a link in the other parts of the book or the ToC.

JSWolf · 12-13-2014, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rosshalde

JSWolf
and you use a Kobo to make sure your cover shows up?

Works for me on a nook STR, 650, T1, H2O, ADE 2.01, Marvin (iOS), iBooks, and Calibre eBook Viewer.

Jellby · 12-14-2014, 02:53 AM

Could it be that Kobo does not skip the cover if it has linear="no"? My books seem to follow the rule previously given: they open at the first element in the NCX, and I don't add linear="no" to the cover. We are talking of sideloaded epubs, right?

@Jon: Make sure the book is not opening at a saved location.

JSWolf · 12-16-2014, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

Could it be that Kobo does not skip the cover if it has linear="no"? My books seem to follow the rule previously given: they open at the first element in the NCX, and I don't add linear="no" to the cover. We are talking of sideloaded epubs, right?

@Jon: Make sure the book is not opening at a saved location.

It cannot open at a saved location as the first time I open the book, I get the cover.

I just tested ADE 2.01 for Windows and it does not follow linear="no". It just goes with the files in the spine in order.

davidfor · 12-17-2014, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I just tested ADE 2.01 for Windows and it does not follow linear="no". It just goes with the files in the spine in order.

You probably should be comparing to ADE 3. It is probably the better match for the version of the RMSDK that Kobo are using.

JSWolf · 12-17-2014, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

You probably should be comparing to ADE 3. It is probably the better match for the version of the RMSDK that Kobo are using.

I'll test with Bluefire Reader for Windows since it's running the equivalent of ADE 3.

DNSB · 12-18-2014, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'll test with Bluefire Reader for Windows since it's running the equivalent of ADE 3.

Or you can try DLReader from Datalogics.

JSWolf · 12-18-2014, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Or you can try DLReader from Datalogics.

In the video about RMDSK 11 (on the Datalogics website, one of the eBooks they show on an iPad using DLReader has incorrect encoding and this, no proper quotes.

Also, DLReader for Windows is using RMDSK 10.0. No better then Bluefire Reader.

JSWolf · 12-18-2014, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

You probably should be comparing to ADE 3. It is probably the better match for the version of the RMSDK that Kobo are using.

The ePub using RMSDK 10 did open at the cover when it was supposed to open at chapter one.

12-13-2014, 01:00 AM	#1
rosshalde Zealot Posts: 142 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: nook	How to Make Cover Appear First I am creating epub files in Sigil. When I load them to my Kobo Touch, the thumbnail of the cover is in the menu, but when the book is selected, the first thing that show up is the first page that is not the cover. This page is usually in the TOC. Many of the books I am working with have beautiful pictorial covers and I would like people to be able to see them. Right now, you can swipe backwards once you open the file and it will show you the cover, but most folks will never do that. Does Kobo default to the first page in the TOC or just the first non cover page? Is there a way to make it show the cover as the default first page?

12-13-2014, 01:57 AM	#4
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Yes, it does. And what I do when I want something in the ToC but nothing shown on the page is put something like: Code: <h2 class="hidden">Cover</h2> With the CSS: Code: .hidden { display: none } That way the various ToC generators will create the entry, but there won't be anything on the page or an space taken.

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12-13-2014, 01:36 AM	#3
rosshalde Zealot Posts: 142 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: nook	so if I make the cover the first entry in the TOC that would work? I can do that.

12-13-2014, 09:27 PM	#6
rosshalde Zealot Posts: 142 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: nook	JSWolf and you use a Kobo to make sure your cover shows up?

12-13-2014, 10:12 PM	#7
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Yes, it does work, but, reading the warning calibre produces about it and what I see in the specs, it isn't reliable. From what I can see, exactly what happens with spine items with "linear=no" is dependent on the reading application. It appears a lot put them first or last, and other will not display them at all. For these, they can only be reached from a link in the other parts of the book or the ToC.

12-14-2014, 02:53 AM	#9
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,546 Karma: 19001583 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Could it be that Kobo does not skip the cover if it has linear="no"? My books seem to follow the rule previously given: they open at the first element in the NCX, and I don't add linear="no" to the cover. We are talking of sideloaded epubs, right? @Jon: Make sure the book is not opening at a saved location.

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