Are Two EPUB Covers possible?

[DapperDG]

My EPUB 99.9% ready to go. I only have one remaining question.

QUESTION:

Is it possible to display two EPUB/Mobi book covers as follows:
-- One optimized for thumbnail view that the reader does not see close up. (Optimized as in. larger title font and author font)
-- And the original printed version, which would be displayed full size on page one.

In order to do so, do I need to place the thumbnail version of the book cover on page one? And then tweak the eBook to open on page two where the second version of the book cover resides?

It seems that doing so would display two book covers size by side.

I ask, because the thumbnail version does not look as good close up 

Thank you

[PageLab]

There's no universal solution to control cover display in this specific way. Reading systems have different methods to show the thumbnail for the cover image. RMSDK based devices/apps generally pick the first content for the thumbnail.

But you can do it in iBooks and Kobo apps by specifying different values for the covers in the metadata and in the guide section.

For the thumbnail, specify the metadata like this in the OPF:

<meta name="cover" content="cover-thumbnail.jpg" />

...and for the full size cover, add the following in the <guide> section of the OPF:

<guide>
    <reference href="cover.xhtml" title="Cover" type="cover" />
</guide>

The above considers that you have the reference for the "big" cover image inside the "cover.xhtml" file.

[DapperDG]

"There's no universal solution to control cover display in this specific way. Reading systems have different methods to show the thumbnail for the cover image."

Thank you! I will include the code you mentioned, but I assume this means that I need two cover images in the front of the book for RS that do not recognize the code?

Also, if I allow InDesign to chose image conversion it changes all my JPEG's to PNG's. You refer to the cover image as a JPEG. Are PNG's okay? My understanding is that JPEG's are better for photos and PNG are better for artwork. Thanks! The cover file is the last piece of the puzzle

[PageLab]

Originally Posted by DapperDG

...I assume this means that I need two cover images in the front of the book for RS that do not recognize the code?

There's no need to reference both images in the XHTML for the cover, just the full size image. The cover metadata in the OPF will do the trick for the thumbnail image in iBooks/Kobo bookshelf. ADE and other RMSDK based devices will ignore it and use the first piece of content in the book – the full size image.

Originally Posted by DapperDG

You refer to the cover image as a JPEG. Are PNG's okay?

Sure, you can use PNGs, that was just an example