Hero images for chapters

[jhowell]

I just became aware that Kindle Create has an option to insert chapter start images. I am not certain, but I think that this is new in version 1.34.20, released in December.

This feature allows a hero image to be added to the first page of a chapter that will extend to the left, right and top edges of the screen beyond the normal margins. The normal header is disabled on that page. The image can occupy either the top quarter or top third of the screen.

The image will be automatically cropped to fit different screen aspect ratios at either orientation. The publisher is able to select the most important part of the image so that cropping does not exclude it.

This feature makes use of some of the Illustrated Layout KFX formatting that was originally developed for Kindle in Motion books. As far as I know it can only be produced using Kindle Create. There is no HTML/CSS equivalent.

[Notjohn]

jhowell, I'm immensely grateful for the experimental/exploratory work you do on Kindle formats. Since you are now exploring Kindle Create, I'm curious to know your opinion of it as a formatting tool. How does it compare for example to Vellum or the Draft2Digital conversion, if you're familiar with those? Thanks -- NJ

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Since you are now exploring Kindle Create, I'm curious to know your opinion of it as a formatting tool.

For reflowable books it might be useful for some minor formatting tweaks, but the inability to export any edits back to Word is a serious problem.

Originally Posted by Notjohn

How does it compare for example to Vellum or the Draft2Digital conversion, if you're familiar with those?

I have not used those tools.

[Notjohn]

Thank you!

(I think that another serious problem is the inability to upload that kpf file to another bookseller than Amazon -- a problem that, to Jeff Bezos, is probably its primary virtue and reason for being.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jhowell

For reflowable books it might be useful for some minor formatting tweaks, but the inability to export any edits back to Word is a serious problem.

Use Calibre to convert to HTML and then load into Word. Problem solved.

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Use Calibre to convert to HTML and then load into Word. Problem solved.

Interesting, but what's the point? Kindle Create is supposed to be a time-saver! Why not work in html at the start, rather than resorting to it when things go wrong?

[Quoth]

Docx -> Calibre -> epub2 (Images/page in Tablet mode)
Upload epub2 to Amazon and also Smashwords for most places except Google & Amazon.
If desired upload epub2 also to Google Books/Playstore.

I can't see the point of Kindle Create except for personal use of someone only with a Kindle. The more ordinary way of putting a suitable size image in Word or LibreOffice Writer makes more sense otherwise.

Last time I booted Win7 and looked the Kindle Create looked very limited compared to Docx -> Calibre -> epub2 for upload to KDP. For a local Kindle the best result seems to be converting the epub2 rather than docx. AZW3 for most kindles. Old mobi for steam powered models and dual mobi if not sure what the friend has, or if uploading to Smashwords for Kindle. I upload msdoc version from LibreOffice to Smashwords for PDF and LRF formats.

[jhowell]

Here is some more information about the hero image feature that I posted earlier today at the KDP Community Forum.

It looks like you made use of the new "hero image" feature of Kindle Create. Those images will display a bit differently on different Kindle apps and devices.

E-ink Kindles running the latest firmware version (5.12.3) and also the latest versions of the Kindle for Android and Kindle for iOS apps will show correctly scaled cropped images as shown in the Kindle Create preview.

Older devices that do not support Enhanced Typesetting (KFX format) will show full size images, as can be seen in the "Look Inside" preview of your book. This also applies to the Kindle Cloud Reader.

Anything new enough to support Enhanced Typesetting, but not running the latest version of the KFX renderer, will show distorted images like the ones you see in the online previewer. This applies to any Kindle device running firmware older than version 5.12.3. The latest versions (1.27) of the Kindle for PC and Kindle for Mac apps also use an outdated KFX renderer and will show distorted images.