What exactly is Kindle Print Replica?

[Julius Caesar]

Is it a pdf version of the book with copy protection or simply a screen shot version of the book (basically pages after pages of image files)?

I have a feeling that it is the latter because normally if you zoom in a pdf file, the font is razor sharp but when I zoom in a print replica book with my Kindle for iPad, the font isn’t razor sharp. It is still pretty readable but not razor sharp. Moreover, I can’t seem to search for a keyword with a print replica book nor can I select text or highlight text.

[Quoth]

It can be either PDF encapsulated as a Kindle file with Amazon DRM or it might be a fixed layout epub3 as KFX, or something else.

Note that PDFs can be image or text based or a mix. PDF is itself an envelope with layers for each page and instructions as to placement.

So the only things sure about Print Replica:
The layout and page count and numbering is identical to one paper edition.
If you screen is smaller than the paper page size, the quality will suffer. On smaller kindles and larger originals it's unusable.

[DNSB]

For the most part, Kindle Print Replica ebooks are created from a PDF input file. DOC and DOCX input files, while supported, don't seem to be commonly used. If the PDF is image based, that is what you will get as the output print replica book. Unfortunately, while many image based PDFs have an OCRed text layer to allow for searching, that text layer does not survive the conversion.

[Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For the most part, Kindle Print Replica ebooks are created from a PDF input file. DOC and DOCX input files, while supported, don't seem to be commonly used. If the PDF is image based, that is what you will get as the output print replica book. Unfortunately, while many image based PDFs have an OCRed text layer to allow for searching, that text layer does not survive the conversion.

Thanks for your help! After reading your answer, now I am not sure if the book in question is actually a print replica.

Is this a print replica:
https://www.amazon.com/English-Every.../dp/B08S7FRY5G

It said: “this is a replica of the print book and you will need a pen and paper to complete the exercises.”

Is that the same as a print replica or is it something else?

When I downloaded the sample to my Kindle for iPad, I noticed that the text was not selectable nor was it searchable.

But when I download this book: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Seen-Cura.../dp/B0957QMJN9

The text was searchable and selectable.

Do the two books have different file formats?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Thanks for your help! After reading your answer, now I am not sure if the book in question is actually a print replica.

Is this a print replica:
https://www.amazon.com/English-Every.../dp/B08S7FRY5G

It said: “this is a replica of the print book and you will need a pen and paper to complete the exercises.”

Is that the same as a print replica or is it something else?

When I downloaded the sample to my Kindle for iPad, I noticed that the text was not selectable nor was it searchable.

But when I download this book: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Seen-Cura.../dp/B0957QMJN9

The text was searchable and selectable.

Do the two books have different file formats?

When I look at the sample files, the both appear to have been created from a fixed layout ePub3 file. All the references I've seen to print replica have not mentioned using FLO ePub3 ebooks as an input.

The difference is the first ebook is nothing but a collection of images being displayed full page. There is no text to search. The second ebook has a mix of text and images with the text being hidden but duplicating the text from the images making it searchable.

From one file in the second ebook, the first line after displaying the image makes all the text hidden:

 <div style="height: 737.01px; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 593.01px; z-index: 1">

And this is a sample of the text matching the text in the image:

    <div style="height: 29.26px; left: 92.23px; position: absolute; top: 95.2px; width: 351.66px">
      <span style="display: inline-block; width: 131.78px">Curator</span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 17.28px"> </span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 114.3px">Lauren</span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 16.45px"> </span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 71.84px">Tate </span>
    </div>

This basically displays the line reading Curator Lauren Tate on page 8.

[jhowell]

The first book, English for Everyone Phrasal Verbs, was provided by the publisher (DK) to Amazon as a fixed-layout EPUB which results in comic book format on Kindle. That format is not print replica and provides limited functionality.

The second book, Art Seen: The Curator's Salon Magazine, is a true print replica book.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The first book, English for Everyone Phrasal Verbs, was provided by the publisher (DK) to Amazon as a fixed-layout EPUB which results in comic book format on Kindle. That format is not print replica and provides limited functionality.

The second book, Art Seen: The Curator's Salon Magazine, is a true print replica book.

Minor nit being that both books appear to have been submitted as FLO ePub3 files. The difference that I see is the the first one has only images while the seconds uses full page images and text with the text hidden.

As to why someone would submit an image only ebook as fixed layout ePub3 when even an ePub2 with the images displaying full page would look the same is a question I find rather interesting.

[Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by DNSB

…
The difference is the first ebook is nothing but a collection of images being displayed full page. There is no text to search. The second ebook has a mix of text and images with the text being hidden but duplicating the text from the images making it searchable.

…

Thank you DNSB