Amazon 2.94 Kindle Previewer User Guide
Kindle Previewer 2.94 is a free downloadable viewer that enables your computer to emulate how a broad range of Kindle devices and apps will display your book. It makes it easy for publishers to preview e-book layouts, see how their text will look on specific Kindle devices, and adjust display orientation, font sizes, paragraph styles, and editorial conventions accordingly.
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Kindle Previewer
User Guide
for Kindle Previewer 2.94
English
Kindle Previewer User Guide
Copyright © 2014 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Published for Kindle Previewer version 2.94.
Apple®, Mac OS® and iTunes® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows® Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Kindle Previewer User Guide
Contents
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Kindle Previewer User Guide
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Kindle Previewer User Guide
1 Welcome to Kindle Previewer
Kindle Previewer is a free downloadable viewer that enables your computer to emulate how a broad range of Kindle devices and apps will display your book. Kindle Previewer makes it easy for publishers to preview e-book layouts, see how their text will look on specific Kindle devices, and adjust display orientation, font sizes, paragraph styles, and editorial conventions accordingly.
Kindle Previewer is designed to help authors, publishers, and e-book converters produce the highestquality Kindle books. You can navigate through an e-book quickly and easily, turning the pages one by one to confirm that your book is ready to be published to the Kindle Store, and downloaded to Kindle devices. Use Kindle Previewer independently, or as a companion to the KindleGen book-building tool.
1.1 Specifications
Kindle Devices Emulated
Kindle Previewer can display e-books as they will appear on these Kindle devices:
• Fire HD
• Fire HDX
• Fire HDX 8.9"
• Kindle Voyage
• Kindle DX
• Kindle for iPhone (Kindle Reading App)
• Kindle for iPad (Kindle Reading App)
Supported File Formats
Kindle Previewer can display e-books created in the following formats:
• .mobi
• .epub
• .azw
• .html
• .opf
• .prc
• .zip (XMDF)
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1.2 System Requirements
Hardware requirements
Kindle Previewer requires that your computer and monitor meet these minimum requirements:
• 1GHz processor
• 512 MB of RAM
• 15-inch display size
• 1024 by 768 screen resolution
Operating systems
Kindle Previewer is compatible with the following operating systems:
• Windows® 7 and above
• MacOS® X (10.7 or later)
NOTE: Your Macintosh computer must have an Intel processor.
1.3 Installing Kindle Previewer
1.3.1 Downloading Installers
• Kindle Previewer
The Kindle Previewer home page provides Windows® and MacOS® installers.
• KDP Tools and Resources
Provides Windows® and MacOS® installers for Kindle Previewer, Kindle Comic Creator,
Plugin for Adobe InDesign®, KindleGen (also Linux), and Kindle Reader.
1.3.2 Installing on Windows® Systems
To install Kindle Previewer on a Windows® system, do the following:
1. Download the Kindle Previewer installer to your computer.
2. Double-click the KindlePreviewerInstall.exe
file to launch the installer.
3. Select a language for the installer, then click OK.
4. Review the Software End User License Agreement, then click I Agree.
5. Select the installation folder.
The default paths for installing Kindle Previewer on a PC are:
Windows® 7, and Windows® Vista:
C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle Previewer
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Windows® XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Local Settings\Application
Data\Amazon\Kindle Previewer
To install Kindle Previewer in different location on your computer, click Browse and select the target folder.
6. Wait a moment for the installation to complete.
You can now launch Kindle Previewer.
1.3.3 Installing on MacOS® Systems
To install Kindle Previewer on a MacOS® system, do the following:
1. Download the Kindle Previewer installer to your desktop.
2. Extract the Kindle Previewer application file from the .zip archive.
3. Drag the Kindle Previewer application file to your Applications folder.
You can now launch Kindle Previewer.
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2 Using Kindle Previewer
2.1 Launching Kindle Previewer
• If you set Kindle Previewer as your computer’s default application for opening Kindle books, you can double-click on any Kindle book to display it in Kindle Previewer.
• Otherwise, right-click any Kindle book, select Open With, and choose Kindle Previewer.
• Or send a Kindle Previewer shortcut to your desktop, then drag your book file and drop it onto that shortcut.
• Or launch Kindle Previewer from Start All Programs Amazon Kindle Previewer, set a Default Device Mode, and click the Open Book link or select File Open Book.
• Or launch a book in Kindle Previewer from the Command prompt (see section
2.2 Welcome Page Settings
The default settings on the “Welcome” page preconfigure Kindle Previewer to emulate a family of Kindle devices, set the Previewer screen to Portrait or Landscape orientation, and display its menus and toolbars in your language of choice.
Default Language
Select a language from the drop-down list for Kindle Previewer’s menus and toolbars. The choices include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese.
Default Orientation
Select whether Kindle Previewer will open an e-book for viewing in Portrait (longer sides vertical) or Landscape (longer sides horizontal) orientation.
NOTE: This default setting will be overridden if an e-book’s metadata locks Orientation.
Default Device Mode
Select a Kindle device or app from this drop-down list of Kindle families for Kindle Previewer to emulate. The choices include Fire HD, Fire HDX, Fire HDX 8.9”, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DX, Kindle for iPhone, and Kindle for iPad.
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2.3 Device Bar
The Device Bar located just beneath the Toolbar offers choices from the family of Kindle devices that
Kindle Previewer is currently emulating.
To reset the Device Mode of Kindle Previewer so that it emulates another Kindle device or app:
• Click any member of this Kindle family listed in the Device Bar.
[or]
• Press the TAB key or SHIFT + TAB to toggle through the current Device Bar choices.
[or]
• Click Home in the Taskbar, then reset the Device Mode to another Kindle family.
TIPS: On setting the Device Mode:
• When Device Mode is set to the Fire device family, Kindle Previewer can display fixed-layout children’s books, comics, and graphic novels.
• When Device Mode is set to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad,” you can to play video or audio clips in a Kindle Enhanced Edition or Audible Audio
2.4 Toolbar
Use the Kindle Previewer Toolbar to navigate through your current e-book and adjust display options.
Back
Returns to the page displayed before the last page change.
Home
Returns to the “Welcome” page of Kindle Previewer.
Previous Section
Jumps back to the start of the previous section or chapter.
Next Section
Jumps ahead to the start of the next section or chapter.
Previous Page
Displays the previous page.
Next Page
Displays the next page.
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Rotate Screen
Turns the orientation to Portrait (long sides vertical) or Landscape (long sides horizontal).
Enabled for e-books whose metadata settings do not lock the book’s reading orientation.
Set Font
Selects from the text font faces and sizes available on the Kindle device.
Enabled for e-books with flowing text.
Zoom In
Zoom Out
Reduces the size of the current page.
Enabled for fixed-layout books in “Kindle Voyage” Device Mode.
Zoom Fit
Enlarges the size of the current page.
Enabled for fixed-layout books in “Kindle Voyage” Device Mode.
Switches in one click from a zoomed view to the default view of the current page.
Enabled for fixed-layout books in “Kindle Voyage” Device Mode.
Scale Down
Reduces the size of the current page from large to medium to small.
Enabled when Device Mode is set to “Kindle Voyage” or “Fire.”
Scale Up
Enlarges the size of the current page from small to medium to large.
Enabled when Device Mode is set to “Kindle Voyage” or “Fire.”
Cover
Displays the cover page of the current e-book.
Table of Contents
Displays the Table of Contents for the current e-book.
Enabled when a book has a Table of Contents. Kindle devices do not support TOCs for books with fixed-layouts (such as children’s books).
NCX View
Displays the logical Table of Contents for the current e-book. An NCX view is often available
even if a book does not have a physical TOC. See section
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2.4.1 Resizing Content
Kindle Previewer’s controls to scale pages, fonts, and panels are enabled or disabled by particular combinations of book format (fixed-layout or flowing-text) and Kindle device (e-ink, Fire HD, or iOS).
• Click the Scale Up button on the Toolbar to enlarge a page, or Scale Down to reduce it.
There are three size options for the two buttons, small, medium, and large.
• In “Voyage” Device Mode, click the Zoom In button on the Toolbar to enlarge page content, or Zoom Out to reduce it. These buttons offer six size options.
• When reading a flowing-text book with the Devices menu set to the “Fire HD” family, click the Set Font button on the Toolbar to change Font Sizes, choosing from ten sizes.
• When a fixed-layout book includes Kindle Panels, virtual panels, or text popups, doubleclick to “tap” them and expand their content. Then press the Right Arrow key ( or ) to “tap” the next panel or popup, or the Left Arrow key ( or ) to ”tap” the previous
The default zoom setting for Kindle panels in Kindle Comic Creator is 150%.
2.5 Menus
You can access most functions of Kindle Previewer from the menus above the Toolbar.
2.5.1 File Menu
Use the File menu to open and close books, and to exit the Kindle Previewer application.
Open Book
Opens e-book files in Kindle-compatible formats: .mobi,. epub, .azw, .prc, .opf, .zip(XMDF) or
.html. You can also drag such book files and drop them onto Kindle Previewer to display them.
NOTE: You cannot open encrypted books in Kindle Previewer.
Close Book
Closes the current e-book.
Open Recent
Displays a list of recently opened e-books. Select Clear List to remove all items from this list.
Exit
Closes the current e-book and exits the Kindle Previewer application.
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2.5.2 View Menu
Use the View menu to display your e-book’s metadata and logical structure.
Book Information
Displays the metadata defined for the current e-book, including Language, Title, Author, Cover
Page, File Format, Book type, and Table of Contents or .NCX file.
NCX View
Opens a logical Table of Contents for the current e-book, as defined in its navigation control
(.NCX) file. Double-click any link in NCX View to jump to the selected location.
TIP: Readers can use the NCX view to track their progress through a book. For guidance on implementing .NCX files, download the
Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines
(PDF).
2.5.3 Go to Menu
Use the Go to menu to navigate to specific locations in the current e-book.
Home
Jumps to the “Welcome” page of Kindle Previewer.
Location
Jumps by number to a page in the current e-book.
TIP: Without opening the Go to Location dialog box:
• To display the number of the current page, enter CTRL+U.
• To jump to the first page in the book, enter CTRL+SHIFT+F.
End
Jumps to the last page in the current e-book.
Table of Contents
Jumps to the current e-book’s Table of Contents.
NOTE: Enabled when a book has a Table of Contents. Kindle devices do not support TOCs in e-books with fixed-layouts (such as children’s books and graphic novels).
Next Page
Displays the next page in the current e-book.
Prev Page
Displays the previous page in the current e-book.
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Beginning
Jumps to the "Start reading" location in the current book, as defined in the book's manifest (.opf) file. Typically this is the first page of the e-book’s first chapter.
Cover
Displays the cover page of the current e-book.
Auto Flip
Use Auto Flip to display the pages of the current e-book as a slide show, flipping from start to finish or finish to start. To adjust the Auto Flip Speed, drag the slider to the desired setting.
NOTES: On Windows® XP systems, don’t let a screen saver interrupt Auto-Flip. On
MacOS® systems, don’t run Auto Flip while multiple instances of Kindle Previewer are
3.7.2, Known Issues for Kindle Previewer
Optional Locations
The Go to menu also lists locations defined in the current e-book, such as these:
Start Reading
Returns to the starting point for readers marked in the e-book.
Prev Image
Jumps to the image before the selection point.
NOTE: Enabled in e-books with flowing text and images.
Next image
Jumps to the image after the selection point.
NOTE: Enabled in e-books with flowing text and images.
Search Word
Enter a search string to find in the current book. Enabled in e-books with flowing text.
TIP: If you wish, you can choose to view the Search Word results as a list.
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2.5.4 Devices Menu
From the Devices menu, you can reset the Device Mode of Kindle Previewer so that it emulates a range of Kindle devices and apps grouped by technology.
Kindle e-ink
Displays the current book as it will appear on Kindle Voyage or Kindle DX devices.
Fire
Displays the current book as it will appear on Fire HD, Fire HDX, or Fire HDX 8.9” devices.
Kindle for iOS
When you select "Kindle for iOS," Kindle Previewer converts your book to .azk format.
You can then sideload this .azk book file onto your iOS device, and read the book using its “ Kindle for iPhone ” or “ Kindle for iPad
” app. For sideloading procedures, see section
2.5.4.1, Sideloading onto iOS Devices
Kindle Previewer will not convert book with audio/video into .azk, instead those books can be
previewed inline in Kindle Previewer. Please see “Transcode” in section
for more information.
TIP: Selecting "Kindle for iOS" also enables Kindle Previewer to play video and audio clips.
(Kindle Enhanced Editions with video or audio clips are not converted to .azk format.)
For transcoding settings, see section
2.5.5.1, Transcoding Video Files to iOS Format
2.5.4.1 Sideloading onto iOS Devices
To sideload a converted .azk book file onto your iPhone or iPad, do the following:
1. Open a book file for preview, then set Kindle Previewer’s Devices menu to “Kindle for iOS.”
2. Kindle Previewer converts the book file to .azk format for iOS.
NOTE: If you have set Kindle Previewer’s Default Device Mode to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad,” then whenever you open a book file for preview, your book file will be converted to .azk format.
3. The Converting Book dialog opens. Where the dialog says “The output file has been generated here,” click the “here” link. This opens the folder on your computer where your
.azk book file is stored.
4. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer.
5. Launch iTunes on your computer. In iTunes, click Apps and select Kindle Apps.
6. Drag the converted .azk file from its folder and drop it onto the iTunes Kindle Documents area.
[or]
Click Add in iTunes to select the converted .azk book file and add it to Kindle Documents.
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7. You can now read the book on your iPhone or iPad. Launch the Kindle app on your iOS device, and look in Device Mode under Books or All Items.
NOTE: For help with iTunes®, see the Apple Web site.
If the Kindle app on your iOS device does not yet list your .azk book file, then: a. Close the Kindle app on your iOS device. b. Copy the .azk book file to your iOS device (as described above). c. Restart the Kindle app on your iOS device.
2.5.5 Utilities Menu
From the Utilities menu, you can reset the language of the Kindle Previewer interface, opt in or out of the Kindle Previewer data collection program, and adjust the transcoding of audio and video clips.
Language
Choose Language from the Utilities menu to reset the language of the Kindle Previewer interface.
Usage Data Collection
Select this option to opt in or opt out of the Kindle Previewer data collection program.
NOTE: Enabling this option helps Amazon to understand and fix any issues you may encounter with Kindle Previewer. No personal information is ever gathered, and the technical data that is collected is used only by the Kindle Previewer team.
Transcode
This submenu is enabled when you open a book in Kindle Previewer that includes audio or video
clips. For more information, see section
2.5.5.1, Transcoding Video Files to iOS Format
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2.5.5.1 Transcoding Video Files to iOS Format
to “Kindle for iOS” to preview Kindle Enhanced Editions and other e-books
with video or audio clips (these are not converted to .azk format). This process uses your
Transcode settings on the Utilities menu.
Set FFmpeg Path
Kindle Previewer uses the FFmpeg transcoder to convert the video clips. Enter the full local path to your FFmpeg executable file in this field.
TIP: The FFmpeg transcoder for Windows® and MacOS® can be downloaded from: http://ffmpeg.org/download.html
Transcode Status
Tracks the transcoding process for each of the video clips in the current book.
Transcode Automatically
When this option is enabled, as you open a Kindle Edition or Audible Audio Edition, Kindle
Previewer searches the e-book for video clips, and runs FFmpeg in the background to transcode all of the clips at once, so that they are all ready to play.
When this option is disabled, transcoding is done item by item, as you click each clip to play it.
TIP: By default, when you left-click an audio or video clip, Kindle Previewer plays the clip converted to iOS specifications. You can also right-click to launch the source
(original) media file for the clip in the player of your choice, without transcoding.
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2.5.6 Help Menu
From the Help menu, you can open this User Guide, display lists of all keyboard shortcuts, download the
Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines
, send feedback e-mail to the Kindle Previewer team, set update options and check for updates, and display your version of Kindle Previewer.
Kindle Previewer Help
Displays this Kindle Previewer User Guide.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Displays a list of all keyboard shortcuts. For printable lists, see section
Open Kindle Publishing Guidelines
Downloads the
Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines
as a .PDF file. Follow these Guidelines to create the source files for Kindle e-books, and to publish Kindle e-books to the Amazon site.
Send Feedback
Sends e-mail to the Kindle Previewer team. Your feedback, questions, and comments are welcome. The message generated helps the team to understand the state of the product.
Update Options
Opens the Update Options dialog box, where you can choose what to do when a new version of
Kindle Previewer becomes available.
Check for Updates
Select Check for Updates to download and install the current version of Kindle Previewer.
About Kindle Previewer
Displays the version of Kindle Previewer that you have installed.
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3 Appendix
3.1 Glossary
Orientation
How the display screen of Kindle Previewer is turned, to Portrait view (longer sides vertical) or
Landscape view (longer sides horizontal). See sections
Device Mode
Selects a family of Kindle devices or apps for Kindle Previewer to emulate. See sections
Tap
To click on a Kindle panel, which magnifies its content. One of three ways for Kindle Previewer to
enlarge e-book content. See section
NCX View
A logical Table of Contents for the current e-book, as defined in its navigation control (.NCX) file.
Transcode
Convert audio and video clips to iPhone / iPad specifications. When Device Mode is set to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad,” and you open a Kindle Edition or Audible Audio Edition with audio or video clips, Kindle Previewer runs the FFmpeg transcoder to convert the clips to iOS
Sideload
Copy a converted .azk book file to your iPhone or iPad device, for viewing there with that device’s “ Kindle for iPhone ” or “ Kindle for iPad
KindleGen
The KindleGen utility is a free tool that converts e-books to Kindle .mobi format. KindleGen runs from the Windows® Command window or the MacOS® Terminal window. See Appendix section
3.5, Using KindleGen to Build Kindle e-Books
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3.2 Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows®
↑
↓
→
←
CTRL + →
CTRL + ←
CTRL + L
CTRL + B
CTRL + S
CTRL + T
MacOS® X
↑
↓
→
←
CMD + →
CMD + ←
CMD + L
CMD + B
CMD + S
CMD + T
Task
Scroll Page up
Scroll Page down
Go to Next Page
Go to Previous Page
Go to Next Section
Go to Previous Section
Go to Location
Go Back
Go to Beginning
Go to Table of Contents
CTRL + R CMD + R Go to Cover
CTRL + SHIFT + F CMD + SHIFT + F Go to First Page
F3 Fn + F3 Go to Previous Image
F4
F5
F6
CTRL + N
Fn + F4
Fn + F5
Fn + F6
CMD + N
Go to Next Image
Zoom Out
Zoom In
NCX View
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Windows®
CTRL + K
CTRL + F
CTRL + O
CTRL + W
MacOS® X
CMD + K
CMD + F
CMD + O
CMD + W
Task
Display Keyboard Shortcuts
Find
Open Book
Close Book
CTRL + U CMD + U Copy page number
CTRL + SHIFT + A CMD + SHIFT + A Auto Flip
CTRL + SHIFT + T CMD + SHIFT + T Transcode Status
CTRL + X CMD + Q Exit
CTRL + SHIFT + R CMD + SHIFT + R Rotate Orientation
CTRL + ↑ / ↓ CMD + ↑ / ↓ Set Font Size
3.3 Command Prompt Launch
Kindle Previewer for Windows® now supports command line arguments. If you have Administrator rights, you can open an e-book in Kindle Previewer directly from the command prompt.
1. Open the Command window from the Start menu.
TIP: To open the Command window as an Administrator who can launch programs there: a. Expand the Start menu, and type command in the Search programs and files field.
The “Command Prompt“ shortcut appears. b. Right-click to display this shortcut’s Properties. c. Click Advanced, and select Run as Administrator. d. Then click OK and OK again to close Properties.
Whenever you click the “Command Prompt” shortcut, it will now open the Command window with Administrator permissions.
2. At the command prompt, type KindlePreviewer.exe
and a following space, then press
CTRL + Click to Paste in a path to an e-book on your computer. For example:
KindlePreviewer.exe C:\Users\[user]\My Documents\Books\Book1.mobi
3. Press Enter. Kindle Previewer opens and displays the book named.
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3.4 Customer Support
Kindle Previewer User Guide
3.4.1 Updates
• From the Help menu, select Check for Updates to get the current version of Kindle what to do when new versions of Kindle Previewer become available.
3.4.2 Kindle Publishing Tools
The Amazon Kindle Publishing Tools group makes ongoing improvements to all Kindle apps, including:
• Kindle Previewer
• Kindle Comic Creator
• Kindle Plugin for Adobe InDesign®
• KindleGen
We encourage you to join in the discussions on the Kindle Publishing forum. You can also e-mail us at: [email protected]
3.4.3 Kindle Publishing Guidelines
The Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines provide guidance on how to format and test e-books, and suggest best practices for Kindle publishing.
To download this .PDF file, click the following link:
•
Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines
(PDF)
3.5 Using KindleGen to Build Kindle e-Books
You can use Kindle Previewer to assist you while running the KindleGen utility to convert e-books to
Kindle format. KindleGen is a free command-line tool that build Kindle e-books from source files in
HTML, XHTML, or IDPF 2.0 format (HTML content files with an XML .opf manifest file). KindleGen is the only tool officially supported by Amazon to convert these files into Kindle .mobi format.
TIP: You can download installers for Windows® and MacOS® from the KindleGen site.
When you open an e-book in .epub format in Kindle Previewer, KindleGen converts the book to Kindle
.mobi format. When this conversion is done, the Compiling eBook dialog box displays the resulting
KindleGen build messages. Click OK and Kindle Previewer displays the converted e-book.
NOTES: KindleGen is designed to run from the Command (PC) or Terminal (Mac) window.
Double-clicking KindleGen will not launch it.
If you drag a source file and drop it onto the KindleGen application, KindleGen will convert the file to Kindle format, but it will not log any compilation messages.
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3.5.1 KindleGen for Windows®
KindleGen will run on Windows® 7, Windows® XP, and Windows® Vista.
1. Download the KindleGen installer archive to your computer.
2. Right-click the installer archive, select Extract All, and extract the KindleGen application files to a convenient folder, such as c:\ KindleGen .
3. Select Start Run, type cmd and press Enter to open the Command window.
4. For guidance on how to run KindleGen in the Command window, type kindlegen at the command prompt and press Enter.
3.5.1.1 Book Conversion Example for Windows®
Suppose that you wish to convert a source file called MyBook.html
to Kindle format. You’ve stored this file in your \My Documents\Books\ folder.
1. Copy the full path to your \Books folder from folder Properties.
2. Open the Command window. At the command prompt, type cd (“Change Directory”) and a following space.
3. Then press CTRL + Right-Click to paste in the path to your \Books folder. For example: cd C:\Users\[user]\My Documents\Books
Then press Enter. The command prompt changes to indicate the new directory.
4. At the command prompt, type an instruction to KindleGen such as this one, giving the full path to the KindleGen application, then a space, then the name of your source file: c:\KindleGen\kindlegen MyBook.html
5. Press Enter. If KindleGen is able to convert your source file, it creates a new Kindle book file called MyBook.mobi
in your \Books subfolder.
3.5.2 KindleGen for MacOS®
KindleGen will run on MacOS® X 10.5 and above, on Macintosh computers with Intel processors.
1. Download the KindleGen archive to your computer.
By default, the file is placed in your Downloads folder.
2. Double-click the downloaded archive to extract the KindleGen application.
NOTE: The Safari Web browser extracts the KindleGen application automatically.
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3. Click the spotlight icon in the top right corner and type Terminal .
Then click to open the Terminal window.
4. In the Finder window, go to the Downloads folder and select the KindleGen application.
5. Drag the KindleGen application from the Downloads folder and drop it on the Terminal window at the cursor location. The full path to KindleGen is typed automatically, and the cursor shifts to the end of the current line.
6. Press Enter for guidance on how to run KindleGen in the Terminal window.
[or]
Type a “Change Directory” command like this one and press Enter: cd ~/Downloads/KindleGen_Mac_i386_v2
Then type kindlegen at the terminal prompt and press Enter again for KindleGen help.
3.5.2.1 Book Conversion Example for MacOS®
Suppose that you wish to convert a source file called MyBook.html
to Kindle format. You’ve dragged this file to your Macintosh desktop.
1. Open the Terminal window. At the terminal prompt, type kindlegen with a following space.
2. Drag your source file to the Terminal window and drop it at the cursor location. The path to your file is added automatically, and the cursor shifts to the end of the line. kindlegen ~/Desktop/MyBook.html
Then press Enter.
[or]
In the Terminal window, type a “Change Directory” command like this one, and press Enter: cd ~/Downloads/KindleGen_Mac_i386_v2
3. The terminal prompt changes to indicate the new folder. Then type an instruction like this one to KindleGen, and press Enter again: kindlegen ~/Desktop/MyBook.html
4. If KindleGen is able to convert your source file, it creates a new Kindle book file called
MyBook.mobi
on your Macintosh desktop.
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3.6 Online Resources
Various Kindle Web sites can help you install Kindle Previewer and other Kindle Tools, and use them to convert e-books to Kindle format and publish them to your Kindle device.
TIP: CTRL+Click any link to open the site in a new Web browser tab.
Kindle Previewer
• Kindle Previewer
The home page for Kindle Previewer provides Windows® and MacOS® installers.
• KDP Tools and Resources
Provides Windows® and MacOS® installers for Kindle Previewer, Kindle Comic Creator,
Kindle Plugin for Adobe InDesign®, KindleGen (also Linux), and Kindle Reader.
Kindle Publisher Tools
• Kindle Publisher Tools
Home page for their site.
• Kindle Comic Creator
Home page for this tool on the Kindle Publisher Tools site.
• Kindle Plugin for Adobe InDesign®
Home page for this tool on the Kindle Publisher Tools site.
• KindleGen
Home page for this tool on the Kindle Publisher Tools site.
• Kindle Publishing Forum
Threaded discussions of Kindle publishing tools
KindleGen
• KindleGen
The home page for KindleGen provides Windows®, MacOS®, and Linux installers.
• KDP Tools and Resources
Provides KindleGen installers for Windows®, MacOS®, and Linux systems, and Windows®
MacOS® installers for Kindle Previewer, Kindle Comic Creator, Kindle Plugin for Adobe
InDesign®, and Kindle Reader.
• KindleGen Read-me
Includes the procedures given here for converting e-books to Kindle format. Use to convert source files in HTML, XHTML, or IDPF 2.0 format (.html content files with an
XML manifest) into Kindle books in .mobi, .azw, or .prc format.
•
Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines
Download these Guidelines and follow them to create the source files for Kindle e-books, to publish Kindle e-books to the Amazon site.
Amazon.com page 24
Kindle Previewer User Guide
Kindle Reading Apps
• Download Free Kindle Reading Apps
Provides Kindle Reader Apps for computers, tablets, smart phones, and the Web.
• Kindle for PC
Install Kindle Reader on a PC computer.
• Kindle for Mac
Install Kindle Reader on a Macintosh computer.
• Help for Free Kindle Reading Apps
Get online help for any Kindle Reader application.
• Help for Other Kindle Apps
Get online help for other Kindle applications.
Kindle Direct Publishing
• Kindle Direct Publishing
Home page for their site.
• Publishing FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions on publishing your own e-books.
• Kindle Direct Publishing Help
KDP Help topics.
• Types of Formats
KDP help topic on book file formats that they can convert into Kindle e-books.
• Basic HTML Formatting Guidelines
KDP Help topic on preparing HTML files for conversion into Kindle e-books.
• KDP Community Forums
Public discussions on publishing your own e-books.
• Building Your Book for Kindle
Free book from Amazon. Available for PDF download and in print form .
Amazon.com page 25
Kindle Previewer User Guide
3.7 Release Notes and Known Issues
3.7.1 Release Notes
The Release Notes for all versions of Kindle Previewer are available online. To read them, click here .
3.7.2 Known Issues for Kindle Previewer
• In Kindle Previewer, blue characters display as black. On a Kindle device, blue characters display as light gray.
• On MacOS® systems, when Device Mode is set to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad,” cover images are displayed with a black background.
• Image borders might not display correctly either in Kindle Previewer or on Kindle devices.
• Nested tables, large tables, and table cells that contain text paragraphs or large images might not display properly either in Kindle Previewer or on Kindle devices.
TIP: Consider reformatting such tables. For guidance on tables, download the
Amazon
Kindle Publishing Guidelines
(PDF).
• In e-books with many images, Goto Location might not navigate to the desired location.
• When the Devices menu is set to “Kindle e-ink” and you jump to new locations, HTML markup might be displayed. This does not indicate any problem with the page content.
To refresh the display, click Previous Page then click Next Page.
• When Device Mode is set to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad” and you jump to new locations, tables might not display properly. To refresh the display, click Previous
Page then click Next Page.
• When Device Mode is set to “Kindle for iPhone” or “Kindle for iPad,” some options available in the iOS app (for example, changing the text color) are not available in Kindle per page displayed in Kindle Previewer might not match exactly the number of lines displayed by the iOS app.
• When Device Mode is set to “Kindle DX,” the number of lines per page displayed in
Kindle Previewer might not match exactly the number of lines displayed on those menu is disabled. You cannot use it to search the book.
• When Device Mode is set to “Kindle DX,” the e-book’s Device Location bar is disabled.
You cannot use it to navigate the book.
• On Windows® XP systems, the Auto Flip feature stops working if a screensaver runs while it is flipping pages, and Kindle Previewer goes into an unresponsive state.
• On MacOS® systems, when multiple instances of Kindle Previewer run Auto Flip, Kindle
Previewer sometimes goes into an unresponsive state.
Amazon.com page 26
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Key features
Emulates a variety of Kindle devices and apps
Previews e-book layouts
Adjusts display orientation, font sizes, and paragraph styles
Supports multiple book formats
Provides a Table of Contents view
Includes a search function
Offers Auto Flip feature
Allows for transcoding video files to iOS format
Provides keyboard shortcuts
Frequently asked questions
Launch Kindle Previewer and open your e-book file. Then, use the Toolbar or menus to navigate through the book and adjust display options, such as orientation, font size, and paragraph styles. You can also choose a specific Kindle device or app to emulate from the Device Bar or Devices menu.
Kindle Previewer supports the following formats: .mobi, .epub, .azw, .prc, .opf, .zip(XMDF), and .html.
Yes, you can select a language for the menus and toolbars from the Utilities menu.
Set the Devices Menu to “Kindle for iOS” and Kindle Previewer will automatically transcode any video clips in your book. You can also manually transcode individual clips by right-clicking on them and selecting “Transcode.”
Kindle Previewer requires a 1GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 15-inch display, and a 1024 by 768 screen resolution. It is compatible with Windows® 7 and above and MacOS® X (10.7 or later).
