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Generate eBook output

Last updated on Nov 30, 2023

Robohelp

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Learn how to generate output formats for ePub and Kindle using RoboHelp.

Master pages used in the PDF or Word output template have been renamed as Page Layout.

Master pages used for topic templates or for online outputs have been renamed as Topic Layouts.

For more information, see Templates in Adobe RoboHelp.

What is eBook output

In RoboHelp, you can use the eBook output preset type to generate your project output in ePub and Kindle formats.

Outputs generated in ePub (Electronic Publication) and Kindle formats can be viewed on devices like smartphones, tablets, computers, or e-readers with compliant software. These files have the filename extension .kpf.

Create an eBook output preset

To create an eBook output preset in RoboHelp, do the following:

In an open project, do one of the following:
- Click the Output tab at the left side of the Standard toolbar.
- Click Quick Generate in the upper-right corner of the Standard toolbar and click the Edit Settings icon.
The Output view opens.
In the Output toolbar, click Output Presets. The Output Presets panel opens.
In the Output Presets panel, click +.
In the New Preset dialog box, specify the following:

Type Use the drop-down list to select eBook preset type.

Name Specify a name for the output preset.

Format Use the drop-down list to choose among EPUB or Kindle formats.
Click Done.

You can access the output preset from the Output Presets panel in the Output toolbar. Alternatively, you can access the output preset in the Quick Generate dialog box of the authoring window.

Configure an eBook output preset

Note:

In RoboHelp (2022 release), KindleGen is no longer available for download. Download and install Kindle Previewer 3 to convert, preview, and validate your eBooks.

The first step in generating the output of a RoboHelp project is to create an output preset and then configure the various settings of the output preset. You can use the following settings to configure an eBook output preset:

General

Use the following options to specify basic output settings, such as title, output path, language of UI strings, and more:

Format Use the drop-down list to choose among EPUB or Kindle formats.

Output Path Specify a location for the output. To select a location, click .

Ensure that the output path is NOT located inside the project folder. If the output path is inside the project folder, the output generation fails. Also the folder you select should NOT have any content that you need. RoboHelp deletes the contents of the folder before generating the output.

Save output path as relative to project: If enabled and you browse to the output path., the path to the output will now be a relative instead of absolute.

eBook file Specify the file name and extension (.epub) that RoboHelp can use to generate the output. For example, specify EmployeeCare.epub.

Language Use the drop-down list to specify a language for the titles of Index and Glossary in your output. Specify this setting if you want to change the language specified in project settings.

Post Generation Script To run your custom script after output generation, select the script .js file from the drop-down list.

Content

Use the following options to specify content-related output settings, such as the settings for Table of Contents, index, glossary, condition expression, variable set, and including expanding and drop-down text.

Table Of Contents Use the drop-down list to select a desired Table of Contents to be included in the output. This drop-down list displays the Tables of Contents available in your project. The first Table of Contents in this drop-down list is selected by default.

The set of files and their references present in the selected Table of Contents appear in the generated output.

Include Index Select this setting to include the index page in the output.

Glossary Use the drop-down list to select the glossary to be included in the output. The glossary helps your users to quickly retrieve the relevant terms in your project, with the corresponding definitions.

Condition Expression Use the drop-down list to specify the condition expression for your output. This setting allows you to easily include or exclude content depending on the desired type of output or userbase. Click to edit the selected condition expression. You can also select None in the drop-down list to not specify any condition expression.

Variable Set Use the drop-down list to specify the variable set to use in this output. In the drop-down list, you can select <Default Variable Set> to use the project's default variable set. Variable sets help you implement output-specific use of variables. For example, you can have different variable sets for generating output for customers and internal users.

Include Expanding Text Select this option to include Expanding Text in your Word Document output; otherwise, only the Expanding Title goes into the output. However, the Expanding Text will be shown in the expanded form in the generated PDF.

Include Drop-down Text Select this option to include Drop-down Text in your Word Document output; otherwise, only the Drop-down Title goes into the output. However, the Drop-down text will be displayed in the generated PDF.

Metadata

The metadata options such as title, author, publisher, rights, description, publication identifier, and publish date get embedded in the final output.

Title Specify the title for the generated output.

You can use variables in the title. To do so, type Ctrl + 1 and select a variable from the drop-down list, and then press Enter. Note that if you have provided a variable set in the Content tab > Variable Set field, during output generation, the value of the selected variable is picked from the variable set.

Author Specify the name of the author of the eBook.

Publisher Specify the publisher of the eBook.

Rights Specify the publishing rights of the eBook.

Description Enter a brief summary of the eBook to help the user understand your content better.

Publication Identifier Specify the unique identifier of the eBook. This is a thirteen digit ISBN ID.

Publish Date Specify the date of publishing of the eBook in mm/dd/yy format. You can also click to do this.

Custom Metadata If any elements you require aren’t catered for in the metadata panel, you can add custom ones in this column. You can add elements and then edit their values as required.

Cover Image Specify a cover image for both ePUB and Kindle formats. To select a location, click . You can preview the selected image in the preview area below the path field.

Layout

Use the following options to specify details of appearance in your output.

Topic Layout Select the topic layout from the dropdown menu.

EPUB

Use the following settings to validate your eBook output:

Validate EPUB3 Output Select this option to validate your output. This is necessary to successfully generate your desired eBook.

EpubCheck Path Specify the EpubCheck path of your output. Click to do this. You can also click Go to EpubCheck download page to view and download the .zip file. You can then provide the path of the unzipped file.

Kindle

Use the following settings to validate your Kindle output:

KindleGen Path Specify the KindleGen path of your output. Click to do this.

Publish

You can publish your output to FTP, SFTP, or File System. To be able to publish your output, first configure a publish profile for the appropriate server type. For more information, see Configure a publish profile for FTP, SFTP, or File System.

After you save the publish profile, RoboHelp displays the profile in the Publish tab. To publish your output, select the appropriate publish profiles and click .

By default, only modified files are published using the chosen publish profiles since the last publish.

To publish all files, select Republish All and click . To view the publish log, in the Output Presets panel, against the appropriate output preset, choose > View Publish Log.

Generate eBook output

In the authoring window of your project, click the Quick Generate icon in the upper-right corner of the standard toolbar.
Select an eBook output preset in the Quick Generate dialog box.
To configure the settings, do one of the following:
- Click the Edit Settings icon in the Quick Generate dialog box.
- Click the Output tab at the left side of the Standard toolbar.
The Output view opens.
In the Output toolbar, click Output Presets. In the Output Presets panel, do one of the following:
- Double-click the desired eBook output preset.
- Click the icon next to the desired output preset and select Edit.
See Configure an eBook output preset to configure the output settings.
To save your settings, click the Save icon in the upper-left corner of the standard toolbar in the Output view.
Click the Generate Preset icon in the Output Presets panel.

You can then view a progress bar next to the selected output preset in the Output Presets panel. Once the output generation is complete, a Success dialog box is visible at the lower-right corner of the screen.

After the output generation is complete, click in the Output Presets panel to view the output.
Note:
To view the output, you require Adobe Digital Edition installed on your computer. To download Adobe Digital Edition, see Download Adobe Digital Edition.

Alternatively, you can generate the output in the authoring window. Click Quick Generate on the toolbar, select the desired output preset, and click Generate. You can then view a progress bar in the Quick Generate dialog box. After the output generation is complete, click next to the output preset to view the output. In case the output generation failed, click next to the selected output preset to view the error log.