EpubCCKEPUB vs EPUB: what's the difference?
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KEPUB is Kobo's own variant of EPUB, named .kepub.epub, which Kobo devices open with Kobo's own rendering engine instead of the generic EPUB one. A plain EPUB opens on every Kobo and on almost every other reader, so it is the file to make first; KEPUB is an optional extra for Kobo owners.
What they have in common
A KEPUB is still an EPUB inside: a ZIP container with XHTML chapters, CSS, images and a package document. The difference is the extension and the extra markup Kobo's engine works with, which is why the books sold in Kobo's store use it.
Why people choose one or the other
- EPUB: one file for Kobo, PocketBook, Apple Books, Google Play Books and, through Send to Kindle, Kindle. It is the standard format, published by the W3C as EPUB 3.3.
- KEPUB: some Kobo owners prefer it for the reading statistics and page-turn behaviour of Kobo's own engine.
- A KEPUB is meant for Kobo devices and apps; other readers may treat it as an ordinary EPUB or not open it at all.
Converting a PDF for a Kobo
Convert the PDF to a plain EPUB 3 and copy it to the Kobo by USB, or add it from the Kobo app. If you want a KEPUB, third-party tools can turn the finished EPUB into one afterwards. EpubCC writes standard EPUB 3 and does not produce KEPUB files.
What decides how the book reads on the Kobo is the conversion itself: paragraphs joined, running headers removed, chapters and notes recovered. The format variant does not repair a poor conversion, so check the free sample of your PDF on the device before worrying about KEPUB. If the plain EPUB reads well, most people never need anything else.
Convert a PDF for Kobo
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