PDF or EPUB: the one decision that matters
PDF keeps your layout exactly as designed. It's right for workbooks, printables and anything that should look the same everywhere, but readers may have to zoom on a phone. EPUB reflows the text to fit any screen and lets readers change the font size, which makes it better for phones and e-readers, but it isn't meant for page-perfect designs.
- PDF: fixed layout, prints well, can be hard to read on a phone.
- EPUB: reflowable, best on phones and e-readers.
- DOCX: an editable source file, useful for editing, not usually what buyers download.
If you're not sure what your buyers use, offer both.
Gumroad: give buyers both files
A Gumroad product can include more than one file, so you don't have to choose. Upload the PDF and the EPUB, name them clearly (for example your-book.pdf and your-book.epub), and say in the description which one is for printing and which one is for reading on a phone.
Keep the files small enough to open comfortably on a phone, especially the EPUB.
Make a test purchase before you promote the product, and open both files on your own phone.
Etsy: name your files before you upload
Etsy lets you attach up to five files to a digital listing, each up to 20 MB. A PDF is the safe choice. If you want to include an EPUB as well, check Etsy's current list of supported file types first.
Buyers see your file names, so name them before uploading. Say in the listing exactly what the buyer gets: a printable PDF, an EPUB for reading, or both.
Etsy also has rules about what can be sold as a digital item, including items made with AI tools. Read the current policy and add your own expertise, examples and edits before you list.
Apple Books: an EPUB plus a separate cover image
Apple Books publishes EPUB files, not PDFs, and asks for the cover as its own image: JPEG or PNG, RGB colour, at least 1,400 pixels on the shorter side, and not enlarged from a smaller image.
Before you submit, run your EPUB through EPUBCheck (a free validator) and fix any errors it reports. Then open the book on an iPhone, iPad or Mac to check the contents, headings and images.
The cover shown inside your EPUB is not the same as the cover image Apple asks for. Prepare the image file separately.
A checklist before any upload
- Open every file on a phone and on a computer.
- Tap through the table of contents and check each link lands on the right chapter.
- Check images, tables and tip boxes on a small screen.
- Give each file a clear name that matches what you promise in the listing.
- Prepare one cover image at 1,600 × 2,560 pixels: it suits Amazon KDP and meets Apple Books' minimum, and works as a product image elsewhere.
Where 1MinEbook fits
1MinEbook exports PDF, EPUB and DOCX from the same book, plus the cover as a 1,600 × 2,560 px JPG, so you have every file above from one source. Your outline, cover and first chapter are free; downloads come with Pro.
Still run the checks above. No tool can promise that every store will accept every file, and a quick test on your own phone is the best way to catch a problem before a buyer does.
Make the book first, then the files
Describe your ebook in one sentence. 1MinEbook writes it, designs the cover and exports PDF, EPUB, DOCX and a cover image from the same book.
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