Vellum 3.3.5

Vellum 3.3.5 improves the appearance of a Generic EPUB file when it is side-loaded into the Kindle app for iOS.

Note: When possible, it is still best to use a Kindle-specific file for Kindle.

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum 3.3.4

Vellum 3.3.4 is a minor release that includes the following improvements:

  • Fixed Subhead page numbers for books with Heading Backgrounds
  • Shifted Hawthorn footers to avoid KDP errors with mass market trim sizes
  • Fixed page counting for some books with very long chapter titles
  • Restored size of Publisher Logo when using some Parcel heading styles
  • Prevented issue with auto-layout that could add an extra blank page

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum 3.3.3

Vellum 3.3.3 is a minor release that includes the following improvements:

  • The Special Characters menu works for book and chapter titles
  • When exporting to RTF, chapter titles now include the chapter number
  • Custom footers can be hidden on the last page in more layouts

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum 3.3.2

Vellum 3.3.2 is a minor release that includes the following improvements:

  • You can now use fractional values (like 2.5) for Series Book Number
  • Fixed display of Bibliography heading in the Parcel Style
  • Fixed issue saving some files converted from Vellum’s older file format
  • Apply Smart Quotes is now available from Edit ▸ Transformations
  • Updated EPUB 3 output for current accessibility guidelines

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum 3.3

Vellum 3.3 is now available! Here’s what you’ll find in this latest release:

Custom Headers & Footers

Go beyond Vellum’s presets with the new Custom option for Headers and Footers. Select information you want to include, control alignment, and — for an extra touch — even use your own themed ornament!

Series Title

Is your book a part of a series? You can now include the name of the series and the number of the book in Title Info. Vellum will include this on your book’s title page and in your ebook metadata.

Bibliography

For non-fiction works, you can list all of your references in Vellum’s new Bibliography element. Vellum automatically formats each citation using a standard hanging indent, and uses a smaller font size to fit more on the page.

Also in Vellum 3.3

  • New Special Characters menu offers quick access to tools like Soft Hyphen
  • Non-Breaking Space and other special characters are now always visible in the Text Editor
  • Vellum’s ebook preview now avoids widows and orphans for supported devices
  • Ukrainian 🇺🇦 is now an option for book Language

Version 3.3 is a free update. Get it using Check for Updates, or download from vellum.pub. 

Your Mac will need macOS Catalina or newer for this version.

Vellum 3.2.2

Vellum 3.2.2 updates the Kindle.epub format for Send to Kindle. For more information about Amazon’s transition from MOBI, see: Send to Kindle Now Accepts EPUB Files.

It also includes the following improvements:

  • Corrected indentation when a section begins with an image
  • Fixed images in PDFs when Invert Colors is enabled in System Preferences
  • Improved ebook output for Scribd

This release is a free update, available now.

Send to Kindle Now Accepts EPUB Files

Recently, Amazon announced that their Send to Kindle tools are transitioning from accepting MOBI files to EPUB files:

  • When using Send to Kindle by Email, you can now provide an EPUB file instead of a MOBI file
  • Amazon’s Send to Kindle apps will support EPUB files in the future
  • In August late 2022, Send to Kindle will stop accepting MOBI files 
Q & A

Questions & Answers

What file should I use with Send to Kindle?
If you use Send to Kindle by Email, you can now attach your Kindle.epub file instead of a converted MOBI file. (Amazon’s Send to Kindle app still requires a MOBI file.)


Can I attach Vellum’s Generic EPUB file?
We don’t recommend it. For best results, you’ll need to provide the same Kindle.epub file that you use when uploading to KDP.


Can Kindles now read EPUB files then?
No. Send to Kindle will convert your EPUB file to a proprietary format (AZW3) that can be read on Kindles.


Does this mean Send to Kindle now matches what readers see?
Unfortunately, no. Send to Kindle converts to an older format that doesn’t support Amazon’s Enhanced Typesetting. To see your book with Enhanced Typesetting, you’ll still need to use Kindle Previewer.


What if I load files via USB instead of using Send to Kindle?
Since Kindles can’t read EPUB files, you’ll need to use a MOBI file when you sideload via USB. Vellum can generate MOBI files for Kindle by adjusting Generation Preferences.


Will Vellum continue support for MOBI files?
Vellum relies on tools supplied by Amazon to convert your Kindle.epub file to a Kindle.mobi file. As long as Amazon maintains these tools, we’ll continue to offer this option in Vellum.

Update 6/2/22: After this was posted, Amazon changed requirements for EPUB files sent using Send to Kindle, which caused Kindle.epub files to be rejected. To address this, we‘ve updated the Kindle.epub format with Vellum 3.2.2.

Update 6/23/22: Amazon has made additional changes, and will again accept Kindle.epub files created with earlier versions of Vellum.

Vellum 3.2

Vellum 3.2 is now available, with a big change under the hood:

New File Format

Vellum 3.2 saves documents in an all-new format. Vellum documents are now just a single file (and no longer use the Mac’s package format).

With this simpler format, it’s easier to share your work with colleagues — via email or using cloud services like iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

Converting to the new format is automatic, and will happen the next time you save your work in Vellum. And when you save your file, your Mac will now show the cover as its icon!

Questions & Answers

How do I save documents in the new format?
Any document you save with Vellum 3.2 will use this new format.

Will I be able to open my existing documents?
Yes! Vellum 3.2 can still open older files, and will convert to the new format when you save.

Can older versions of Vellum open files saved in the new format?
No. If you send someone a file saved with this version, they’ll need Vellum 3.2 to open it.

Will files in the new format have a different name?
No. File names will stay the same, and continue to end with the .vellum extension.

Version 3.2 is a free update. Get it using Check for Updates, or download from vellum.pub.

Your Mac will need macOS Catalina or newer for this version.