Vellum 3.0.1 is a minor update that includes these improvements:
This release is a free update, available now.
It’s here! Vellum 3.0 is out now with exciting new options for styling your books. Here’s everything that’s in this free update:
Vellum 3.0 features twenty-four Styles, with sixteen all-new designs. Every Style allows for multiple configurations, giving you a world of new options for your books.
You’ll also find a brand new browser for Styles, with new categories that can help you find the perfect match for your story.
Add a rich background behind the beginning of each chapter in your print edition. Use a single-page background, or fill the entire page spread and wow your readers. You can even set the mood with white text on a dark background.
Vellum comes with six illustrated backgrounds that are ready to use in your book, as well as a Custom option where you can provide your own.
Configured the perfect setup for your book? Create a Saved Style and easily reuse it for every book in the series.
All of this comes in a revamped interface designed for the latest versions of macOS.
Version 3.0 is a free update. Get it using Check for Updates, or download Vellum from vellum.pub.
Your Mac will need macOS Catalina or newer for this version.
We’re excited to share that Vellum 3.0 is coming soon! Get ready for:
All-New Styles
Vellum 3.0 features twenty-four Styles, with sixteen all-new designs. Every Style allows for multiple configurations, giving you a world of new options for your books.
Full-Bleed Heading Backgrounds
Add a rich background behind the beginning of each chapter in your print edition. Use a single-page background, or fill the entire page spread and wow your readers.
Saved Styles
Customized the perfect setup for your book? Create a Saved Style and easily reuse it for every book in the series.
All of these additions come together to give you exciting new ways to style your books, in a revamped interface designed for the latest versions of macOS.
Vellum 3.0 will be available on November 29. This will be a free update, and will require macOS Catalina or newer.
It’ll be here before you know it. Stay tuned!
Apple has released Monterey, the newest version of macOS.
If you upgrade your Mac to Monterey, make sure you’re running the latest version of Vellum (2.8.9). You can do that using Check for Updates.
Vellum 2.8.9 includes fixes for issues with print generation that could occur in Monterey. If you experience any other issues with Monterey, please let us know.
Update 11/5/21: A low-level bug in Monterey can sometimes cause Vellum (and other applications) to crash on Macs with Intel chips. Apple believes they have a fix for this issue, but we don’t have any information for when it will be released. As a result, we do not currently recommend updating to macOS Monterey.
Vellum 2.8.8 fixes a hang that could occur when a Page Break text feature appears at the end of a chapter.
Also in this update:
This release is a free update, available now.
It’s official. As of August 1, KDP no longer accepts files in the MOBI format. If you try to upload one, you’ll receive an error stating “Reflowable mobi input is not supported.”
To publish your ebook with KDP, you’ll need to upload Vellum’s Kindle EPUB output. Details can be found in our earlier post: Changes at KDP.
With its wide reach and years of experience, IngramSpark is an important option for print-on-demand.
That’s why we’re excited about Vellum 2.8.5, featuring an all-new PDF system that makes it easier to use IngramSpark for your paperbacks and hardcovers.
Vellum now creates files in the PDF/X-1a format, an industry standard for print-on-demand. That means the PDFs you create with Vellum will be immediately accepted by IngramSpark: no warnings, no waivers. (Though we still recommend ordering a proof!)
Vellum’s new PDF system is enabled for every PDF you create. No extra configuration is necessary. And Vellum’s PDFs still work great at Amazon KDP, the most popular option for print-on-demand.
Vellum 2.8.5 is a free update and requires macOS Mojave or newer.
To get Vellum 2.8.5, use Check for Updates. Or download Vellum from vellum.pub.
As you may have heard, Amazon KDP will stop accepting MOBI files on June 28 August 1, 2021. Instead, you’ll need to upload your ebook in the EPUB format.
Vellum has you covered. In fact, we’ve been continually making changes to Vellum’s Kindle output as Amazon has moved away from MOBI files. Here are some tips for publishing or updating your ebook at KDP:
Use Check for Updates to confirm you have the latest version of Vellum (at time of writing: 2.8.4). Current versions of Vellum produce an EPUB file for Kindle, ready for KDP.
When uploading your ebook to KDP, always use Vellum’s Kindle-specific EPUB file. (Vellum’s Generic EPUB output is not intended for Amazon.)
To review your ebook before publishing, you can use Amazon’s Kindle Previewer tool, which will open EPUB files created for Kindle.
You’ll need an EPUB file for KDP, but you may still want a MOBI to send to an advance reader. If so, you can configure Kindle Ebook Formats to generate a Kindle.epub file for publishing and a Kindle.mobi file to send to readers.
Vellum currently requires macOS Mojave or newer.
If your Mac is running Sierra or High Sierra, you won’t be able to update to Vellum 2.8. You still have the option to create an EPUB file in Preferences, though: you just won’t have the option to generate both at once.
If your Mac is using El Capitan, please contact us for options.
You’ll find more information about this change at Amazon in their FAQ.
Have a question not covered there? Let us know!
Update 6/28/21: Amazon has shifted this deadline from June 28 to August 1, 2021
Update 8/2/21: As promised, KDP no longer accepts mobi files