Vellum 2.8.6 is a minor release that contains a fix for missing page numbers in endnotes.

This release is a free update, available now.

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.

PDF/X-1a

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.

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:

Make sure you are up-to-date

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.

Vellum can still create a MOBI file

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.

Update 6/28/21: Amazon has shifted this deadline from June 28 to August 1, 2021

Vellum 2.8.3 is a minor update with many improvements, including:

• A new Vellum icon for macOS Big Sur
• Improved reliability for page numbering in print editions
• Consistent appearance for chapters with and without subheads in the TOC
• Better compatibility importing files from Microsoft 365
• Updated blockquote graphic to avoid issues with Enhanced Typesetting

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum is now optimized for Apple’s M1, the chip found in new Macs arriving later this week. 

Vellum 2.8.2 is a universal app, so it will run natively on both existing Macs and on those using the new M1. And on the M1, Vellum is fast, with significant speedups for importing, previewing, and generating books. If you’ve purchased a new Mac, be sure to update to Vellum 2.8.2, available now.

Apple has released macOS Big Sur, featuring a brand new look for your Mac. If you upgrade your Mac to Big Sur, make sure you’re running the latest version of Vellum (2.8.1), which has been updated for this new release of macOS. You can do that using Check for Updates.

Apple also announced brand new Macs featuring the all-new M1 processor. If you’re planning to purchase one of these new models, you can look forward to a version of Vellum optimized for the M1, coming early next week.

Update 11/17/20: Vellum 2.8.2 is now available, and is optimized for the M1.

Vellum 2.8.1 is a minor update with the following improvements:

• Fixed problem with Reimport recognizing previous file
• “Search with Google” command in Text Editor is again functional
• Improved behavior of tab key in Store Links
• Corrected selection and ebook preview of endnotes
• More improvements to compatibility with macOS Big Sur

This release is a free update, available now.

Vellum 2.8 is here! With this release, you can insert page breaks, create an ebook call-to-action, and choose from updated options for Kindle output.

Page Breaks

With Vellum 2.8, you can now insert a Page Break within a chapter. Use page breaks to start each section on a new page, or end a chapter with a page of discussion questions or items for reflection.

In some cases, you may only want to keep a section title from the bottom of the page. If you’ve used an Alignment Block for the title, you can now enable Keep With Next Paragraph to ensure the title stays on the same page as the text that follows (just as a Subhead will).

Ebook Calls-to-Action

If you end your final chapter with a quick call-to-action (like a newsletter signup or a request for a review), you may want to restrict this to your ebook edition. You can now mark text like this as Ebook Only using the new Include In menu for Alignment Blocks.

New Kindle Output Options

To help you follow Amazon’s new recommendation for an EPUB file, Vellum now offers these updated options for Kindle output:

• EPUB Only
• EPUB + MOBI

With either option, Vellum will provide a Kindle-specific EPUB file that’s ready to upload to KDP. If you need to sideload onto a Kindle, Vellum can output a MOBI file as well.

If you’ve generated ebooks before, you’ll see the prompt above the next time you generate. You can also select from these options in Generation Preferences.

Recently, we wrote that Amazon now recommends uploading an EPUB file to KDP. In that post, we wanted to share the news of this change, and make sure you knew how to use Vellum’s Generation Preferences to choose between generating a Kindle-specific EPUB and MOBI file.

Because of Amazon’s new recommendation, we’ve decided to make a small change to these options. In a coming update, Vellum’s options for Kindle output will be:

• EPUB Only
• EPUB + MOBI

With these new options, Vellum will always generate an EPUB file that is designed to be uploaded to KDP. If you need a MOBI as well — for sideloading or sending out an ARC — Vellum will generate one at the same time, giving you a file for each use case.

To keep things simple for new users, Vellum will default to EPUB Only. If you’ve generated books before, you’ll see the following prompt when you next generate for Kindle:

These options will also be available in Generation Preferences.

Again, these changes will be in our next update to Vellum, coming soon now available.