Turning a finished document into an eBook feels like crossing the finish line, until one more decision stops you in your tracks: should you go with the EPUB or the PDF format? It may sound like a simple choice, but it affects everything that comes next, including how it looks on a phone or a laptop screen.
So what the Difference?
A PDF is an image file where the image is fixed and static - an EPUB is more like a ‘web site in a box’ with greater functionality
Understanding the differences between these two formats helps you choose the one that works for your content, not against it. To make things clearer, take a look at the three key differences below:
1. Reading experience: Because PDFs are static, unchangeable, and exactly the same for every reader, they can be frustrating on smaller screens; they force you to zoom and scroll to read the text. EPUBs (particularly reflowable ones), on the other hand, adjust text and images to fit any screen. The text flows naturally around images, and readers can resize fonts or switch to dark mode without breaking the layout.
2. Interactivity: When using the EPUB format, you can embed videos, audio narration, animations, hyperlinks, Using the Kortext reader with an EPUB will also allow you to change the colour of the background and the font, including dyslexia fonts. This allows you to provide a much greater level of accessibility to the materials
3. File Size and performance: EPUBs are generally smaller and optimized for digital reading, which means they usually load quickly. PDFs, by contrast, are often larger, especially if they contain high-resolution images, embedded fonts, or complex layouts.
4. Price: EPUBs require a degree of coding and so there is an expense. It is a on-off cost for the book and if its training material which does not change very much does not have to prohibitive.
5. File Types: Whilst a PDF is a truly standardised file type, EPUBs because of the complexity can vary in structure, even though there is an international standard. This means the EPUB needs to be compatible with the reader which is not always the case. PDI can advise on this, but beware on universal EPUB converters found on the Internet.
AUTHOR
DAVID PLATT – BA, BSC, MBA Dip M – David has run PDI the training manual printer and provider of Ebooks for over 25 years and has seen up close the successful and not so successful training materials. Experience and academic research gives an insight into the way the industry can provide value.