Participant

질문

ERROR ITMS-90228: "Images larger than 4,000,000 pixels are not allowed in books" error message when trying to upload ePub with iTunes Producer

Forum|Forum|10 years ago
April 6, 2015
12 답변들
14945 조회

I get this error when trying to submit an ePub through iTunes Producer:

ERROR ITMS-90228: "Images larger than 4,000,000 pixels are not allowed in books"

I don't have any photos over 4 million pixels. Help?

이 주제는 답변이 닫혔습니다.

joshuatallent

Participant

I see Derek Cross mentioned this earlier in this thread, but I wanted to chime in and recommend that if you run into a problem like this in Apple Transporter, you should consider testing your EPUB file in FlightDeck (www.ebookflightdeck.com). FlightDeck tests every EPUB with EpubCheck, but also tests it for compliance with the requirements of all of the major ebook retailers, including Apple.

In addition to providing human-readable error report output, it gives you a sortable table of all of the images in the file, even hidden images, so that you can see which images are problematic more easily.

FlightDeck is a subscription service, but it is worth the cost to know that your EPUB files meet industry requirements and best practices.

If you have questions about the tool, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Joshua Tallent

Firebrand Technologies

joshua@firebrandtech.com

forebrain

Inspiring

It is 2020 and I have this problem too. I followed @Small Town Gal's suggestion, but my cover wasn't the culprit.

Here’s sharing my full story:
After 6 uploads over 3 days of experimenting, my book (a graphic novel) is successfully submitted.

Steps:
1. Created epub using InDesign with images done in Photoshop and Illustrator, then placed in InDesign.

2. First few attempts to submit using iTunes Producer were rejected for ERROR ITMS-90228, over an “OEBPS/image/12.png” exceeding 4,000,000 pixels which I could not trace in my artwork. In fact none of my images is a PNG.

3. Googled for solutions and installed “Unarchive” as recommended. Unpacked the ePub file to try identify the problem file. Found it in the OEBPS/image folder. Have no idea what it is, unlike other images which have names still intact.

4. Opened “12.png” in Photoshop (visible as white rectangle, dimensions 2676 x 3704, resolution 300 dpi) and reduced its dimensions by 50% and resolution to 96dpi. (All other images are shown to be 150 dpi). Saved it as PNG.
I also noticed that all my images had been converted into PNGs by InDesign.

5. Another submission with same error reply from Apple.

6. Reviewed in my mind the posted comments and recalled someone mentioning that InDesign creates huge PNGs for empty text blocks. Also images with transparent property are converted to PNG which supports transparency.
I had none of those.
However, I had created a grey background by filling a rectangle in black and using a slider to reduce it to 85% opacity. This was in the Master Page as background for all the pages.
I suspected this 85% tint is considered transparency in Indesign and was converted into a PNG.

7. So I created a PNG in Photoshop to replace the grey rectangle. I named it “Grey Bgr.png” so I could identify it.

8. Exported a new epub from InDesign and resubmitted.

9. Came back with another Error ITMS-9228. But I can see that “Grey Bgr.png” got through.

10. I realise I also have rectangles filled “white” (called “paper” in InDesign) and decided to create PNGs following Step 7 above.

11. Replaced them in the InDesign file, exported epub, resubmitted and passed the last hurdle.

For me the biggest takeaway: Don’t create any big rectangle in InDesign. Do it in another software, save as PNG and import. I guess rectangles drawn in InDesign are placeholders not only for text, but also for colour fills or images, and are rendered as 300 dpi PNGs with huge dimensions in epub. Hope Adobe can fix this.

rayek.elfin

Legend

The best workflow is to NOT rely on InDesign for any conversion of your images (at least if your book will be published as an ebook). InDesign's PNG conversion is mediocre in terms of quality and file size at best. More importantly, in my own experience, and observations on these forums, most users have little understanding how InDesign interprets the export PPI resolution.

Another issue is that InDesign will generate large PNG files when filled rectangles are part of the layout (as you discovered).

Couple of tips to keep image files under control in your ebook:

always set the Object Export Options for each bitmap image to Use Existing Image for Graphic Objects. This tells InDesign to use YOUR prepared image "as-is" and leaves it alone during export, i.e., InDesign will not recompress or resample the file. In particular important when dealing with graphic novels.
Understand the export PPI parameter and how InDesign interprets it. For any device document (iPad, etc.) 72PPI relates to the exact native resolution of that device. For example: a full screen iPad Retina image exported at 72PPI is exactly 2048x1536 pixels resolution. Exporting a graphic object at the default 150PPI will more than double that resolution. A 144PPI full screen image results in 12,582,912 pixels, which explains why many users are hitting over the mark of 4,000,000 pixels!
In short: set the epub export resolution to 72PPI. This confuses most InDesign users.
If a higher resolution is required to accomodate zooming, the full screen image will have to be split up in smaller segments. For a graphic novel panels may have to be saved as separate images to avoid the max number of allowed pixels. (The max number of pixels is related to graphics hardware limitations, btw. A device must convert these images to textures mapped in video memory)
Avoid relying on InDesign for any filled rectangles. Or if you do, you must edit the epub file manually, and replace these files with very small versions. For example, a full-screen rectangle filled with pink will be exported at 72ppi as a 2048x1536 bitmap file (the exact image file format may be controlled via the object export options: jpg or png).
But for a simple block of colour this is absolutely overkill, and unnecessarily taxes the hardware of the device. It slows things down with multiple large graphics onscreen.
That is why the epub file must be manually unzipped, and these offending bitmap files replaced with 16x16px versions that will still work fine in the final epub.
PS use a dedicated epub (un)archiver: https://www.docdataflow.com/ecancrusher/
Empty frames are also converted to huge PNG files. If you need that frame, enter a space, or remove it. Clean out empty frames in your document. A typical (understandable) user mistake is to leave the Primary Text Frame option checked when creating the new document. Understandable, because it is the default setting. But if a fixed layout is the aim, turn that option off.
InDesign's PNG optimization and compression is terrible. Always rely on external dedicated tools to recompress all the images if you rely on InDesign's image export (which means unzipping the file and manually recompressing all images, see [4]). But to arrive at the best image quality versus file compression, always rely on [1], and prepare all your images outside of InDesign. This may potentially result in a epub file that is at the very least 3-4 times smaller compared to the InDesign exported version (depending on how graphics heavy the ebook is).
If you do decide to prepare all your images outside of InDesign and intend to use the method mentioned at [1], always relate your graphics resolution to the actual required pixel resolution of the device and how the image is going to be displayed. Work at the device's screen resolution. PPI is entirely irrelevant and only pixels are important.
And of course, avoid PNG if no transparency is required. Instead use JPG to keep the files smaller.

AlumeHealth

Participant

Hey Abbey,

After reading all these responses and doing a little research on my own I finally found a way (that takes less than 10 minutes a book) for this to work.

1. Export from InDesign without Rasterizing Cover Photo

2. Make sure to save a cover photo with the short side at a minimum of 1400 pixels.

3. Then I upload the .epub to Itunes Producer

4. Write down which image sizes are oversized

Now to Fix the Problem

5. Download a Free app called ePub Zip/ Unzip

6. Unzip your ePub

7. Find the Images that were over 4 Million Pixels

8. Resize in Photoshop and Save

9. Zip with the ePub Zip Application

Ta-da. All done

I hope this helps!

-Jad

A

Anonymous

The above "fix" is what I will have to do—but seriously this little problem is huge for some of us. I would REALLY like to have one set of files for print and ebook. But there is NO WAY that I can find to have indesign export full page images in smaller sizes pixels x pixels in the EPUB if the actual pixel x pixel size is adequate for print. If you chose the say 150 dpi output the quality is less but the pixels by pixels stays the same. How is this possible?

For example no interior image maybe more than 4 million pixels. A full page image in a 6" x 9" book is 1800 x 2700 pixels = 4.59 million pixels. If reduced (in photoshop) to 1600 x 2400 pixels it will pass as it's 3.84 pixels. But then you have to have two sets of images.

Is there a setting in the object export options which can solve this problem?

I might add that the client will not accept a file that isn't 300 dpi for the ebook, so even if rasterize container is not checked the full page images are too big. The below setting in object export options, with a custom width set to 1600px still gives me an image size of 1800 px (in width) in the epub images folder.

N

Nina Skep

Participating Frequently

I have this same problem with oversized images.

My epub has been validated, it is just this image size that is over the limit for iBooks.

I'm going crazy trying to fix this and don't seem to be getting answers.

I have cracked open my epub and my photo images are the correct size.

It is all the text frames I have borders on and the rectangles I have filled that

are oversized.

Mine is a fixed layout epub, single paged, landscape with 185 pages.

If I do as someone here has suggested and import all these images into photoshop to resize

I'm confused what dimensions to put them at.

They are all different dimensions in the image folder of my epub as they are different sizes on the page.

This is my first time doing any of this so I am at a loss.

I have posted elsewhere with no answer.

Did anyone find out how to stop this problem in indesign. Is there something I should be doing

before I export to stop these ridiculously large files being created??

Is there anyone from Adobe who can help?

Thanks

Nina

Derek Cross

Community Expert

As I've mentioned before, FlightDeck is easily the best validator (much more comprehensive than the IDPF one,) worth a months-worth for $15: FlightDeck

Also have a look at CircularFlo, a great FXL ePub creation facility: https://www.circularflo.com/

N

Nina Skep

Participating Frequently

Thanks Derek

My epub has been validated and has no other problems.

The problem is with adobe indesign creating large files from my text frames and my rectangles, which

are too large for ibooks requirements.

I am trying to work out how to get these image files to below 4,000,000 pixels and

also whether I can do something in indesign to stop them exporting at these large sizes.

I'm not sure how an epub validator can help me with an adobe indesign problem but if

they can I am all ears and am willing to pay the months cost, though I really do not want

this to take a month.

Can you explain to me how you think flight deck might help me?

I looked up circular flo as you suggested and it is just software for converting to epub will it stop

the large file size problem?

I look forward to your reply

thanks Nina

rafaelordonez

Participant

Me he vuelto loco debido a que he diseñado un libro de 76 paginas para ser impreso, con muchas imagenes.

He encontrado un truco:

1. Exportar desde ID en PDF, en paginas individuales, en buena calidad. En mi caso se crearon 76 pdfs.

2. Descargar iBooks Author

3. Crear un nuevo libro en IBooks Author y colocar cada PDF en cada página.

4. Exportar como .ibooks

5. Subirlo a iTunes mediante iTunes Producer

Listo!

M

marie31

Participant

Thank you Damien for your answer.

I'm quite discouraged...

What makes it more difficult is that I don't have a Mac.

I had to borrow one to upload my book... and it didn't work.

I see that your app The Unarchiver is for Mac only.

I don't know how to proceed now to achieve my project. I think I will have to wait before having champagne and chocolates!

M

marie31

Participant

Hello,

I have the same problem as abbeyx3.

Is it possible to send my Epub file to Adobe, so that someone could help me to resolve the problem?

Thank you.

D

damienc13010156

Participant

Hi Marie,

This problem is deeply frustrating - you have my sympathy.

I made a fixed layout ePub with Indesign, I did every part of the process correctly.

I tried to upload to iBooks and was rejected for images over 4million pixels.

I checked every single link and resized them (multiply height x width and ensure it's under 4 million. Resize anything over - I had no images that were oversized - which was the strange and frustrating thing!)

I fixed the problem by researching conversations (like this one, and other articles via google)

I exported my ePub from indesign.

I downloaded an app - for free - the unarchiver.

I googled instructions on how to use the app - I think I dragged my ePub into the app and exported it as an unzipped file.

I opened the file and inside the (now open/unzipped ePub) is a folder of images . (Josebonner describes this - in this thread - see above)

Indesign had made some really large png's - over 4million - I opened these in Photoshop and resized them to iPad dimensions (google ipad dimensions - your ebook should be made to this size already fro Indesign). I saved these over the png's in the folder.

I think I typed the filename back to .Epub or maybe I used the archiver file to zip the eBook back. ( I can't remember exactly).

I then uploaded this ePub to iBooks and IT WAS ACCEPTED!!!!

I had a glass of champagne and good chocolate (this is an important final step in the process)

I am a designer and coding terrifies more than a zombie apocalypse.

You CAN fix this problem - and I hope my experience might help you!

Good luck :-)

Persist - do not give up - if it is all too much for you - find somone more technically minded and get them to help you :-)

I was surprised how easy it was to do - once I figured it out.

I am a quite a good artist but technically I am a bit of an idiot - if I can do it - you can do it :-)

My interactive/animated/audio e books is on iBooks - The Bright Light of Dream Stars - having the art/interactive/audio work on iBooks together made the effort worth it.

JoseBonner

Inspiring

There seems to be an "interesting" feature in ID, in which it creates a rectangular image file (png) for each text box. If the text box has a visible border and fill, ID creates this png file with those colors. If the text box has no border and no fill, ID creates a transparent image. To me, this makes no sense, but there it is.

When ID creates its png file for a text box, it increases the size of the box in pixels. Then, when the relevant page calls upon this image, it reduces the size, thereby making it the original size. Sort of... Increasing the size, say from 72ppi to 150ppi, creates an image that usually has a non-integral height and width. ID rounds these to the nearest pixel. Reducing the size for display (from 150 to 72) therefore produces an image that is not the same as the original. This doesn't matter much for transparent images, but does for those with borders and fills. Sometimes, the right or bottom border cannot be shown (placement is measured from the top left).

The increase in image size, at least in my epub that is currently driving me crazy, creates a transparent png file of 3967 × 2931 pixels for the main text box of every page. These images are above the 4 Mpx limit, and cannot be uploaded to the iBookstore. It is possible to unzip the epub, and edit the xhtml of every page by simply deleting the <div> ... </div> segments that call for these transparent images. Doing so has no effect on the display of the page. I suspect that deleting the call for the image must be accompanied by deleting the png file from the image folder as well as deleting the reference to the file from the manifest. This is a pretty silly workaround for a problem that should not exist, but we may be stuck with it until Adobe fixes this bug.

A side note: when I create a test ID document with a simple format, ID does not always create this huge transparent image for the main text box. But when I set the text box to produce 2 columns, as I have for my book, then ID feels compelled to create these transparent images and call for them twice on each page.

A plea to Adobe: please teach ID not to create transparent images that seem to be entirely unnecessary in the final epub! This is giving us all headaches.

S

SMODAN

Participant

I have:

1. deleted all transparent images references from the manifest

2. deleted all the transparent images from teh images folder

3. deleted all <div...</div> for transparent images in the xhtml

However, if I use ecan crusher to re-package my ePub and then upload that to iTunes Connect, there's a whole other host of issues that never show up in my original, exported from InDesign to e-pub. Also, the ecan crusher file is twice the size and my original was already 500M. Any other, cleaner repackaging options out there?

Derek Cross

Community Expert

I suggest you buy a month's worth of Flightdeck validation to see what's going on: https://www.ebookflightdeck.com/

L

leukelovell

Participant

I tried many things, but what eventually worked was to change the resolution output from 300 dpi to 150dpi, which reduced the whole file size considerably.

E

Erik_Sweden

Participant

Got the very same error code. Very annoying, indeed. My solution was to open the epub-file and resize some .png files which indeed were larger then 4 megapixel, and then re-package the files to .epub again.

My Step-by-step solution

1 - Crack open the .epub-file (using eCanCrusher) and look inside the "OEPBS > image" folder and find the images which are larger than 4 million pixels (for example 4267x2739 pixels).

2 - Downsize them in Photoshop to 2048 px width, and replace the orginals.

3 - Pack the folder into an .epub again with eCanCrusher.

4 - Open in iBooks and check the e-book.

4 - Validate the file using EPUB-Checker.

I found a lot of huge .png files which were automatically generated from inDesign CC 2015 during the EPUB3 Fixed layout export. In the inDesign-document they originated from semi-transparent background plates. I have absolutely no idea why inDesign generates such massive pixel sized images, even when the .indd-document is set up as iPad 1024*768 px. I cannot se any need for images larger than 2048*1536 px. (well except for 2732-by-2048 for iPad Pro). Must be a bug in the conversion algorithms going from inDesign-layout to html5/CCS3-code.