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

Report · Apr 06, 2015

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?

Report · Jul 04, 2015

Dear abbeyx3

I received the same error message and after reading other comments online, I realized that I had checked the box that asks if you want to rasterize the first page of your epub for use as the cover image. When I went into the export dialog and unchecked that box, the book went through without problems. I had also included a separate cover image through iTunes Producer, so I think iTunes was seeing two cover images and the one that Adobe delivered as rasterized was probably over the 4,000,000 limit -- you just don't see it in your image links or think of it as an image, so you can't locate it -- I hope this helps.

Small Town Gal

Report · Jun 20, 2020

@Small Town Gal

Thanks! I hv this problem with that cryptic message. Will try your tip as I had ticked "Rasterize the first page..." too.

Report · Jul 04, 2015

‌Check the dimensions of your mages.

For example, an images that's 1750px x 2500px would be 4,375,000px and therefore be rejected.

Report · Jul 05, 2015

Dear Derek,

I did check all of my images and they were properly cropped except for the pdf file which I changed over to .png and sized to the appropriate dimensions. After checking all of the images and not finding any other ones that were not sized to appropriate dimensions, it finally dawned on me that the rasterized cover image that I had included was causing the problem and could not even be seen among the images that I was checking. Getting rid of that rasterized image in the export finally cleared up the error problem -- hooray -- and it might also be abbeyx3's problem.

Small Town Gal

Report · Jan 21, 2016

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.

Report · Feb 16, 2019

Thanks for this post. It saved me a lot of headaches and I only had to suffer anguish for one day. After countless error message yesterday, I was able to get my sample book uploaded this morning to IT Producer.

Report · Sep 15, 2019

Thanks for documenting this. Quite unbelievable that Adobe is not acting upon this obvious bug!

Report · Jan 15, 2021

OMG! I have been going CRAZY with this! I wish I'd read your post more carefully before. I spent so much time resizing ALL my images—which was unnecessary since InDesign automatically compresses them. I even downloaded the FlightDeck validator, which told me the same thing—1.png was over 4M pixels. The eCanCrusher trick is SO SIMPLE! I'm all validated and ready to go. THANK YOU!!! 🙏

Report · Jul 21, 2021

Thank you so much! Your comment saved me time dealing with the exact same problem.

Report · Jul 21, 2021

This post is 6 years old, but I think it is worth noting the exported ePub pixel dimensions are determined by the size of the placed images measured in inches multiplied by the Conversion Resolution setting. You can export an ePub that stays under Apple’s 4M pixel limit by limiting the size of the pages and placed images in inches.

Here my 10" x 8" page has a placed image that measures 10" x 7". The image’s actual pixel dimensions are 2400 x 1711 with an Effective Res of 240 ppi. If I export to ePub with the conversion Resolution set to 96ppi the image is going to be resized to 960 x 672 pixels, if I set it to 300 the export pixel dimension will be 3000 x 2100 pixels.

If you decide to set the document up and work with InDesign’s Pixel ruler units, the export Resolution setting has to be 72ppi in order to get matching pixel dimensions in the ePub, but again the original image pixel dimensions do not matter:

Report · Apr 02, 2016

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.

Report · Apr 07, 2016

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.

Report · Sep 19, 2016

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?

Report · Sep 19, 2016

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

Report · Sep 16, 2017

Hullo Jose,

Thank you for your detailed information re this problem.

I have spent 8 years working on an interactive e-book, using Adobe Indesign, photoshop and Audition.

I am very happy with the final book, it is finished and looks and sounds wonderful.

I assumed my work was finished, until I encountered the same problem you describe, when I attempted to upload my fixed layout EPUB to ibooks.

I have been receiving the same error messages that tell me I have images over 4 million pixels in size.

I have taken apart my indesign document and re-made it from the beginning and have spent months trying to solve this problem!

I assumed it was my own mistake, so I made alot of effort to resize every image and element in my indesign document.

I had assumed the error was within ibooks and apple producer, but now I know it is a problem within Adobe's Indesign.

This is so frustrating! Especially as Adobe forces me to pay a high subscription fee per year to use the software.

Anyway, it is generally wonderful software, and the creative freedom Adobe gives me is absolutely brilliant.

I am hoping to follow the information on here and - fingers crossed - finally publish my e-book.

I just wanted to say thank you again for taking the time to explain what this problem is within indesign.

Best Regards,

Damien

Report · Sep 17, 2017

Just to test your ebook try exporting it to Publish Online to see how its interactively plays.

Report · Oct 26, 2017

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.

Report · Oct 26, 2017

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.

Report · Oct 27, 2017

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!

Report · Apr 17, 2018

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!

Report · May 20, 2018

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

Report · May 20, 2018

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/

Report · May 20, 2018

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

Report · May 20, 2018

FlightDeck does much more than "just" validate your ePub, have a look at their site.

I suggest you contact CircularFlo directly to see how they can help you.

Don't forget to feed-back to this forum on how you get on, for better or worse!