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jessica34203358mf73
Participant
March 19, 2025
Answered

Problem inserting photo into text flow - epub for Kindle

  • March 19, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 285 views

Hi, friends! I am creating a reflowable epub to be uploaded to Kindle, and the book contains photos in between paragraphs, meant to be anchored & flow with the text. I have inserted the images via: File > Place (within the text box) > Text Wrap > Bounce Object > [Anchor] > Object > Anchored Object > Options > Position > Inline or Above Line

Everything looks correct in my indd file, but when I export to epub & view in Kindle Previewer, I get a camera icon with an exclamation point where the image should be. (Screenshot attached)

Can anyone advise where I'm going wrong/outline a successful process?

Thank you in advance!

Correct answer James Gifford—NitroPress

It looks as if you're doing everything right; that icon indicates that Kindle can't find the actual graphic or can't display it for some reason.

  • What format is the original image? While ID will convert most formats to an EPUB-compatible one, it's better overall to use a compatible format in the first place, with JPEG recommended for photos. It should also be of moderate size (to reduce the scaling load at export time) and in RGB color format.
  • Is the original file linked and available at the time of export? Do you get any export errors about files not being found?
  • Have you viewed the EPUB itself in a viewer like Calibre or Thorium, to see if the image is (more or less) properly displayed there, before the conversion to Kindle format?
  • What image format are you specifying at the time of export? Automatic is okay but in general choosing a format (JPEG or PNG) is more reliable. There are a number of subtle choices in image export and processing as well, but for the most part, those would just lead to an unwanted result (size, color, etc.), not the complete absence of the image.

 

Details and we can move forward from there. 🙂

————

┋┊ InDesign to Kindle (& EPUB): A Professional Guide, v3.1 ┊ (Amazon) ┊┋

 

1 reply

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPressCorrect answer
Legend
March 19, 2025

It looks as if you're doing everything right; that icon indicates that Kindle can't find the actual graphic or can't display it for some reason.

  • What format is the original image? While ID will convert most formats to an EPUB-compatible one, it's better overall to use a compatible format in the first place, with JPEG recommended for photos. It should also be of moderate size (to reduce the scaling load at export time) and in RGB color format.
  • Is the original file linked and available at the time of export? Do you get any export errors about files not being found?
  • Have you viewed the EPUB itself in a viewer like Calibre or Thorium, to see if the image is (more or less) properly displayed there, before the conversion to Kindle format?
  • What image format are you specifying at the time of export? Automatic is okay but in general choosing a format (JPEG or PNG) is more reliable. There are a number of subtle choices in image export and processing as well, but for the most part, those would just lead to an unwanted result (size, color, etc.), not the complete absence of the image.

 

Details and we can move forward from there. 🙂

————

┋┊ InDesign to Kindle (& EPUB): A Professional Guide, v3.1 ┊ (Amazon) ┊┋

 

    J
    jessica34203358mf73Author
    Participant
    March 19, 2025

    Thank you for your thoughtful response, James! The format of the image was initally a PNG. I just relinked it as a JPEG re: your first note, & that seems to have done the trick! What a relief. 🙂 Thanks again!

    James Gifford—NitroPress
    James Gifford—NitroPress
    Legend
    March 19, 2025

    Ah, good. There isn't any reason a PNG shouldn't have worked, but in general it's best to use JPEG for photos, PNG for color graphics of irregular size and shape, especially if transparency is needed, and GIF for... well, nothing. I've had the best success forcing EPUB export to JPEG, which gets some argument from the resolution mavens but e-readers tend to be relatively low-rez (around 150ppi) anyway, so the advantages of PNG are usually lost.

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