Amazon introduces new HTML5-based eBook format

The HTML5 format got another technology boost with Amazon announcing a new HTML5-based e-book format called Kindle Format 8 (KF8). This will allow publishers to create content with rich formatting and advanced design elements tailored to the company’s tablet and e-reader products.

The current Mobi 7 standard doesn’t quite provide the rich formatting capabilities that HTML5 promises. Where will we see the benefit? Amazon is hoping that publishers will take advantage of these new features for adding products that require richer formatting such as children’s picture books, comics and graphic novels. You may also see these new features be taken advantage of in technical and engineering books, cookbooks and school books.

We’re pleased to announce a wide range of new features and enhancements – including HTML5 support – coming in Kindle Format 8 (KF8). KF8 is the next generation file format for Kindle books – replacing Mobi 7. As showcased on Kindle Fire, KF8 enables publishers to create great-looking books in categories that require rich formatting and design such as children’s picture books, comics & graphic novels, technical & engineering books and cookbooks. Kindle Format 8 replaces the Mobi format and adds over 150 new formatting capabilities, including fixed layouts, nested tables, callouts, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics, opening up more opportunities to create Kindle books that readers will love.

The list of new capabilities in Kindle Format 8 can be found here.

Upcoming enhancements to Kindle Publisher Tools will make it easier and faster for publishers to create high quality Kindle books. KindleGen 2 (available soon) creates Kindle content from a wide variety of sources including HTML, XHTML, and EPUB. Kindle Previewer 2 (available soon) provides an easy way for publishers to preview how titles will look on Kindle devices and apps so they can be confident that their Kindle books look great.

The next question is whether EPUB3 which also boasts HTML5 and some CSS2.1/CSS3 features added will win out over this new format. The EPUB format has been the standard bearer for the eBook industry and has a lot of momentum in this arena. But Amazon is one of the forerunners delivering electronic media to consumers. It will be interesting to see which format will win out.