EPUB optimizer for Xteink
An EPUB that already reads fine, made to look right on the panel: the cover fills the sleep screen, soft images are fixed, fonts are dropped.
- Xteink X4, X4 Classic
- Cover 480 × 800
- .epub
The new cover as the sleep screen shows it (Cover mode).
Choose an EPUB first; it opens here, nothing is uploaded.
How to use it on the reader
- Copy the new EPUB over the old one on the SD card (or send it with File Transfer). Open it once so the reader picks up the new cover.
- Cover on the sleep screen: on CrossPoint and CrossInk, set Settings → Display → Sleep Screen to Cover.
Want fixed pages instead of an EPUB? Convert a PDF or manga to XTC.
What it does to the file
Everything below can be checked against the file you get back.
- The cover is rendered at panel size
- A small cover is what makes the sleep screen show a postage stamp; it is redrawn at the exact size instead of being stretched by the reader.
- Progressive JPEGs become baseline
- CrossPoint decodes progressive JPEGs at a fraction of their resolution, so they look soft. They are written back as baseline, at full size.
- WebP and SVG are converted
- The reader draws neither format, so images it would have skipped are turned into JPEG or PNG and kept.
- Fonts and fixed layouts are removed
- Embedded fonts override the reader's own, and fixed, flex or grid CSS stops the text reflowing; neither survives.
What the optimizer changes
| Problem on the reader | Fix |
|---|---|
| Cover small or with bars on the sleep screen | Cover resized to the exact screen, marked as the cover for every reader |
| Blurry pictures | Progressive JPEGs re-saved as baseline JPEG |
| Missing pictures | WebP, SVG, TIFF converted to JPEG or PNG |
| Big file, slow to open | Embedded fonts removed, images no bigger than the screen |
| Broken layout | Fixed and absolute positioning, flex and grid removed |
The cover also works as a CrossPoint sleep screen in Cover mode. For your own picture instead, use the Xteink wallpaper converter. To add a cover to a book that has none, or to make a shelf of fanfic look like a set, use the EPUB cover maker.
No Xteink yet, or want a second one? The X4, X4 Pro and X3 are sold on xteink.com. Already have one? There are magnetic cases for the X4, X4 Pro and X3, and a charging stand that fits all three. Those are affiliate links: if you buy through one, einktools earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Questions
›Why does my book cover show small on the Xteink sleep screen?
The reader scales the cover to fit its screen, so a cover with a different shape gets white bars, and a small one is shown small. This optimizer resizes the cover to the exact screen (480×800 for the X4 and X4 Pro, 528×792 for the X3), so it fills it.
›Why are some pictures blurry on CrossPoint?
CrossPoint decodes progressive JPEGs only at an eighth of their resolution, so they come out blurry. The optimizer re-saves them as ordinary (baseline) JPEGs. WebP and SVG images, which the reader can't show at all, are converted to JPEG or PNG.
›What does removing fonts do?
Many EPUBs carry their own fonts, often a few megabytes. The reader uses its own font anyway, so removing them makes the book smaller and quicker to open. Turn it off if you want to keep a special font.
›Is the text changed?
No. Chapters, text and the table of contents stay as they are. Only images, fonts, the cover and a few layout rules e-readers can't do are touched.
›Does it work with DRM-protected books?
No. A book with DRM can't be changed, and the tool says so. Books you bought DRM-free (or from Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks) work.
›Do I need it for every book?
Most useful for books with photos or illustrations, odd-shaped covers, or large embedded fonts. A plain text novel with a good cover gains little.
›Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no limit. Your books never leave your computer.