Why Kobo Keeps Breaking My Image-Heavy Book (And the Workaround That Saved It)

Question: 

I'm trying to sell a book with so many pictures on Kobo. However Kobo converts books to epub which totally distorts the book. How do I fix this?

Answer: 

This is a common and well-documented issue with image-heavy books on Kobo, and the problem is not your file—it is Kobo’s reflowable EPUB conversion pipeline.

Below is a clear, practical breakdown of what is happening, what cannot be fixed, and what can be fixed, so you can make an informed decision.

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Why Kobo Is Distorting Your Book

Kobo forces EPUB conversion for all ebooks. EPUB is a reflowable format, which means:

• Text reflows based on device size

• Images resize dynamically

• Fixed layouts (like Canva books, children’s books, heavily illustrated books) will not hold their design

As a result:

• Images shift, resize, or stack awkwardly

• Text overlays break

• Page design is lost

• Spreads and visual storytelling are compromised

This is expected behavior, not a formatting error.

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Critical Truth (Important)

Kobo EPUB is not suitable for picture-heavy or layout-dependent books.

This includes:

• Children’s books

• Devotionals with designed pages

• Canva-designed books

• Visual teaching books

• Picture storybooks

If your book relies on visuals per page, EPUB will always distort it.

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Your Viable Solutions (Ranked Best → Worst)

✅ BEST OPTION: Publish as a Fixed-Layout EPUB (If Kobo Accepts It)

Kobo technically supports fixed-layout EPUB but only under strict conditions.

Requirements:

• Created in InDesign (preferred)

• Fixed-layout EPUB 3

• Each page is a single image or controlled layout

• No Canva exports

• Manual CSS editing

Reality check:
Even when done correctly:

• Kobo support is inconsistent

• Many Kobo devices still display it poorly

• Approval is not guaranteed

Verdict: Technically possible, but high effort and unreliable.

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✅ PRACTICAL OPTION: Convert to Image-Based EPUB

Instead of fighting reflow:

• Convert each page to a full-page image

• Embed minimal or no text

• Set max image width to 100%

• Accept that it becomes “image-driven”

Pros

• Layout preserved

• Predictable output

Cons

• Larger file size

• Text not selectable

• Some Kobo devices scale aggressively

This is the most common workaround for children’s books on Kobo.

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⚠️ ACCEPTABLE OPTION: Redesign for EPUB-First

If you must stay on Kobo:

• Remove fixed layouts

• One image per section (not per page)

• Text flows independently

• No text embedded inside images

• Use images as illustrations, not structure

This requires a full redesign.

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❌ NOT RECOMMENDED: Uploading PDFs

Kobo does not sell PDFs as ebooks.
PDFs are only supported in limited reader contexts and will be rejected for sale.

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What Many Publishers Actually Do (Industry Reality)

For image-heavy books, publishers:

• ❌ Do NOT sell them as Kobo ebooks

• ✅ Sell:

  • Print (Amazon KDP Print, IngramSpark)

  • Kindle Fixed Layout

  • PDF on Etsy, Shopify, Gumroad, Payhip

  • Website downloads

• Use Kobo only for text-dominant books

This is especially true for children’s books and devotionals.

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Strong Recommendation for Your Use Case

Based on your previous projects (children’s books, devotionals, Canva-designed PDFs):

Do not sell this book as a Kobo ebook.

Instead:

• Sell PDF as a digital product

• Sell print on KDP or IngramSpark

• If using Kobo, publish a text-only companion edition

• Or repurpose content as:

  • Short reads

  • Devotional excerpts

  • Sample chapters

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