How does Kitabu compare to Pandoc for creating e-books?

Kitabu is Ruby-focused with deep e-book features like Prince XML integration and structured chapter management, while Pandoc is a general document converter with wider format support but less e-book-specific tooling. Kitabu offers more control over styling and layouts for developers.

How to add custom fonts to a Kitabu e-book?

Place font files in the fonts directory, then define @font-face rules in assets/styles/support/fonts.css. Alternatively, use Prince's --scanfonts option to generate CSS, but adjust paths as per the README's custom fonts section for proper embedding.

Is there a free way to generate PDFs with Kitabu without watermarks?

The free Prince XML version adds a logo on the first page, removed when printed. For logo-free PDFs, you need a paid Prince license or use DocRaptor starting at $15/month, as noted in the README's PDF export section.

Does Kitabu support EPUB 3.3?

Yes, Kitabu explicitly supports EPUB version 3.3 in its features list, ensuring modern e-book standards for compatibility with platforms like Kindle and Apple Books.

Can I use ERB in my Markdown files with Kitabu?

Yes, Kitabu allows .md.erb files where you can mix Markdown with ERB for dynamic content, using helpers like image_tag from config/helpers.rb, as shown in the usage examples.

What dependencies are needed for Kitabu to work fully?

Kitabu requires Ruby 3.2+, and for full format support, Prince XML for PDF and Calibre's ebook-convert for Mobi. Run kitabu check to verify installations, as detailed in the installation guide.

Open-Awesome

Kitabu

MITRuby

A Ruby framework for creating e-books from Markdown, generating high-quality PDFs, EPUB, Mobi, and HTML.

GitHub

688 stars56 forks0 contributors

What is Kitabu?

Kitabu is a Ruby framework for creating and publishing e-books from Markdown source files. It solves the problem of producing professional-quality e-books in multiple formats (PDF, EPUB, Mobi, HTML) from a single Markdown-based project, integrating with tools like Prince XML for high-fidelity PDF output.

Target Audience

Technical writers, developers, and self-publishing authors who want to create e-books using a code-based workflow and need multi-format output with custom styling.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Kitabu for its Ruby-centric approach, seamless integration with Prince XML for print-quality PDFs, and flexible templating system that allows full control over e-book design and structure.

Overview

A framework for creating e-books from Markdown using Ruby. Using the Prince PDF generator, you'll be able to get high quality PDFs. Also supports EPUB, Mobi, Text and HTML generation.

Use Cases

Best For

Creating technical documentation e-books with code examples
Self-publishing programming tutorials or guides in multiple formats
Generating print-ready PDFs from Markdown using Prince XML
Producing EPUB and Mobi files for distribution on e-book platforms
Managing complex book projects with custom styling and layouts
Automating e-book generation as part of a CI/CD pipeline

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring a visual, WYSIWYG editor for non-technical authors
Teams with strict budget constraints unable to afford Prince XML licenses or DocRaptor subscriptions
Environments where Ruby is not part of the existing tech stack or toolchain
Simple e-book projects that only need a single format like basic HTML without professional styling

Pros & Cons

Pros

Multi-Format Export

Generates PDF, EPUB (version 3.3), Mobi, and HTML from a single Markdown source, with sample outputs provided in the README attachments directory.

High-Quality PDFs

Integrates with Prince XML for professional-grade PDF generation, ensuring print-ready quality, though it notes cost alternatives like DocRaptor.

Developer-Centric Workflow

Uses familiar Ruby tools with Markdown, ERB templating, and hooks (e.g., before_render), allowing customization via config/helpers.rb for dynamic content.

Automatic TOC Generation

Creates a table of contents automatically from h1-h6 headings, simplifying book structure as described in the usage section.

Cons

Costly PDF Dependency

Relies on Prince XML, which has a 495USD license fee, or services like DocRaptor; the free version adds a logo watermark, limiting budget-friendly options.

External Tool Requirements

Requires installation of Prince XML and Calibre's ebook-convert for full format support, adding setup complexity and potential cross-platform issues.

Ruby Ecosystem Lock-in

Tied to Ruby 3.2+ and its gem ecosystem, which can be a barrier for teams using other languages or preferring lightweight, language-agnostic tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

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