Filename extension |
.epub |
---|---|
Internet media type |
application/epub+zip |
Magic number | PK\x03\x04 (Zip) |
Developed by | International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) |
Initial release | September 2007 |
Latest release | 3.3 May 25, 2023[1] |
Type of format | e-book file format |
Contained by | OEBPS Container Format (OCF; Zip) |
Extended from | Open eBook, XHTML, CSS, DTBook |
Standard | ISO/IEC TS 30135 |
Open format? | Yes |
Website | w3.org/epub3 |
EPUB is an e-book file format that uses the ".epub" file extension. The term is short for electronic publication and is sometimes stylized as ePUB. EPUB is supported by many e-readers, and compatible software is available for most smartphones, tablets, and computers. EPUB is a technical standard published by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). It became an official standard of the IDPF in September 2007, superseding the older Open eBook (OEB) standard.[2]
The Book Industry Study Group endorses EPUB 3 as the format of choice for packaging content and has stated that the global book publishing industry should rally around a single standard.[3] Technically, a file in the EPUB format is a ZIP archive file consisting of XHTML files carrying the content, along with images and other supporting files. EPUB is the most widely supported vendor-independent XML-based e-book format; it is supported by almost all hardware readers and many software readers and mobile apps.[4]