What this error means
Standard Kindle ebooks are reflowable — text re-flows to fit any screen size and font setting. That's wrong for picture books, comics, and other design-led books where each page is a fixed composition. Those need fixed-layout EPUB, where each page is a fixed-size frame that maintains its design at any screen size.
KDP requires fixed-layout EPUBs to declare three OPF metadata properties:
rendition:layout=pre-paginated(says "don't reflow")rendition:orientation=portrait/landscape/auto(says how to display)rendition:spread=landscape/both/none/auto(says whether to show two pages at once)
When these are missing, KDP either rejects the file or accepts it as reflowable — and the picture book's layout collapses to a single column of overlapping illustrations and text.
Why it happens
Calibre's EPUB output is reflowable by default. Authors converting a picture book PDF or InDesign export through Calibre get a reflowable result that doesn't fit picture books.
Hand-built EPUB in Sigil without explicit fixed-layout setup. Sigil supports fixed-layout but you have to add the OPF metadata manually.
Vellum doesn't support fixed-layout EPUB. It's designed for novel-style reflowable content. Picture book authors using Vellum need to switch tools.
Atticus added fixed-layout support but you have to explicitly enable it in project settings.
InDesign export with the wrong preset. "EPUB Reflowable" vs "EPUB Fixed Layout" are separate menu options — picking the wrong one is a common mistake.
Online EPUB converters (online2pdf etc.) almost never produce fixed-layout output.
The fix
Step 1: Confirm you need fixed-layout. Use fixed-layout for:
- Picture books with text overlaid on illustrations
- Comics and graphic novels
- Cookbooks with multi-element spread designs
- Children's early readers with synchronised text
- Photography books
Use reflowable for: novels, most non-fiction, poetry (mostly), short stories.
Step 2 (InDesign): File → Export → choose "EPUB (Fixed Layout)" not "EPUB (Reflowable)". The fixed-layout export panel asks for orientation, spread, and font handling. Set them appropriately.
Step 3 (Affinity Publisher): Affinity doesn't have native fixed-layout EPUB export. Workaround: export as PDF, then use Kindle Comic Creator (free Amazon tool) to convert PDF → KPF fixed-layout.
Step 4 (Kindle Comic Creator workflow): Download from Amazon → import your image files (or PDF pages) → choose Portrait, Landscape, or "Both with Pop-Up Panels" → Build → export as KPF (Amazon's fixed-layout format). KPF uploads directly to KDP.
Step 5 (Kindle Kids' Book Creator): For picture books with text, this free tool from Amazon is purpose-built. Import images, add text overlays, choose orientation, build KPF.
Step 6 (manual OPF edit in Sigil): Open your EPUB → content.opf → add to the <metadata> block:
<meta property="rendition:layout">pre-paginated</meta>
<meta property="rendition:orientation">portrait</meta>
<meta property="rendition:spread">none</meta>
Also add the property to each <spine> <itemref>:
<itemref idref="page01" properties="rendition:page-spread-left"/>
<itemref idref="page02" properties="rendition:page-spread-right"/>
Step 7: Set viewport on each XHTML page so Kindle renders at the right aspect ratio:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=1200, height=1800"/>
Step 8: Run EPUBCheck. Fixed-layout EPUBs have additional validation rules — fix any errors that come up.
Step 9: Upload to KDP. Use the Online Previewer to see fixed-layout rendering on different devices.
How to pre-flight it
Our free KDP Readiness Score reads your OPF metadata, detects whether you have fixed-layout flags, and warns when content type (picture book, comic) doesn't match the declared layout mode. Plus 30+ other KDP rules.
Related errors
FAQ
What's the difference between EPUB and KPF? KPF is Amazon's proprietary fixed-layout package built on top of EPUB. KDP accepts both fixed-layout EPUB and KPF. KPF is easier to produce for picture books because tools like Kindle Comic Creator do the work for you.
Can I sell a picture book as reflowable EPUB? You can upload it, but it will look terrible on Kindle. Picture books need fixed-layout to keep illustrations and text positioned together.
Do early reader chapter books need fixed layout? Generally no — they're text with occasional illustrations. Reflowable works. Use fixed-layout only when text must overlay images.
Will my fixed-layout file work on Kindle e-ink? Older e-ink Kindles render fixed-layout but with limitations. Modern Paperwhite and above handle it well. Comics and picture books are mostly read on Fire tablets and phones anyway.
