Definition
Reflowable vs fixed layout
Reflowable ebooks let text re-wrap to the device and reader's font size; fixed-layout ebooks preserve an exact page design. Novels should be reflowable; only image-led books need fixed layout.
In a reflowable EPUB there is no page — the reader sets the size and the text reflows, which is why page numbers and hand-placed breaks are meaningless there and why accessibility tools work well. Fixed layout pins every element to a coordinate, so a cookbook or children's picture book keeps its spreads, at the cost of much larger files, poor behaviour on small screens and weak accessibility. Choosing fixed layout for a text-led book is the most common avoidable ebook mistake.
Related tools & guides
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