Why Images Break When Converting Word to EPUB (And How to Fix It)

Images break when converting Word to EPUB because of three main issues: Word’s text wrapping settings aren’t supported in EPUB’s reflowable format, image file formats like WMF and EMF are incompatible with the EPUB standard, and resolution or compression problems degrade quality during conversion. Fixing these before you convert prevents most image failures.

Why Does Text Wrapping Matter for EPUB Images?

Most Word to EPUB image failures happen because the image isn’t anchored correctly in the document. Word offers several text wrapping options — Square, Tight, Behind Text, In Front of Text — but EPUB’s reflowable format only supports one: “In Line with Text.”

When an image is set to any wrapping style other than “In Line with Text,” the conversion process doesn’t know where to place it in the linear HTML flow that EPUB requires. The result is that images float to unexpected positions, overlap text, or vanish entirely from the final EPUB file.

To check your wrapping settings in Word, right-click any image and select “Wrap Text.” If it’s set to anything other than “In Line with Text,” change it before converting. This single fix resolves the majority of missing-image problems in EPUB conversions.

Which Image Formats Work in EPUB Files?

EPUB supports four image formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, and SVG. Any other format embedded in your Word document will be stripped out or fail silently during conversion.

This matters because Word often embeds images in its own native formats — WMF (Windows Metafile) and EMF (Enhanced Metafile) — particularly when you paste images from other Office applications like Excel charts or PowerPoint diagrams. These formats are Microsoft-proprietary and have no equivalent in the EPUB specification. When the converter encounters them, it either drops them entirely or attempts a lossy conversion that produces blurry, distorted results.

The safest approach is to use JPEG for photographs and continuous-tone images, and PNG for screenshots, diagrams, or anything with sharp lines and solid colours. If you’ve pasted charts or diagrams from other Office apps, right-click them in Word, choose “Save as Picture,” save as PNG, delete the original, and reinsert the PNG version. This is also a good time to read our guide on reflowable vs. fixed-layout EPUB to understand how your format choice affects image handling.

What Resolution Should Ebook Images Be?

Ebook images should be between 72 and 150 DPI. Unlike print books, ebooks are displayed on screens that render at 72–300 PPI depending on the device, and the EPUB format scales images to fit the viewport regardless of their original DPI.

Using images above 150 DPI doesn’t improve how they look on screen — it simply inflates the file size. This matters because most ebook retailers impose file size limits, and the IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum) validator can reject EPUB files larger than 10MB. Large files also mean slower downloads and higher delivery costs on platforms like Amazon KDP, where delivery fees are calculated per megabyte.

If you’ve been working with 300 DPI images for your print edition, you’ll want to create lower-resolution copies specifically for your EPUB. Most image editors let you batch-resize and resample. Keep the pixel dimensions reasonable — typically 600–1000 pixels on the longest side — and save at 72–150 DPI.

Do KDP and IngramSpark Have Different Image Rules?

Yes, each platform enforces its own image specifications, and what passes on one may fail on another.

Amazon KDP recommends a minimum of 72 DPI for interior images and 300 DPI for cover images. KDP doesn’t impose a strict per-image pixel limit, but the total EPUB file size affects delivery costs. IngramSpark is stricter: it enforces a hard limit of 5.6 million pixels for any single image in an EPUB file (roughly 2,400 × 2,333 pixels). Exceed this, and IngramSpark will reject the file outright.

Draft2Digital and other aggregators generally follow the EPUB 3 specification without adding additional restrictions, but they do run validation checks that will flag oversized files or unsupported formats. The safest strategy is to target IngramSpark’s requirements as your baseline — if your images pass IngramSpark’s checks, they’ll pass everywhere else.

How Do Conversion Tools Affect Image Quality?

Conversion tools like Calibre can silently degrade your images during the Word-to-EPUB process. Calibre is powerful and free, but its default settings and optional “Polish” feature can compress images aggressively, reducing quality in ways you might not notice until readers complain.

Calibre’s image compression is designed to keep file sizes manageable, which is generally helpful. But if you’ve carefully prepared your images at the right resolution and format, you don’t want the converter undoing that work. Check Calibre’s output settings before converting: under “EPUB Output,” look for image-related options and disable automatic compression if you’ve already optimised your source images.

Other conversion tools — including Word’s built-in “Save as EPUB” (available via plugins) and professional tools like Sigil — handle images differently. Sigil in particular gives you direct access to the EPUB’s internal file structure, letting you inspect and replace individual images after conversion. For a broader understanding of publishing terminology that comes up during this process, our glossary can help.

How to Prepare Your Word Document for a Clean Conversion

Preventing image problems is easier than fixing them after conversion. Before you run any Word-to-EPUB tool, work through this preparation checklist.

First, set every image to “In Line with Text” wrapping. Select all images (use Find and Replace with the “Graphics” special character option) and verify each one’s wrapping setting individually. Second, check every image’s file format — right-click, “Save as Picture,” and confirm it’s JPEG or PNG. Replace any WMF or EMF images with proper raster copies.

Third, resize images to appropriate dimensions before inserting them. Don’t rely on Word’s drag-to-resize handles, which change the display size but not the actual file — the full-resolution original stays embedded, bloating the EPUB. Instead, resize in an image editor, save at 72–150 DPI with the longest edge between 600–1000 pixels, and insert the already-optimised file.

Finally, keep a test workflow: convert once, open the EPUB in a reader like Adobe Digital Editions or Apple Books, and scroll through every page checking that each image appears correctly. Fix issues in the Word source, not in the EPUB output, so your master document stays clean for future conversions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use TIFF images in an EPUB file?

No. The EPUB specification only supports JPEG, PNG, GIF, and SVG image formats. TIFF files must be converted to JPEG or PNG before you include them in an EPUB. JPEG is best for photographs; PNG is best for diagrams or images with transparency.

Why did my images disappear completely after converting to EPUB?

Images most commonly disappear because they were set to a text wrapping style other than “In Line with Text” in Word. The EPUB format doesn’t support floating image positions, so the converter drops images it can’t place in the document flow. Change every image to “In Line with Text” and reconvert.

Does resizing an image in Word change the actual file size in the EPUB?

No. Dragging an image’s resize handles in Word only changes how it displays — the original full-resolution image stays embedded in the file. To reduce the actual image size, edit it in an image editor before inserting it into Word, or use Word’s “Compress Pictures” feature to permanently reduce resolution.

What is the maximum image size IngramSpark allows in an EPUB?

IngramSpark enforces a limit of 5.6 million pixels per image in an EPUB file. That’s roughly equivalent to a 2,400 × 2,333 pixel image. Any image exceeding this limit will cause IngramSpark to reject the entire file during upload.

Should I use the same images for my print book and ebook?

You should use the same source images, but optimised differently. Print books typically need 300 DPI images, while ebooks only need 72–150 DPI. Create separate copies at the appropriate resolution for each format to avoid bloated ebook files or low-quality print output.