Drop Caps: Formatting Elegant Chapter Openings in eBooks and Print
Add editorial style. Learn how to format HTML drop caps for EPUB and set grid baselines in Adobe InDesign.
Eleanor Vance
Head of Digital Production
"A drop cap is a large initial letter that drops down into multiple lines of text, signaling the start of a chapter. Formatting them correctly prevents overlap and grid offsets."
Core Key Takeaways
- Setting Up Inline Drop Caps in Adobe InDesign
- Coding CSS Drop Caps for EPUB Readers
- Avoiding Common Line-Overlap Errors
1. Setting Up Inline Drop Caps in Adobe InDesign
Use InDesign’s paragraph styles to set drop caps, specifying the number of characters and lines of drop to maintain baseline grids.
- Set drop caps to drop exactly 2 or 3 lines of body text.
- Apply a custom character style to adjust baseline height and font tracking.
- Test formatting on different margins to prevent letter overlap.
2. Coding CSS Drop Caps for EPUB Readers
Use the `:first-letter` pseudo-element in CSS to create responsive drop caps, setting font heights and floats to ensure compatibility with Kindle.
Transform Your Manuscript into a Retail-Ready Print & eBook Layout
Avoid margin rejections and broken reflows. Our senior book designers craft custom InDesign spreads, decorative chapter headings, and validated responsive EPUBs.
3. Avoiding Common Line-Overlap Errors
Test designs on Kindle Paperwhite and mobile screens to ensure the initial letter doesn’t overlap subsequent sentences.
The Takeaway
Detail-focused typesetting elevates layout designs. Golden Ivory Publishing formats print interiors with classic typography accents.
Transform Your Manuscript into a Retail-Ready Print & eBook Layout
Avoid margin rejections and broken reflows. Our senior book designers craft custom InDesign spreads, decorative chapter headings, and validated responsive EPUBs.
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