DNAML, a software development house based in Australia, has released PDF to ePub, new software that it claims will allow publishers, authors and production houses to easily and quickly convert PDF documents, the de facto standard digital format for publishing print documents, into the ePub format, the industry standard format for e-books. The software package costs $99 and can be purchased at PDFtoePub.com.

PDF documents are the base files used to publish print documents and are produced as a by-product of the printing process. PDF files render the exact look of print books and can be used to create e-books in ePub, a newly developed standard format for e-books. However, the conversion of PDF documents to ePub is generally outsourced at substantial costs to international conversion houses in India, Vietnam, Philippines and elsewhere.

DNAML CEO Adam Schmidt claimed the new software was a “game changer” that will allow publishers to bring the conversion of their PDF documents in-house at a lower cost; allow houses to retain control of their files at every step; and speed up the release of the e-book versions of print documents. Schmidt told PW that, “Publishers use PDFs as a means to go to print, as such PDF documents are the prime target files to be converted to ePub ebooks.”

“Our new software has the effect of reducing the need to use perceived ‘cost effective’ outsourcing countries conversion houses,” said Schmidt, who said costs of conversion can be reduced to about $2-$5 per trade book title by using PDF to ePub, significantly cheaper than the rates charged by international conversion houses.

Michael Smith, executive director of the International Digital Publishing Forum, which has overseen the development of the ePub standard, which allows publishers to deliver a single file format that can be outputted to run on a variety of different devices, praised the new software release. Smith said the IDPF is, “excited there is an additional option for publishers to create EPUB and help introduce more titles into the digital supply chain.”