EPUB Images Not Showing: How to Fix

Missing or broken images in EPUBs are frustrating, especially in illustrated books. This guide diagnoses common causes and provides solutions to restore your images.

Common Causes of Missing Images

In the Original EPUB

• Broken image references: The HTML points to images that don't exist
• Missing image files: Images were never included in the EPUB
• Unsupported formats: Some readers don't support certain image types
• Case sensitivity: Wrong capitalization in file paths
• Special characters: File names with spaces or symbols

During Conversion

• Conversion settings: Images excluded to reduce file size
• Format incompatibility: Original format not supported
• Path issues: Image paths break during conversion

In the Reader App

• Slow loading: Large images take time to render
• Memory limits: Some readers can't handle large images
• Settings: Images disabled to save data or battery
• Old reader: Doesn't support newer image formats

Quick Fixes

1. Try a Different Reader

The problem might be your reading app:

• Desktop: Try Calibre's built-in viewer
• iOS: Try Apple Books or Marvin
• Android: Try Moon+ Reader or ReadEra
• Browser: Drag the EPUB into Chrome to view

Different readers handle images differently. If images show in one app, the file is okay.

2. Check Reader Settings

Some apps have options that affect images:

• Look for "Show images" or "Download images" settings
• Check "Data saver" or "Low bandwidth" modes
• Verify storage permission is granted
• Try increasing memory allocation if available

3. Wait for Loading

Large images take time:

• Be patient on first open of a book
• High-resolution images load slower
• Books with many images need more time

Diagnosing the Problem

Check if Images Exist in the EPUB

1. Rename your .epub to .zip
2. Extract the contents
3. Look for an images or Images folder
4. Also check OEBPS/images or EPUB/images
5. Verify image files actually exist

If there's no image folder or it's empty, the images aren't in the EPUB.

Check Image Format

EPUB supports these formats:

• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg): Photo format, widely supported
• PNG (.png): For graphics and transparency
• GIF (.gif): Animated images, basic support
• SVG (.svg): Vector graphics, EPUB3 only
• WebP (.webp): Modern format, limited support

If your images are in an unsupported format (like TIFF or BMP), they won't display.

Check File References

Open the HTML files in the EPUB and look for image tags:

• Path should match actual file location
• Case must match exactly on some systems
• Watch for special characters or spaces

Fixing Image Problems

Method 1: Use Calibre to Repair

1. Open Calibre
2. Add the problematic EPUB
3. Right-click > "Edit book"
4. Check the "Images" folder in the file browser
5. Look for broken references (highlighted in red)
6. Fix paths or re-import images
7. Save the book

Method 2: Convert Format

Sometimes converting to another format and back helps:

1. In Calibre, convert EPUB to AZW3
2. Convert the AZW3 back to EPUB
3. This rebuilds the EPUB structure

Method 3: Use Sigil for Manual Repair

1. Open EPUB in Sigil
2. Check the Images folder
3. Look for missing or unreferenced images
4. Fix HTML image tags as needed
5. Add missing images manually
6. Save the repaired EPUB

Method 4: Re-download

If the file was corrupted during download:

• Delete the current copy
• Download fresh from the source
• Allow download to complete fully

Images Missing After Conversion

PDF to EPUB Conversion

When converting PDF to EPUB, images can be lost because:

• PDF images are embedded differently than EPUB
• Conversion tools may not extract all images
• Vector graphics may not convert properly

Solutions:

• Use a different conversion tool
• Try keeping the PDF as-is for image-heavy content
• Manually extract and re-add images

EPUB to PDF Conversion

CheersPDF's EPUB to PDF converter preserves images in most cases. If images are missing:

• Check that images exist in the source EPUB first
• Very large images may be resampled
• Unsupported formats may not convert

Creating EPUBs with Proper Images

If you're creating EPUBs, follow these best practices:

Image Format

• Use JPEG for photographs
• Use PNG for graphics with transparency
• Avoid WebP, TIFF, BMP

Image Size

• Resize images for screen viewing (1000-1500px on longest side)
• Compress without visible quality loss
• Consider both file size and quality

File Names

• Use lowercase letters only
• Use hyphens or underscores instead of spaces
• Avoid special characters
• Keep names short but descriptive

File References

• Use relative paths (e.g., ../images/photo.jpg)
• Match case exactly
• Test in multiple readers before publishing

Special Cases

Cover Images

If only the cover is missing:

• Check that cover image is referenced in OPF file
• Cover should be marked with cover-image property
• Some readers have specific cover requirements

Comics and Graphic Novels

Image-heavy books need special care:

• Use fixed-layout EPUB for precise positioning
• Optimize images for file size vs. quality balance
• Consider CBZ/CBR formats for comics

Editorial Contributor

Written by Rohan Gupta

Rohan bridges the gap between traditional print making and digital flow algorithms, optimizing font kerning and vector extraction for standard EPUB 3 platforms.