An EPUB file on disk is not yet evidence that ruby, images, and tables were converted correctly. Treat export and acceptance as separate events. A successful result needs a valid package and an inspection of the generated XHTML elements, packaged assets, and reading order.
This guide uses a small horizontal-layout book because a small source makes discrepancies countable. The source has two Markdown chapters, six ruby insertions, two inline images, one two-column table, and a separate cover image.
Write an acceptance inventory before export
List every content type and where it should appear after conversion:
| Source item | Expected count | EPUB check |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby annotations | 6 | ruby elements in chapter XHTML |
| Inline images | 2 | img elements and packaged files |
| Markdown table | 1 | table element in chapter XHTML |
| Cover image | 1 | cover metadata and packaged file |
Keep the chapter paths explicit, for example chapters/C01.md and chapters/C02.md. Give each inline image meaningful alternative text. A clean asset folder helps, but organization alone does not prove that the exporter preserved the references.
Export in a sequence that can be repeated
Set the title, author, language, writing direction, output name, version, publication date, and cover. Select the two chapter files and confirm their order. Export to a new filename rather than overwriting the previous attempt.
Then unpack or inspect the EPUB. Confirm the navigation document, NCX if generated for compatibility, package manifest, spine, chapter XHTML, and images. Count ruby, img, and table in the output, not in the Markdown source. Finally, run the package validator and record its actual boolean result and reported errors.
The decision rule is strict: package validity, missing-asset count, element counts, and chapter order must all pass. A source count cannot substitute for an output count.
The measured 6–2–1 conversion result
The new run inserted ruby once on each of six distinct terms, two inline images, and one table, then exported a two-chapter book with a cover. Local inspection returned valid=true with zero missing images. Direct counts in the generated XHTML were ruby=6, rt=6, img=2, and table=1. All six base-text and reading pairs matched the source operations.
The source operations and output elements were counted separately. The six, two, and one source actions were not used as a shortcut for output evidence. Rune Studio's current Mac documentation describes conversion of its supported writing notation—including ruby, images, and tables—into preview and EPUB XHTML, plus generation of an EPUB 3 package with navigation, metadata, spine, cover, and body resources.
What valid=true does and does not establish
This run meets the local package and element-count acceptance conditions. valid=true means the local structural inspection passed; it does not guarantee retailer acceptance or identical visual rendering in every reading application.
Before distribution, run the destination's own checks and inspect representative pages in the readers that matter to the project. Keep those visual and retailer checks separate from the structural result reported here.
Any later export must repeat the package and element counts. A passing result from this file does not transfer to a revised manuscript.
Diagnosing a mismatch
If packaged images equal three but chapter XHTML contains only one img, inspect which asset is the cover and whether both body references were converted. If ruby is zero, inspect the exact source notation supported by the exporter. If a table becomes paragraphs, verify that the source table uses the supported row and separator form.
Change one variable per export. Otherwise a passing second file will not reveal which correction fixed the problem.
Choosing a Markdown-to-EPUB editor
Prefer an editor that states its supported notation, exposes chapter order and asset selection before export, and leaves the generated EPUB available for independent inspection. Rune Studio documents an EPUB 3 workflow for its current Mac version, but its documented scope does not cover every CommonMark feature. Product details are on the Rune Studio website.
The supported conclusion is precise: this EPUB passed local structural inspection with no missing images, and its generated XHTML contained six ruby pairs, two inline images, and one table matching the source inventory. Retailer acceptance and cross-reader appearance remain separate checks.
For current details about the Mac Markdown-to-EPUB workflow, visit the Rune Studio product page.
