Preparing to Export
Before exporting a project, it is worth reviewing its structure and deciding exactly what the exported version should contain. Exporting creates a representation of the project as it exists at that moment, so a short final check can prevent missing documents, incorrect ordering, or unfinished material from appearing in the result.
Check the document order
Review the writing documents in the project sidebar and make sure they appear in the intended reading order. PDF, EPUB, HTML, and Markdown exports follow the writing tree, so misplaced writing documents may also appear in the wrong position in the final file.
Pay particular attention to documents that were recently added, moved, or left outside a section. Make sure introductory material, chapters, poems, appendices, and closing pages appear where a reader would expect them.
Review the sections
Check that each section has the correct title and contains the right documents. Sections should reflect the structure you want readers to see in the exported work.
You may also want to look for empty sections, temporary groupings, or sections that were useful during drafting but are no longer needed in the final version.
Check the title, subtitle, and author
Review the project title and optional subtitle, together with section and document titles, for spelling, punctuation, and consistency. These titles may be used on the title page, as headings, or as navigation labels in the exported file, depending on the selected format.
Remove temporary names such as “Untitled,” “New document,” or “Chapter draft” unless they are intentionally part of the work. It is also worth checking that similar titles follow the same capitalisation and numbering style.
Under Settings on the project overview, check Author / pen name before creating a PDF, EPUB, or HTML export. These formats place the saved name on the title page. If the field is empty, they use your account name instead. Markdown includes the project title but leaves out the subtitle and byline.
Decide whether to include a table of contents
PDF and HTML can place a table of contents after the title page. Include table of contents is turned on by default in the Export menu. Leave it on for a longer project whose sections and documents benefit from a clear overview. Turn it off before choosing the format when the project is short or you want the writing to begin immediately.
EPUB always provides ebook navigation. The setting has no effect on EPUB, Markdown, or Spleen Archive.
Check the documents themselves
Open the documents that will be included and look for unfinished passages, placeholder text, duplicated paragraphs, or comments that were meant to be removed. Check that formatting such as emphasis, headings, lists, and paragraph breaks appears consistently throughout the project.
If you want book style indentation at the start of paragraphs, open the project overview and turn on Indent paragraphs. The setting appears in PDF, EPUB, and HTML exports. It does not add spaces or tabs to the document text, so Markdown remains unchanged.
You do not need to consider every page final before exporting. Draft exports are useful for review and proofing. The important thing is to know whether you are creating a working copy or a version intended for other readers.
Review notes and annotations
Notes and annotations may contain reminders, questions, research, or private editorial comments that are useful while writing but do not belong in the final publication.
PDF, EPUB, HTML, and Markdown exports always exclude notes and annotations. A Spleen Archive includes them, along with snapshots, because it is meant to preserve the project for later import rather than produce a clean reading copy.
Decide what belongs in the final output
PDF, EPUB, HTML, and Markdown exports include the whole writing tree that is still in the book. You cannot select only some writing sections or documents for these exports. Move material to Archive when you want to keep it in the project without including it in a reading export. Research, Archive, and Trash are left out, while a Spleen Archive backup includes all three.
Before exporting, decide whether you are creating:
- a complete project copy;
- a draft for review;
- a clean reading version;
- a proof for printing;
- or a final publication file.
This makes it easier to recognise which documents and supporting material should be included.
Choose the appropriate format
Finally, consider what the exported file will be used for. PDF is suitable for a stable reading or printing copy, EPUB for ebook reading, HTML for use in a web browser, and Markdown for simple text tools.
Choose Spleen Archive when the goal is to preserve the project structure, writing, research, Archive, Trash, notes, annotations, and snapshots rather than produce a document for reading or publishing. Book covers, share links, and paragraph indentation settings are not included.
A few minutes spent reviewing the project before export can make the resulting file easier to read, share, restore, or continue working with.