If text has been converted into images during production, inspect it at the final print size and check the actual exported file against current submission requirements. Determine why the conversion occurred and whether it was intentional. A page that looks sharp when enlarged on screen may still need repair before it becomes a readable paperback page.
Identify where text became an image
Start with the editable manuscript and compare it with the exported file. Text may appear inside a screenshot, a scanned page, a diagram, or an illustration, or an entire page may have been converted during an intermediate production step. Record which situation applies rather than treating every nonselectable word as the same problem.
Use available inspection tools to investigate the file, but do not rely on a single symptom. Inability to select text can be a clue, not a complete explanation of the document's structure. Keep the source and export versions identifiable while determining what the workflow actually produced.
Decide whether the conversion serves the book
Some visual material intentionally includes text as part of an image, such as a reproduced historical document or a screenshot discussed in the chapter. Other conversions happen accidentally when content is copied through an unsuitable intermediate format. Distinguish those cases before choosing a repair.
Where the manuscript needs ordinary body text, consider restoring it from the editable source instead of working around a damaged image. Where a reproduction is the subject, preserve the appropriate source record and provide an explanation or transcription when readers need help interpreting it. The solution should follow the material's role.
Check the text at its actual output size
Place the image at the dimensions used in the final layout and inspect the smallest meaningful characters. Check punctuation, similar-looking letters, and symbols that carry essential information. Do not judge readability only from an enlarged view that readers will not have in the printed book.
Review the current KDP image and file requirements for the intended paperback configuration. Confirm the effective quality of the placed image, not only a resolution label stored in the source file. Enlarging a small screenshot or resaving it with a different setting does not establish that the missing detail has been recovered.
Look for damage introduced by intermediate files
Compare the export with the best available source. Compression, repeated conversion, scaling, and changes in contrast can make small text harder to read. Inspect areas with dense labels, fine strokes, or text over a textured background, since those are useful stress tests for the production path.
Avoid repeated conversions as a substitute for diagnosing the cause. Return to a suitable source where possible and make one controlled export using the intended settings. If the source itself is inadequate, obtain or create a better source rather than assuming that another file extension will solve the problem.
Review meaning as well as visual sharpness
Check that the displayed words match the approved manuscript. A sharp screenshot can still contain an outdated label, misspelling, or earlier version of an instruction. Text inside images may escape ordinary manuscript searches and copyediting passes, so include it explicitly in the review inventory.
If the text is also reproduced in a caption or explanation, compare the two versions. Decide whether repetition is needed and keep it consistent. A reader should not have to choose between conflicting instructions merely because one was edited as prose and the other remained embedded in an image.
Verify the repaired publication file
Export the corrected interior and inspect the affected pages again. Confirm the image placement, surrounding layout, and the final file characteristics required by the current submission guidance. A repair that improves one figure can still alter pagination or separate it from its explanation.
Use a physical proof when needed to judge the actual reading result. Keep a record of the source, placement size, and approved export so later revisions can reproduce the decision. Treat a successful technical upload as one production check, not as a substitute for verifying that the printed words can be read accurately.
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers for this publishing decision.
Does all text inside an image need to be rebuilt?
Assess its purpose and quality. An intentional reproduction may be appropriate, while accidentally flattened body text may be better restored from the editable manuscript. Verify the actual reading result in either case.
Will increasing the resolution setting make a screenshot clearer?
A changed setting alone does not restore detail absent from the source. Compare the result at its placed size and use a better source or rebuild the content when necessary.
Can text search verify words embedded in images?
Do not assume the search covers them reliably. Include visual text in the editorial check and compare it with the approved wording, especially for labels, numbers, and instructions.
What must I check, disclose, and verify myself when AI helped produce the book?
Review facts, rights, and source material yourself, record which parts were AI-assisted or AI-generated so you can answer Amazon’s disclosure question accurately, and treat every automated check as a starting point rather than a verdict.
See what the compliance checks cover