Download Vellum for Mac

In the edit

Vellum 4.1.5 is out, and it stays focused on what it does best: turning a manuscript into a properly formatted ebook or print edition without the usual fuss. You import your text, pick a trim size, and the app handles margins, page numbers, headers and footers automatically. It also takes care of widows and spread balancing, so the final output looks clean whether you are reading on a Kindle or holding a proof copy.

1. Import your manuscript — Vellum builds a title page and table of contents from the document structure.
2. Add copyright-page content inside the app and choose your output format: Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, or print.
3. Preview the result instantly as you edit, then generate both ebook and print editions from the same file.

It is a native Mac app that requires macOS 11 or later, and it works on both Intel and Apple Silicon machines. If you publish your own work or format books for clients, Vellum saves the back-and-forth with layout tools that were not built for book production.

How a self-publishing novelist uses it day to day

A friend of mine writes cosy crime novels, three a year. She used to send manuscripts to a formatter, wait three days, get back a PDF with a dozen things to fix, send it again — you know the cycle. With Vellum, she imports the finished Word file, picks her usual trim size, and the table of contents and title page appear before she has finished making tea. She edits the copyright page inside the app (she likes to thank her local indie bookshop by name each time) and then generates the Kindle and paperback files in one go. The part that surprised her most was the boxed set feature: when she bundled her first three books together, Vellum kept the chapter styles and page numbering consistent across all three without her touching a single style sheet. She now handles the whole production side herself in about an afternoon per book.

Inconsistent heading styles mess up your table of contents

Vellum is straightforward, but a few things trip people up when they start.

Your manuscript has inconsistent heading styles.
Vellum builds the table of contents from heading levels in your document. If some chapters use Heading 1 and others use Heading 2 or just bold text, the TOC will look patchy. The fix is to clean up the manuscript before importing: make sure every chapter title uses the same heading style. It takes five minutes in Word or Pages and saves a lot of faff later.

Images in the ebook look small or misaligned.
Vellum handles images, but it resizes them to fit the chosen trim size. If you have a map or a detailed illustration, check the preview on a few device views (the app lets you switch between phone, tablet and e-reader displays). For print, make sure your original image is at least 300 dpi at the size you want it to appear on the page. A low-res web image will look soft in a proof copy.

Page numbers start from the wrong number.
Print books often need front matter numbered with roman numerals and the main text starting from page 1. Vellum handles this automatically when you set the front matter section correctly. If the numbers look off, check that your copyright and dedication pages are placed in the front matter section, not in the body. The app distinguishes between the two, and once you move a page to the right section, the numbering falls into line.

You want to update an ebook after publishing.
You can edit the Vellum file, make your changes, and regenerate the output. The trick is to keep the same ISBN and metadata when you upload the new file to the distributor. Vellum does not manage ISBNs itself, so you just export the updated file and replace the old one on KDP or Draft2Digital. The new previews reflect your edits instantly, so you can spot any slip before re-uploading.

From a Word manuscript to a print-ready PDF in a few steps

Say you have a finished manuscript in a Word document and you want a print-ready PDF for IngramSpark or KDP. Here is how it goes in Vellum.

1. Open Vellum and create a new book. Choose the trim size that matches your print edition — Vellum adjusts margins, headers and footers as soon as you select it.
2. Import your manuscript. The app reads the document structure and builds a title page and table of contents. Check that the TOC lists every chapter; if a chapter is missing, it probably uses an inconsistent heading style, so fix that in the source and import again.
3. Add front matter: copyright page, dedication, any other pages you need. Vellum has a section for copyright-page content that you fill in directly inside the app, which saves you from having to include it in the manuscript file.
4. Choose your style. Vellum applies the selected style to every chapter, including any you add later. If you change your mind, switching the style updates the whole book at once.
5. Check the print preview. Flip through the pages and look for widows (single lines at the top of a page) and spread balancing. Vellum handles these automatically, but it is worth a quick glance to confirm everything looks right.
6. Generate the print PDF. The app creates a file with proper margins, page numbers, and running heads. That PDF goes straight to your printer or distributor.

If you also want an ebook version, you generate it from the same project. No need to reformat anything.

Vellum works with Word, Scrivener, Pages, or Google Docs

Vellum does not try to be a writing tool. You write in Word, Scrivener, Pages, or Google Docs, and import the finished manuscript. That division of labour works well: your writing app handles the creative side, Vellum handles the production side, and you never have to fight with page breaks in a word processor.

On macOS, Vellum behaves like a native app. It supports Dark Mode if you prefer it, and the preview windows work with Mission Control and full-screen spaces, so you can keep your manuscript on one space and the Vellum preview on another. The app also respects standard macOS file management: you save your project file wherever you like, and you can use Time Machine or iCloud Drive to back it up. For sharing drafts with a proofreader, you can export a PDF from Vellum directly, without leaving the app.

If you use Calibre for metadata management or for converting between formats, Vellum exports clean files that Calibre reads without issues. Similarly, if you send the generated EPUB to Apple Books for a final check on an iPad or iPhone, the formatting holds up because Vellum targets Apple Books output specifically. It is one of those tools that fits into your existing setup without asking you to change how you work.

Mac it needs

• macOS 11 or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon