Converting epub to Mobi

Chandler Design · 10-24-2013, 05:23 AM

I use InDesign to create both epub and mobi, however since iOS7 has come out the italics no longer show. So I use Calibre to convert the epub to mobi and this works, however it seems to remove the line space between paragraph breaks. Can anyone suggest what I need to do to keep the spaces intact as they appear in the epub.

RbnJrg · 10-24-2013, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chandler Design

I use InDesign to create both epub and mobi, however since iOS7 has come out the italics no longer show. So I use Calibre to convert the epub to mobi and this works, however it seems to remove the line space between paragraph breaks. Can anyone suggest what I need to do to keep the spaces intact as they appear in the epub.

Use Kindlegen to convert the epub to mobi.

Chandler Design · 10-24-2013, 03:08 PM

There appears to be an issue with Kindle Gen as it won't convert the mobi correctly, italics won't work in iOS7 and you loose the TOC's.

Hitch · 10-24-2013, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

Use Kindlegen to convert the epub to mobi.

Ruben:

That's good advice, but what I suspect, based on some books I've seen come across my desk that came from Macs, is that the OP is not simply using an italics tag--he is calling/using something like, "Times New Roman Italic" in a span tag (good old InDesign, ha!), and the font isn't embedded in the ePUB. We've seen this a few times from INDD and from Pages, both.

Chandler: how did you create the italics? Is that what you did, in the exported ePUB? Did you embed a TNR Italic, or some type of fallback italic font? (Not all fonts work with KindleGen, please note, just as not all fonts work on all devices in ePUB). If you can tell us a bit more about your italic issue, someone here may be able to assist you.

Hitch

Chandler Design · 10-24-2013, 03:28 PM

When I create the artwork in InDesign I use styles and character styles for the italics so the css works when exporting as an epub or mobi using the plugin. I have no issues with the epub and I don't embed the font. Funny enough on the old iPhone operating system it works fine I'm only having an issue now because of iOS7. I have tried Calibre to convert the epub to mobi and that works but it changes things and the paragraph spaces have gone where I use the line space option in the character menu, i.e 3mm from baseline.

JSWolf · 10-24-2013, 03:32 PM

Chandler, can you please show us a relevant section of the CSS and/or XML that shows how you are doing the italics?

Chandler Design · 10-24-2013, 03:37 PM

Ok I can do a screen grab in Author (Oxygen) when I back in the office if thats going to be helpful or do I need to send an ePub file.

JSWolf · 10-24-2013, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chandler Design

Ok I can do a screen grab in Author (Oxygen) when I back in the office if thats going to be helpful or do I need to send an ePub file.

Just copy the relevant text and paste it here. No need for a screen grab.

Chandler Design · 10-24-2013, 03:42 PM

Ok thanks, I will do that tomorrow as all my files are in the office. I should point out that I don't do my own coding, InDesign does all that when I export to ePub.

JSWolf · 10-24-2013, 03:44 PM

Once you post the code here, someone should be able to help more. Without seeing the code, we've helped as much as we can.

Oh and the code you paste, please make it the code from the ePub AFTER it has been exported from ID.

RbnJrg · 10-24-2013, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitch

Ruben:

That's good advice, but what I suspect, based on some books I've seen come across my desk that came from Macs, is that the OP is not simply using an italics tag--he is calling/using something like, "Times New Roman Italic" in a span tag (good old InDesign, ha!), and the font isn't embedded in the ePUB. We've seen this a few times from INDD and from Pages, both.

Hi Hitch:
I see; that would explain why he loses the italic format. I don't use InDesign but I believe that that program can embed fonts and also has a plugin to convert directly the ebook to mobi. Maybe Chandler could use that plugin and see if it works.

Hitch · 10-24-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

Hi Hitch:
I see; that would explain why he loses the italic format. I don't use InDesign but I believe that that program can embed fonts and also has a plugin to convert directly the ebook to mobi. Maybe Chandler could use that plugin and see if it works.

Ruben:

Dunno. He said, above, that he doesn't embed fonts, and said further that...lemme see...

Quote:

I use styles and character styles for the italics so the css works when exporting as an epub or mobi using the plugin.

So...my idea doesn't sound right. Styles and character styles in INDD creates spans, and usually calls the font for the inline style, so, if he's not using an embedded font (or calling a font that doesn't exist), then I'm not quite sure. And damned if I know what Maverick would do to have changed it. Or iOS7...whatever. I don't know why the OS would change the export via the plugin to Kindle. Actually, this kinda makes my brain hurt.

Hitch

JSWolf · 10-24-2013, 06:51 PM

I am using Marvin with iOS7 and it is using webkit and I get italics just fine.

AThirstyMind · 10-25-2013, 08:03 AM

Hitch, you're correct. When my clients send me a Word doc for a MAC, the italics are actually coded as Times New Roman Italic, not a valid font and Word can't find it. So my first step is to find/replace all TNRI and get them back to just font: italic. Then of course code all the italic instances so they make it through a purge of all formats. Then I can start anew. I've never had an issue Word/HTML/ePub/KindlePreviewer-mobi with italics. But there's a bunch of tweaking of the HTML and ePub on the way to that final mobi!

Hitch · 10-25-2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AThirstyMind

Hitch, you're correct. When my clients send me a Word doc for a MAC, the italics are actually coded as Times New Roman Italic, not a valid font and Word can't find it. So my first step is to find/replace all TNRI and get them back to just font: italic. Then of course code all the italic instances so they make it through a purge of all formats. Then I can start anew. I've never had an issue Word/HTML/ePub/KindlePreviewer-mobi with italics. But there's a bunch of tweaking of the HTML and ePub on the way to that final mobi!

Yes--I've seen that a few times, but I thought I might be wrong about this one because Chandler Design is using InDesign, which shouldn't use a non-existent or un-embedded font, if you see what I mean?

Hitch

10-24-2013, 05:23 AM	#1
Chandler Design Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle	Converting epub to Mobi I use InDesign to create both epub and mobi, however since iOS7 has come out the italics no longer show. So I use Calibre to convert the epub to mobi and this works, however it seems to remove the line space between paragraph breaks. Can anyone suggest what I need to do to keep the spaces intact as they appear in the epub.

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10-24-2013, 03:08 PM	#3
Chandler Design Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle	There appears to be an issue with Kindle Gen as it won't convert the mobi correctly, italics won't work in iOS7 and you loose the TOC's.

10-24-2013, 03:28 PM	#5
Chandler Design Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle	When I create the artwork in InDesign I use styles and character styles for the italics so the css works when exporting as an epub or mobi using the plugin. I have no issues with the epub and I don't embed the font. Funny enough on the old iPhone operating system it works fine I'm only having an issue now because of iOS7. I have tried Calibre to convert the epub to mobi and that works but it changes things and the paragraph spaces have gone where I use the line space option in the character menu, i.e 3mm from baseline.

10-24-2013, 03:32 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 75,838 Karma: 134321338 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Chandler, can you please show us a relevant section of the CSS and/or XML that shows how you are doing the italics?

10-24-2013, 03:37 PM	#7
Chandler Design Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle	Ok I can do a screen grab in Author (Oxygen) when I back in the office if thats going to be helpful or do I need to send an ePub file.

10-24-2013, 03:42 PM	#9
Chandler Design Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle	Ok thanks, I will do that tomorrow as all my files are in the office. I should point out that I don't do my own coding, InDesign does all that when I export to ePub.

10-24-2013, 03:44 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 75,838 Karma: 134321338 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Once you post the code here, someone should be able to help more. Without seeing the code, we've helped as much as we can. Oh and the code you paste, please make it the code from the ePub AFTER it has been exported from ID.

10-24-2013, 06:51 PM	#13
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 75,838 Karma: 134321338 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I am using Marvin with iOS7 and it is using webkit and I get italics just fine.

10-25-2013, 08:03 AM	#14
AThirstyMind A Thirsty Mind Posts: 92 Karma: 2546 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Lubec, Maine Device: Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone	Hitch, you're correct. When my clients send me a Word doc for a MAC, the italics are actually coded as Times New Roman Italic, not a valid font and Word can't find it. So my first step is to find/replace all TNRI and get them back to just font: italic. Then of course code all the italic instances so they make it through a purge of all formats. Then I can start anew. I've never had an issue Word/HTML/ePub/KindlePreviewer-mobi with italics. But there's a bunch of tweaking of the HTML and ePub on the way to that final mobi!

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