Mirrored/flipped PDF

PhoenixM · 01-30-2013, 05:44 PM

Hi all,

Firstly, I wasn't entirely sure whether to put this here or in the forum about conversion, so do move if it's wrong.

I'm just starting out with Calibre. I've been trying to put some documents in my library which are PDF's. They probably have some degree of DRM, but they are licensed and allowed for printing, use on any device etc, by me (I'm a student, and this is what the copyright notice from my university says). The first page is a copyright notice, and then the remaining pages are photocopied pages of books/journals, that have been inputted under license by the uni library. When they go into Calibre, all but the first page (i.e. all the photocopied pages, which it considers to be images) are flipped/mirrored. They're all 90 rotated anyway, which is why they end up mirrored - I think it's a vertical flip that Calibre is doing.

I did/do have some plug-ins to wipe DRM, but I've disabled all of them as I thought that may be the issue. However, it persists. The same documents in Adobe Digital Editions come out fine - it's moving into Calibre that's the issue.

I would like to edit the metadata (as the titles are ridiculous currently, and totally impossible to search/catalogue) and preferably use the button on the metadata edit page to remove the first page, and let Calibre create a title page. However, none of this is as important as being able to read it!!!

I've done some searching, but couldn't find anything about this, just stuff about the same problem when converting from PDF. I don't mind keeping the documents as PDF's (well, at least, I know there isn't another way).

Why is Calibre doing this to my un-converted docs? How can I stop it? Thanks!

Adoby · 01-30-2013, 09:22 PM

Calibre is not very good at displaying PDFs. Use an external PDF viewer instead of the Calibre ebook viewer. (Set in preferences.)

DoctorOhh · 01-30-2013, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

I'm just starting out with Calibre. I've been trying to put some documents in my library which are PDF's. They probably have some degree of DRM, but they are licensed and allowed for printing, use on any device etc, by me (I'm a student, and this is what the copyright notice from my university says).

Calibre is great for organizing books in any format.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

When they go into Calibre, all but the first page (i.e. all the photocopied pages, which it considers to be images) are flipped/mirrored. They're all 90 rotated anyway, which is why they end up mirrored - I think it's a vertical flip that Calibre is doing.

Calibre makes no changes to PDF files when they are added to calibre.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

it's moving into Calibre that's the issue.

Moving PDF books into calibre causes no alteration to the book.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

I've done some searching, but couldn't find anything about this, just stuff about the same problem when converting from PDF. I don't mind keeping the documents as PDF's (well, at least, I know there isn't another way).

Why is Calibre doing this to my un-converted docs? How can I stop it? Thanks!

You never say how you are viewing the PDF. The only thing that makes sense is you are using calibre's viewer to view the PDFs. Calibre's viewer is an ePub viewer. Any format other than ePub is given a quick and dirty conversion to a basic epub format then viewed. So your PDF is being converted for viewing.

The solution is not to use the Calibre viewer for PDF files. Go to Preference - Behavior and uncheck the box next to PDF in the Use internal viewer for column. Now when you go to view a PDF book from calibre it will open the PDF in your default PDF viewer and not use calibre's viewer.

Good Reading.

PhoenixM · 02-01-2013, 07:13 AM

Brilliant - thanks so much. I didn't realise the reader was converting it out of PDF. Is there a way to get Calibre title pages onto the PDF, without any kind of conversion (and associated mirroring)?
Thanks!

Tandree · 03-19-2021, 03:53 AM

Hello, I have the same problem of mirrored text. I could not find where are Preferences-Behavior in Calibre 64bits.

BetterRed · 03-19-2021, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandree

Hello, I have the same problem of mirrored text. I could not find where are Preferences-Behavior in Calibre 64bits.

Ctrl+P then:

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BR

Tandree · 03-19-2021, 04:52 AM

Thanks! It was unchecked by default. Now I am converting the PDF into EPUB, I will see the result in half an hour.

Tandree · 03-19-2021, 05:19 AM

The same problem! All the pages except the cover are mirrored.

theducks · 03-19-2021, 09:45 AM

See the sticky at the top of the Conversion forum list.
Simple Summary: PDF is a terrible source format

Calibre supplied the EPUB cover from the Libraries metadata, All the rest was from the PDF.
Could it be the PDF Language is RTL (or incorrectly set LTR) ?

kovidgoyal · 03-19-2021, 10:58 AM

This will be a PDF of page scans that probably use a PDf grpahics operator to flip the page images. Your best bet is to flip the images yourselfin the edit book tool post conversion.

Tandree · 03-24-2021, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

This will be a PDF of page scans that probably use a PDf grpahics operator to flip the page images. Your best bet is to flip the images yourselfin the edit book tool post conversion.

How can I do that, can you explain in details, please?

theducks · 03-24-2021, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandree

How can I do that, can you explain in details, please?

I could not find a mirror-flip tool in the edit image part of the Editor. Only a Rotate (in 90 steps).
SO
You will need to use a 3rd party tool and touch each image.
Paint (Windows 7-10) can do this.

don't let the name Rotate (tool) confuse you in this case. the choices include Flip Horizontal
To do this:
Select your book (EPUB)in the Library: Tap 'U'(npack) (only works on EPUB or AZW3): Click Explode: Now you see the OS file manager.
NOTE:NEVER CHANGE A NAME OR EXTENSION WHILE EXPLODED
More than likely, those will be in the Images folder.

set View As Large Icons so you get the idea of the content.
Right Click: Edit :<do your flip thing and save/quit>
Repeat as needed for additional Images.
close PAINT and the file manger.

Last Step: in the 'Unpack' window: Click REBUILD

Tandree · 03-25-2021, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

I could not find a mirror-flip tool in the edit image part of the Editor. Only a Rotate (in 90 steps).
SO
You will need to use a 3rd party tool and touch each image.
Paint (Windows 7-10) can do this.

don't let the name Rotate (tool) confuse you in this case. the choices include Flip Horizontal
To do this:
Select your book (EPUB)in the Library: Tap 'U'(npack) (only works on EPUB or AZW3): Click Explode: Now you see the OS file manager.
NOTE:NEVER CHANGE A NAME OR EXTENSION WHILE EXPLODED
More than likely, those will be in the Images folder.

set View As Large Icons so you get the idea of the content.
Right Click: Edit :<do your flip thing and save/quit>
Repeat as needed for additional Images.
close PAINT and the file manger.

Last Step: in the 'Unpack' window: Click REBUILD

Thank you very much, I did it page by page, all of the book. All the text pages were PNG, I don't know why.

theducks · 03-25-2021, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandree

Thank you very much, I did it page by page, all of the book. All the text pages were PNG, I don't know why.

Publisher choice for Images.
Those were basically photocopies of the pages

Tandree · 03-25-2021, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Publisher choice for Images.
Those were basically photocopies of the pages

Yes, the book was photocopied in a printing services shop and saved in PDF file. Obviously the book must be scanned and treated with OCR software.

01-30-2013, 05:44 PM	#1
PhoenixM Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo	Mirrored/flipped PDF Hi all, Firstly, I wasn't entirely sure whether to put this here or in the forum about conversion, so do move if it's wrong. I'm just starting out with Calibre. I've been trying to put some documents in my library which are PDF's. They probably have some degree of DRM, but they are licensed and allowed for printing, use on any device etc, by me (I'm a student, and this is what the copyright notice from my university says). The first page is a copyright notice, and then the remaining pages are photocopied pages of books/journals, that have been inputted under license by the uni library. When they go into Calibre, all but the first page (i.e. all the photocopied pages, which it considers to be images) are flipped/mirrored. They're all 90 rotated anyway, which is why they end up mirrored - I think it's a vertical flip that Calibre is doing. I did/do have some plug-ins to wipe DRM, but I've disabled all of them as I thought that may be the issue. However, it persists. The same documents in Adobe Digital Editions come out fine - it's moving into Calibre that's the issue. I would like to edit the metadata (as the titles are ridiculous currently, and totally impossible to search/catalogue) and preferably use the button on the metadata edit page to remove the first page, and let Calibre create a title page. However, none of this is as important as being able to read it!!! I've done some searching, but couldn't find anything about this, just stuff about the same problem when converting from PDF. I don't mind keeping the documents as PDF's (well, at least, I know there isn't another way). Why is Calibre doing this to my un-converted docs? How can I stop it? Thanks!

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01-30-2013, 09:22 PM	#2
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,736 Karma: 26785668 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Thinkpad E595, Ubuntu Mate, Huawei Mediapad 5, Bouye Likebook Plus	Calibre is not very good at displaying PDFs. Use an external PDF viewer instead of the Calibre ebook viewer. (Set in preferences.)

02-01-2013, 07:13 AM	#4
PhoenixM Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Kobo	Brilliant - thanks so much. I didn't realise the reader was converting it out of PDF. Is there a way to get Calibre title pages onto the PDF, without any kind of conversion (and associated mirroring)? Thanks!

03-19-2021, 03:53 AM	#5
Tandree Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2021 Device: PocketBook	Hello, I have the same problem of mirrored text. I could not find where are Preferences-Behavior in Calibre 64bits.

03-19-2021, 04:52 AM	#7
Tandree Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2021 Device: PocketBook	Thanks! It was unchecked by default. Now I am converting the PDF into EPUB, I will see the result in half an hour.

03-19-2021, 05:19 AM	#8
Tandree Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2021 Device: PocketBook	The same problem! All the pages except the cover are mirrored.

03-19-2021, 09:45 AM	#9
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,781 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	See the sticky at the top of the Conversion forum list. Simple Summary: PDF is a terrible source format Calibre supplied the EPUB cover from the Libraries metadata, All the rest was from the PDF. Could it be the PDF Language is RTL (or incorrectly set LTR) ?

03-19-2021, 10:58 AM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	This will be a PDF of page scans that probably use a PDf grpahics operator to flip the page images. Your best bet is to flip the images yourselfin the edit book tool post conversion.