Paragraphs between Pages and Calibre

La Nuestra · 09-17-2010, 07:45 AM

Hi, it's my first thread as i'm very new to this thing of ebooks. Recently discovered all the technologies, because as a designer I need to create ePubs for my customers.

Thankfully (or not, yet to discover) Im using Mac, and Apple, has recently released a patch for Pages to export ePub, wich for the moment forks fine, except for one thing. If I put the cover in pages, some other images in the book will dissapear. Something's wrong with the software to be arranged.

So I'm in need of adding the cover in Calibre for example, wich looks quite powerful for enhancing ePubs. But the problem is when I export an ePub from Pages, paragraphs are as I designed them, with one empty line between each one, BUT if i procces it in calibre to add the cover and other relevant meta-data (editor, tags, etc), then the new ePub i get has a nice cover but suddenly three or more lines of space between paragraphs, wich in iPad is not a problem (it will not pay attention to those new spaces, dunno why), but other readers, and Calibre itself will show those extra spaces. And it's not beautiful at all.

I'm fighting against time to give my customers the final ePub with a cover and normal paragraph space, hope anyone could help me. Any idea? I checked the button in clibre export options to remove space between paragraphs, but no result...

Thanks in advance.

benjaminsolah · 09-17-2010, 08:48 AM

I've got the exact same issue.

Export to ePub with Pages works beautifully except for the cover image problem.

And the whole EPUB looks screwy if I then export it again through Calibre.

I like Calibre but the export to EPUB tool looks really confusing and a lot of options don't make sense. Is there a tutorial I could read to explain all the things and how they work?

ldolse · 09-17-2010, 09:03 AM

There's a manual at calibre-ebook.com:
http://calibre-ebook.com/user_manual/

Sounds like one of you should open a bug though: http://bugs.calibre-ebook.com/query
Attach an example file and the exact options you're choosing when converting.

theducks · 09-17-2010, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by La Nuestra

Hi, it's my first thread as i'm very new to this thing of ebooks. Recently discovered all the technologies, because as a designer I need to create ePubs for my customers.

Thankfully (or not, yet to discover) Im using Mac, and Apple, has recently released a patch for Pages to export ePub, wich for the moment forks fine, except for one thing. If I put the cover in pages, some other images in the book will dissapear. Something's wrong with the software to be arranged.

So I'm in need of adding the cover in Calibre for example, wich looks quite powerful for enhancing ePubs. But the problem is when I export an ePub from Pages, paragraphs are as I designed them, with one empty line between each one, BUT if i procces it in calibre to add the cover and other relevant meta-data (editor, tags, etc), then the new ePub i get has a nice cover but suddenly three or more lines of space between paragraphs, wich in iPad is not a problem (it will not pay attention to those new spaces, dunno why), but other readers, and Calibre itself will show those extra spaces. And it's not beautiful at all.

I'm fighting against time to give my customers the final ePub with a cover and normal paragraph space, hope anyone could help me. Any idea? I checked the button in clibre export options to remove space between paragraphs, but no result...

Thanks in advance.

If you are starting with ePub and just want to add a Cover or other images, Look at Sigil (next MR group down). (Be sure to try on a Copy.) If you need to convert, the Calibre might be your tool. Learning a new tool under a Need it Now, Gun is no fun.

kovidgoyal · 09-17-2010, 11:07 AM

you need to not insert empty paragraphs between other paragraphs in Pages.

benjaminsolah · 09-18-2010, 10:18 AM

No empty paragraphs at all? Sometimes you want bigger gaps between paragraphs.

benjaminsolah · 09-18-2010, 10:27 AM

I tried that, and it still has the same problem. It isn't just the extra line breaks between paragraphs, there's line breaks in the middle of words so it ends of like

Quote:

writ

ing

There's no way to just add a cover image into the EPUB file made in Pages?

ldolse · 09-18-2010, 10:35 AM

You have two options - follow Kovid's advice, which requires you setting up your css in pages to put spacing between paragraphs using margin-top and margin-bottom styles that spaces things out like you want them.

The other option would be to go into the 'look and feel' options in Calibre and select the option 'remove paragraph spacing'. This will leave your blank paragraphs there, but change all the paragraphs so they have a top/bottom margin of zero. Note that setting may also modify your paragraph indents.

Last option would be to use Sigil to add a cover into the file manually.

benjaminsolah · 09-18-2010, 10:10 PM

I just tried using Sigil and the new file adds massive spaces between paragraphs. I managed to add the cover, it shows up on Calibre but is just a blank page on my Reader.

ldolse · 09-18-2010, 10:18 PM

It sounds to me like Pages is doing something wrong if both Sigil and Calibre are increasing the spacing. Why don't you try not using blank lines in pages in the first place and adjust your spacing between paragraphs:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.h...en/c5pg39.html

benjaminsolah · 09-18-2010, 10:21 PM

That's what I've done. Even the paragraphs with paragraph spacing and not blank lines show up with massive spaces. I probably wouldn't mind manually editing once I get a hold of Sigil.

But I'm mainly concerned about my cover. Perhaps another thread?

Frank Lowney · 09-18-2010, 10:39 PM

I've not experienced this issue in Pages yet. In the Sections toolbar item, be sure to select "Title Page." The need to use these styles wasn't well emphasized in Apple's help pages on this new feature:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4168

I used the sample document as a template so that these styles are always present in each new ePub document I compose. This has worked well for me.

theducks · 09-18-2010, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benjaminsolah

That's what I've done. Even the paragraphs with paragraph spacing and not blank lines show up with massive spaces. I probably wouldn't mind manually editing once I get a hold of Sigil.

But I'm mainly concerned about my cover. Perhaps another thread?

Learn to read tag selectors in Sigil's Code View (CV),
Then open the stylesheet and locate the selector.

See if the margins, line space are strange.
Remember, each page is a Big box with boxes inside (may be many layers) and or stacks of boxes (paragraphs).

The styles are inherited from the outer box, if not specified.
Since you said big space,
look at margin-top and margin-bottom
then look at padding-top and padding-bottom
values in: pt (in.

) is fixed, em follows the font size.

benjaminsolah · 09-18-2010, 11:03 PM

Most of the styles have margin-bottom: 1.9505%; and the rest is 0.000%

theducks · 09-18-2010, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benjaminsolah

Most of the styles have margin-bottom: 1.9505%; and the rest is 0.000%

That is huge

almost 2% of your screen height. Try 1em (that is a one)
I sometimes use % for title pages and chapter headers.

09-17-2010, 07:45 AM	#1
La Nuestra Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: iPad	Paragraphs between Pages and Calibre Hi, it's my first thread as i'm very new to this thing of ebooks. Recently discovered all the technologies, because as a designer I need to create ePubs for my customers. Thankfully (or not, yet to discover) Im using Mac, and Apple, has recently released a patch for Pages to export ePub, wich for the moment forks fine, except for one thing. If I put the cover in pages, some other images in the book will dissapear. Something's wrong with the software to be arranged. So I'm in need of adding the cover in Calibre for example, wich looks quite powerful for enhancing ePubs. But the problem is when I export an ePub from Pages, paragraphs are as I designed them, with one empty line between each one, BUT if i procces it in calibre to add the cover and other relevant meta-data (editor, tags, etc), then the new ePub i get has a nice cover but suddenly three or more lines of space between paragraphs, wich in iPad is not a problem (it will not pay attention to those new spaces, dunno why), but other readers, and Calibre itself will show those extra spaces. And it's not beautiful at all. I'm fighting against time to give my customers the final ePub with a cover and normal paragraph space, hope anyone could help me. Any idea? I checked the button in clibre export options to remove space between paragraphs, but no result... Thanks in advance.

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09-17-2010, 08:48 AM	#2
benjaminsolah Marxist Horror Writer Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony Reader Touch PRS-650	I've got the exact same issue. Export to ePub with Pages works beautifully except for the cover image problem. And the whole EPUB looks screwy if I then export it again through Calibre. I like Calibre but the export to EPUB tool looks really confusing and a lot of options don't make sense. Is there a tutorial I could read to explain all the things and how they work?

09-17-2010, 09:03 AM	#3
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	There's a manual at calibre-ebook.com: http://calibre-ebook.com/user_manual/ Sounds like one of you should open a bug though: http://bugs.calibre-ebook.com/query Attach an example file and the exact options you're choosing when converting.

09-17-2010, 11:07 AM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	you need to not insert empty paragraphs between other paragraphs in Pages.

09-18-2010, 10:18 AM	#6
benjaminsolah Marxist Horror Writer Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony Reader Touch PRS-650	No empty paragraphs at all? Sometimes you want bigger gaps between paragraphs.

09-18-2010, 10:35 AM	#8
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	You have two options - follow Kovid's advice, which requires you setting up your css in pages to put spacing between paragraphs using margin-top and margin-bottom styles that spaces things out like you want them. The other option would be to go into the 'look and feel' options in Calibre and select the option 'remove paragraph spacing'. This will leave your blank paragraphs there, but change all the paragraphs so they have a top/bottom margin of zero. Note that setting may also modify your paragraph indents. Last option would be to use Sigil to add a cover into the file manually.

09-18-2010, 10:10 PM	#9
benjaminsolah Marxist Horror Writer Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony Reader Touch PRS-650	I just tried using Sigil and the new file adds massive spaces between paragraphs. I managed to add the cover, it shows up on Calibre but is just a blank page on my Reader.

09-18-2010, 10:18 PM	#10
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	It sounds to me like Pages is doing something wrong if both Sigil and Calibre are increasing the spacing. Why don't you try not using blank lines in pages in the first place and adjust your spacing between paragraphs: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.h...en/c5pg39.html

09-18-2010, 10:21 PM	#11
benjaminsolah Marxist Horror Writer Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony Reader Touch PRS-650	That's what I've done. Even the paragraphs with paragraph spacing and not blank lines show up with massive spaces. I probably wouldn't mind manually editing once I get a hold of Sigil. But I'm mainly concerned about my cover. Perhaps another thread?

09-18-2010, 10:39 PM	#12
Frank Lowney frank.lowney Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: iPad	I've not experienced this issue in Pages yet. In the Sections toolbar item, be sure to select "Title Page." The need to use these styles wasn't well emphasized in Apple's help pages on this new feature: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4168 I used the sample document as a template so that these styles are always present in each new ePub document I compose. This has worked well for me.

09-18-2010, 11:03 PM	#14
benjaminsolah Marxist Horror Writer Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony Reader Touch PRS-650	Most of the styles have margin-bottom: 1.9505%; and the rest is 0.000%