Trying to convert from epub to pdf, empty output file.

jjjaaaack · 05-09-2012, 01:30 AM

Thanks for helping me out! Let me preface this by stating I'm pretty much clueless with regard to the technical aspects of Calibre. I usually just use it to import my books and put them on my Kindle 4. I'm running the latest version of Calibre (.8.50).

Unfortunately, I'm trying to convert an .epub for use on a Kindle and I've hit some difficulties. To begin with, I spent hours trying to convert it to a .mobi, but the formatting would always mess up strangely and I decided it wasn't worth the headache to try and figure out. I decided I should just convert it to a .pdf sized for my Kindle screen, so I fired up the conversion wizard and the only settings I changed were the output format and PDF size, which I set to b7. After a normal amount of time converting, I get this error message:

calibre, version 0.8.50
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>Exception</b>:Empty output file, probably the conversion process crashed

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/__init__.py", line 347, in dispatch
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/actions/convert.py", line 199, in book_converted
Exception: Empty output file, probably the conversion process crashed

I have no idea what this means. Can anyone help me figure out what to do here, hopefully step-by-step? I found what looks like a solution online, but it was in really technical terms and I couldn't understand it. I even backdated my calibre and tried it on three different versions - .7.28, .8.17 and this version, none of them worked.

itimpi · 05-09-2012, 01:53 AM

Not sure why you are getting the crash, but I see no reason why converting to a PDF Using Calibre should result in better formatting.

jjjaaaack · 05-09-2012, 02:16 AM

It's mostly a last-ditch effort. The mobi version has the correct text, but each paragraph has serveral layers of boxes surrounding it, a lot of text doesn't fit on the Kindle screen, and the images (it's a chart- and special character-heavy book) are heavily cropped. I figured a pdf might be the only way to just get the accurate size + formatting of the text in a kindle-readable format.

itimpi · 05-09-2012, 03:27 AM

I would have thought your best chance might be to 'print' the ePub file using one of those printer drivers which look like a printer to the program doing the printing, but actually output to a PDF file?

donB006 · 05-09-2012, 05:44 PM

You might try to first convert the epub to htmlz. Then unzip the htmlz and find the index.html. Check the index.html in a browser and see what that looks like.
I wonder if there is a setting in your conversion that is causing the file size to be zero. Double check all of the preferences in the conversion choices like font size or line height. I think you might find one of those to be a zero.
.

05-09-2012, 01:30 AM	#1
jjjaaaack Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle 4	Trying to convert from epub to pdf, empty output file. Thanks for helping me out! Let me preface this by stating I'm pretty much clueless with regard to the technical aspects of Calibre. I usually just use it to import my books and put them on my Kindle 4. I'm running the latest version of Calibre (.8.50). Unfortunately, I'm trying to convert an .epub for use on a Kindle and I've hit some difficulties. To begin with, I spent hours trying to convert it to a .mobi, but the formatting would always mess up strangely and I decided it wasn't worth the headache to try and figure out. I decided I should just convert it to a .pdf sized for my Kindle screen, so I fired up the conversion wizard and the only settings I changed were the output format and PDF size, which I set to b7. After a normal amount of time converting, I get this error message: calibre, version 0.8.50 ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>Exception</b>:Empty output file, probably the conversion process crashed Traceback (most recent call last): File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/__init__.py", line 347, in dispatch File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/actions/convert.py", line 199, in book_converted Exception: Empty output file, probably the conversion process crashed I have no idea what this means. Can anyone help me figure out what to do here, hopefully step-by-step? I found what looks like a solution online, but it was in really technical terms and I couldn't understand it. I even backdated my calibre and tried it on three different versions - .7.28, .8.17 and this version, none of them worked.

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05-09-2012, 01:53 AM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Not sure why you are getting the crash, but I see no reason why converting to a PDF Using Calibre should result in better formatting.

05-09-2012, 02:16 AM	#3
jjjaaaack Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2012 Device: Kindle 4	It's mostly a last-ditch effort. The mobi version has the correct text, but each paragraph has serveral layers of boxes surrounding it, a lot of text doesn't fit on the Kindle screen, and the images (it's a chart- and special character-heavy book) are heavily cropped. I figured a pdf might be the only way to just get the accurate size + formatting of the text in a kindle-readable format.

05-09-2012, 03:27 AM	#4
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	I would have thought your best chance might be to 'print' the ePub file using one of those printer drivers which look like a printer to the program doing the printing, but actually output to a PDF file?

05-09-2012, 05:44 PM	#5
donB006 Connoisseur Posts: 86 Karma: 186294 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kindle k3G 3.4.2; DXG 2.5.8; DXG 3.1; Iriver Story HD	You might try to first convert the epub to htmlz. Then unzip the htmlz and find the index.html. Check the index.html in a browser and see what that looks like. I wonder if there is a setting in your conversion that is causing the file size to be zero. Double check all of the preferences in the conversion choices like font size or line height. I think you might find one of those to be a zero. .

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