Converting Maths Symbols from Word to epub

elearner · 07-28-2014, 12:27 PM

I have a Word (2007) document with some Maths symbols and equations which I want to convert to epub. The epub document does not display the Maths symbols either on the Calibre viewer or on my Nook.

However, if I save the document as a html file using Word, and then convert it, I can see the Maths symbols on the Calibre viewer, but not on my Nook.

I have extracted a short section to display the problem.

I cannot send either docx or html files to you, so have saved the Word file as doc. (Calibre does not convert doc files however). So am attaching

mathsextract.doc - the original word file converted to doc
mathextract.epub - the converted Word file
mathestract web Unknown.epub - the converted html file
log1 - the log file for the first conversion
log2 the log file for the second conversion

Any help gratefully received

kovidgoyal · 07-28-2014, 01:08 PM

Conversion of math in word documents is not supported. If you want to get the html exported from word to work on your ebook reader, you will probably need ot embed the appropriate fonts into the epub, look in the look & feel section of the conversion dialog for that. But, that may or may not work, depednding on exactly how the html is created by word.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 01:28 PM

Thanks for that.

But what is odd is that if I convert the document to HTML with Word, and then convert that to epub with Calibre, the maths all appears in the epub document when I view it with the calibre viewer (mathsextract web.epub), but when I move the file to my Digital Editions and my Nook, the symbols vanish.

Is there any way I can get them to remain in that transfer?

Also, strictly speaking, it is not actually maths, but just combinations of symbols; and the - +, - etc reproduce fine, it is the Greek symbols, psi, theta, etc that are getting lost in the transition.

itimpi · 07-28-2014, 01:44 PM

This probably means that the necessary font is present on your PC but not the other devices. If you select the option to embed the fonts during conversion it may resolve the problem. You must also on the reading device make sure that you are using the publisher font to enable the embedded fonts to be used.

jgaiser · 07-28-2014, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elearner

But what is odd is that if I convert the document to HTML with Word, and then convert that to epub with Calibre, the maths all appears in the epub document when I view it with the calibre viewer (mathsextract web.epub), but when I move the file to my Digital Editions and my Nook, the symbols vanish.

As Kovid mentioned above, the fonts are not available on your Nook. If they do show up on the viewer, your PC has the fonts installed. To get them to work on the Nook, they will need to be embedded in the epub.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 01:59 PM

But they don't appear on Digital Editions even though that is on my PC?

Also, not sure what publisher font is. The Word document is an original document wrtten on Word.

But I guess what you are saying it that you wouldn't start from here! However, this is a 120 page document (written by my partner) which we would like to turn into an e-book. There are a large number of cross-references, it would be very difficult to start all over again.

But if we did, what would you suggest?

itimpi · 07-28-2014, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elearner

Also, not sure what publisher font is. The Word document is an original document wrtten on Word.

This means whether you should use the fonts specified by the publisher, or restrict yourself to a default fonts and style sheets on the reading device and ignore those specified in the eBook..

elearner · 07-28-2014, 02:45 PM

Ok. I tried checking the "embed referenced fonts" in the Look and Feel box, but it didn't help.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

This means whether you should use the fonts specified by the publisher, or restrict yourself to a default fonts and style sheets on the reading device and ignore those specified in the eBook..

The document does not have a "publisher". It was written n Word by my partner and I am trying to convert it to an ebook.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

As Kovid mentioned above, the fonts are not available on your Nook. If they do show up on the viewer, your PC has the fonts installed. To get them to work on the Nook, they will need to be embedded in the epub.

Ok. I tried checking the "embed referenced fonts" in the Look and Feel box, but it didn't help.

itimpi · 07-28-2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elearner

The document does not have a "publisher". It was written in Word by my partner and I am trying to convert it to an ebook.

It does have a publisher - you!

The question is whether the reading device has an option to ignore a formatting you have specified (including embedding fonts) or should obey any formatting you have specified. Not all ereader devices have such a setting - but many do and have ignoring your formatting as the default.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 03:34 PM

I have possibly found a solution, albeit not a very elegant one.

If I use the edit function on Calibre to edit the HTML document, and use Find and Replace to exchange the code in the HTML file which represents a specific symbol with the actual symbol from the editor library, the symbols now appear in both Digital Edition and the Nook. I'm not sure if all the symbols are in the Calibre but if so, I guess that will fix it.

elearner · 07-28-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

It does have a publisher - you!

The question is whether the reading device has an option to ignore a formatting you have specified (including embedding fonts) or should obey any formatting you have specified. Not all ereader devices have such a setting - but many do and have ignoring your formatting as the default.

Sorry - a bit above my level of expertise. The Word document was in Times New Roman which is the default font on my partner's so presumably that is the publisher's specified font. I don't think any font has been embedded (at least not knowingly!).

Not sure where I go from here, though you will see above I have found a rather messy way of dealing with it.

I guess I need to learn more about HTML and Word and epub formats. Or not........

But thanks for your help.

elearner · 07-29-2014, 05:05 AM

Clearly, starting a math or physics book in Word is not the set option for producing an e-book in these fields.

How would you suggest doing so next time?

Thanks

theducks · 07-29-2014, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elearner

Clearly, starting a math or physics book in Word is not the set option for producing an e-book in these fields.

How would you suggest doing so next time?

Thanks

Dr. Don Knuth wrote T[sub]E[/sub]X because printers mangled his Math books

I am not sure that T[sub]E[/sub]X is a good source option? I will let experts step up

I do remember reading that Calibre had some support for Math Jax https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...65&postcount=1

07-28-2014, 01:28 PM	#3
elearner Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Nook	Thanks for that. But what is odd is that if I convert the document to HTML with Word, and then convert that to epub with Calibre, the maths all appears in the epub document when I view it with the calibre viewer (mathsextract web.epub), but when I move the file to my Digital Editions and my Nook, the symbols vanish. Is there any way I can get them to remain in that transfer? Also, strictly speaking, it is not actually maths, but just combinations of symbols; and the - +, - etc reproduce fine, it is the Greek symbols, psi, theta, etc that are getting lost in the transition. Last edited by elearner; 07-28-2014 at 01:33 PM.

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07-28-2014, 01:08 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Conversion of math in word documents is not supported. If you want to get the html exported from word to work on your ebook reader, you will probably need ot embed the appropriate fonts into the epub, look in the look & feel section of the conversion dialog for that. But, that may or may not work, depednding on exactly how the html is created by word.

07-28-2014, 01:44 PM	#4
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	This probably means that the necessary font is present on your PC but not the other devices. If you select the option to embed the fonts during conversion it may resolve the problem. You must also on the reading device make sure that you are using the publisher font to enable the embedded fonts to be used.

07-28-2014, 01:59 PM	#6
elearner Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Nook	But they don't appear on Digital Editions even though that is on my PC? Also, not sure what publisher font is. The Word document is an original document wrtten on Word. But I guess what you are saying it that you wouldn't start from here! However, this is a 120 page document (written by my partner) which we would like to turn into an e-book. There are a large number of cross-references, it would be very difficult to start all over again. But if we did, what would you suggest?

07-28-2014, 02:45 PM	#8
elearner Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Nook	Ok. I tried checking the "embed referenced fonts" in the Look and Feel box, but it didn't help.

07-28-2014, 03:34 PM	#12
elearner Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Nook	I have possibly found a solution, albeit not a very elegant one. If I use the edit function on Calibre to edit the HTML document, and use Find and Replace to exchange the code in the HTML file which represents a specific symbol with the actual symbol from the editor library, the symbols now appear in both Digital Edition and the Nook. I'm not sure if all the symbols are in the Calibre but if so, I guess that will fix it.

07-29-2014, 05:05 AM	#14
elearner Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: Nook	Clearly, starting a math or physics book in Word is not the set option for producing an e-book in these fields. How would you suggest doing so next time? Thanks

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