pdf to epub or "optimized" pdf?

[imaginedtruths]

I have tried doing some searching, but I can't get a really clear answer on this issue.

I have a rather large collection of eBooks in pdf. I also have an Apple 4th generation iPad for reading them. I have tried GoodReader app, but it isn't the easiest to use. Also the past couple of updates to that app have been bug central. It also lacks the book shelf style of holding and organizing eBooks like iBooks does.

However, I have found that even though iBooks supports pdf files directly, that large sized high graphic pdf files, like magazines make it lag worse than a a snail trying to run a mile. A lot of the times I either get blank pages, or the pages are very blurry and impossible to read.



Could someone recommend the "correct" or generally best, settings on Calibre, in each area of the settings to try to get a somewhat decent quality epub conversion? I also have Adobe Acrobat and the pdf2epub plugin, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get that set up correctly to even come close to something legible, but less retaining both the text and the images.



As a option or 2nd possibility, could someone suggest a way to "optimize" my epub's so they actually display on iBooks without all the freezing, blank pages, blurry text I am getting? Even if I do need to re-optimize or fix every one of my pdfs, I have no problem doing so, if it would be easier and more effective than the monster project it would be to try to get them converted into working epub files for iBooks.

for any possible suggestions or help from experienced eBook readers here that know a good workable solution for me and potentially a posted sticky to explain in plain and simple English, step by step, a workable method to either do the conversion or to "optimize' and/or "fix" pdf files so they display properly without the issues I mentioned above. It would be a big help for me and many others as well I am guessing.

I am guessing, even though I am no expert on Apple code, let alone any sort of "guru" on .pdf creation, .epub creation, etc., that being a long time user of an iPad.... my guess is, that Apple is probably using a non-standard format of the .epub format, which likely makes any purchased or freely downloaded .epub's probably don't match the mysterious odd non-standard that Apple is using to make people buy all the books from iTunes and trying to force people to make people use the *ugh* Newsstand for newspapers and magazines.

So yeah, any possible help and suggestions for a workable solution to either re-create/fix/optimize my .pdf's or a workable good quality conversion to take all of my library of .pdf files and convert them not to just .epub's, but into whatever strange non-standard version Apple is using, would be GREATLY appreciated.

[itimpi]

Not an answer to your problem, but an observation that PDF files with a lot of graphics in them almost invariably convert badly with Calibre regardless of the settings you use.

There is a sticky about issues with PDF conversion.

[imaginedtruths]

Yeah, that's part of what I have noticed. I keep hoping to see the new pdf engine in Calibre as released and working well. Sadly, a lot of my eBooks are magazines with some heavy graphic content. If they were mostly text, then the conversion would be a much easier task. I do wonder though, even if I were to not convert them but clean them up, optimize them somehow, in order to get the right height/width, i.e. resolution, with decently clear images, that would display better on a recent iPad, could that work better? If so, any idea as to how to go about doing that?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by imaginedtruths

Yeah, that's part of what I have noticed. I keep hoping to see the new pdf engine in Calibre as released and working well. Sadly, a lot of my eBooks are magazines with some heavy graphic content. If they were mostly text, then the conversion would be a much easier task. I do wonder though, even if I were to not convert them but clean them up, optimize them somehow, in order to get the right height/width, i.e. resolution, with decently clear images, that would display better on a recent iPad, could that work better? If so, any idea as to how to go about doing that?

You could try Acrobat Pro or Nitro Pro - both have free limited period trials.

I'm not aware of any free or low cost PDF editors that I'd be prepared to even name, let alone recommend - ie they are all c**p.

If your PDF's are commercial magazines then they may be Secure PDF, i.e. encrypted. In which case Acrobat or Nitro probably wont let you edit them unless you have the encryption key.

Originally Posted by imaginedtruths

keep hoping to see the new pdf engine in Calibre as released and working well

I suspect you have a long hope in front of you.

Essentially what your looking for is software that will take a bucket of bytes that represents a magazine and convert it into into another bucket of bytes that represents a paperback novel. That ain't gonna happen soon - in Calibre or anywhere else. Its what some might call NP-Hard and others an Impossible Dream.

BR