How tp convert PDF to ePub

ACGT · 05-07-2016, 05:14 PM

Hi,

Can you please recommend a method to convert a PDF to ePub. Hopefully using open source software. Here is the original PDF (free): Apache Spark Analytics Made Simple

Excerpted from Calibre documentation Convert PDF documents

Quote:

"PDF is a really, really bad format to use as input. If you absolutely must use PDF, then be prepared for an output ranging anywhere from decent to unusable, depending on the input PDF"

Look like it's a bad idea. Anyone of you have had any success in the past?

Thank you very much in advance for any help.

dbarnum · 05-07-2016, 06:23 PM

Have you tried calibre? I've converted several, plus mobi/azw3 to epub.

theducks · 05-07-2016, 07:28 PM

PDF is a Page layout format
The paste up can be done in any order and the page is still good in the end because the entire page was rendered, then displayed.

Other formats are mostly 'serial'. Top to bottom

With anything other than the most simple PDF, you get what happens next in the markup, when you do a Calibre convert. Images can land where they are called, not in the place they were intended.

Another gotcha is Ligatures get the first part only ffi ends up f

The title you listed implies it will be rich in charts and diagrams

crich70 · 05-07-2016, 10:50 PM

This program works fairly well to convert pdf's to epubs, kindle and html format.PDF to Epub

GERGE · 05-08-2016, 01:44 AM

You need to use OCR, there is no good free OCR, not really.

HarryT · 05-08-2016, 02:57 AM

Moved to the "Workshop" forum.

BetterRed · 05-08-2016, 04:04 AM

Why do you want to convert the book to EPUB? If it;s to make it easier to read on a narrow screen you might want to consider this k2pdfopt: optimizes PDFs for viewing on e-readers

I agree with thducks one gets the impression it will take some effort to convert - only the simplest of PDF's can be transformed to an EPUB without some, or a lot, of editing with an ePUB Editor.

BR

HarryT · 05-08-2016, 04:07 AM

A decent OCR program, such as Abbyy FineReader, is generally the best way to convert a complex PDF into a reflowable format but, as others have already said, you will certainly need to spend time polishing it afterwards. And, of course, FineReader is far from free.

JSWolf · 05-08-2016, 05:42 AM

No matter how you convert PDF to ePub, you will need to A/B compare the ePub to the PDF to fix any errors and there will be errors.

You will need to compare there character, every space, every graphic, everything.

ACGT · 05-08-2016, 03:57 PM

Hi everybody,

Thank you very much for your advices. I use Linux so it's a little bit complicate to use PdfToEpub or Abbyy FineReader. Although a VM could be a solution.

The reason I think of converting PDF to ePub is because it's easier to read an ePub on the Kobo Glo HD. But if the conversion to ePub is too complicate, I can still read the PDF on my phone. This is just for reading during the commute.

I will attempt the conversion using Calibre. Not sure how to do the edit afterwards, but I will try for the fun of it.

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05-07-2016, 06:23 PM	#2
dbarnum Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2016 Device: Nook Glowlight	Have you tried calibre? I've converted several, plus mobi/azw3 to epub.

05-07-2016, 07:28 PM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,817 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	PDF is a Page layout format The paste up can be done in any order and the page is still good in the end because the entire page was rendered, then displayed. Other formats are mostly 'serial'. Top to bottom With anything other than the most simple PDF, you get what happens next in the markup, when you do a Calibre convert. Images can land where they are called, not in the place they were intended. Another gotcha is Ligatures get the first part only ffi ends up f The title you listed implies it will be rich in charts and diagrams

05-07-2016, 10:50 PM	#4
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	This program works fairly well to convert pdf's to epubs, kindle and html format.PDF to Epub

05-08-2016, 01:44 AM	#5
GERGE Guru Posts: 732 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	You need to use OCR, there is no good free OCR, not really.

05-08-2016, 02:57 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Moved to the "Workshop" forum.

05-08-2016, 04:04 AM	#7
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,583 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Why do you want to convert the book to EPUB? If it;s to make it easier to read on a narrow screen you might want to consider this k2pdfopt: optimizes PDFs for viewing on e-readers I agree with thducks one gets the impression it will take some effort to convert - only the simplest of PDF's can be transformed to an EPUB without some, or a lot, of editing with an ePUB Editor. BR

05-08-2016, 04:07 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	A decent OCR program, such as Abbyy FineReader, is generally the best way to convert a complex PDF into a reflowable format but, as others have already said, you will certainly need to spend time polishing it afterwards. And, of course, FineReader is far from free.

05-08-2016, 05:42 AM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,037 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	No matter how you convert PDF to ePub, you will need to A/B compare the ePub to the PDF to fix any errors and there will be errors. You will need to compare there character, every space, every graphic, everything.

05-08-2016, 03:57 PM	#10
ACGT Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Hi everybody, Thank you very much for your advices. I use Linux so it's a little bit complicate to use PdfToEpub or Abbyy FineReader. Although a VM could be a solution. The reason I think of converting PDF to ePub is because it's easier to read an ePub on the Kobo Glo HD. But if the conversion to ePub is too complicate, I can still read the PDF on my phone. This is just for reading during the commute. I will attempt the conversion using Calibre. Not sure how to do the edit afterwards, but I will try for the fun of it.