Awaiting my Kindle 3 to arrive... question about epubs and PDFs

BIG45-70 · 09-07-2010, 07:16 AM

I'm waiting for my kindle 3 too arrive, I'm in Canada so they arn't shipping until septmeber 20th. I have a very large collection of Epubs and a few PDF manuals I would like to put on it when I get it. To convert the EPubs for use on the kindle is it as simple as running them through caliber and converting them to a mobi file? I'm assuming the same goes for the PDFs, I run through caliber to convert to a mobi?

grzzly · 09-07-2010, 07:24 AM

Yes, that works just fine with calibre. But beware of footnotes. They are obviously formatted into the text.

TheKindleWorm · 09-07-2010, 07:31 AM

Calibre will convert drm-free ePub files very well into mobi files - not sure about PDF conversion as I rarely read that format.

If your files are protected with drm then conversion will not be possible unless you remove this first.

DiapDealer · 09-07-2010, 07:36 AM

The ePubs will convert fine using Calibre. The pdfs will convert, but you can expect some less than satisfactory results depending on what kind of pdfs you started with.

grzzly · 09-07-2010, 07:39 AM

But calibre really does a great job converting. I converted some plain text pdfs (with good text information i.e. no faulty recognitions of text) and they became perfect mobi files.

shemsha · 09-07-2010, 08:42 AM

Since I have the same question, anything special that should be done/selected in calibre for the conversion? Should I select Kindle in output profile? Anything else? Or just select source file and output format?
Thanks!

warp · 09-07-2010, 09:13 AM

I have selected the Kindle as output format in Calibre. Just preview the results of the conversion in the viewer, most plain formatted PDF files will be fine. If not - I use OCR software to get a better result, eg if there are many footnotes in the PDF or page numbers

Corran006 · 09-07-2010, 09:41 AM

I find you have to go edit the Epub and remove any number on the left margin higher then 1. or it does not look like. so keep that in mind.

Josieb1 · 09-07-2010, 09:49 AM

My conversion of epubs and text pdf's was fine also. You can highlight your entire calibre library, select convert, then select MOBI as your outward file, and just walk away, calibre will do the lot in one go, just leave calibre to get on with and go and do something else.

It puts the new MOBI file in the same folder in the calibre library as the existing file. Then when you connect your kindle calibre knows to send the correct file.

BIG45-70 · 09-10-2010, 07:47 AM

sweet deal, thanks all

suecsi · 09-10-2010, 07:55 AM

I concur with the problem with headers and footers in PDFs, but I think there is a setting somewhere that attempts to strip them out. Otherwise, it works great.

HarryT · 09-10-2010, 07:58 AM

Good though Calibre is, I find that Mobi Creator generally does a better job when it comes to the specific task of PDF conversion.

RonF · 09-10-2010, 10:01 AM

Just wanted to post to add to the Calibre love

I have a Sony 300 and all of my books are in epub. I am awaiting the K3 and I used Calibre to convert them all to mobi. So right now I have a each book in drm free epub and mobi format. When my K3 arrives I will plug it in and xfer all the books via Calibre. It knows to transfer all the mobi files and not epub. It really is that simple (or so I'm told

)

When I converted, I switched the output to Kindle, and did it in batches of 20 at a time. I also went into "Look & feel" and checked "Remove spacing between paragraphs" and that will also add a 1.5em indent to the paragraphs. You can also check the box below it to "Insert blank line" between paragraphs. It depends on if you like spaces between the paragraphs or if you want to use as much real estate as possible and cram as many words on a page as you can. Lastly, under page margins I set the 4 margins to 1.

Now this is my preference, ymmv and you need to play around with the settings to find what looks best for you. Just take one book and filter it through a few times and look at the output.

Enjoy!

Josieb1 · 09-10-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

I have a Sony 300 and all of my books are in epub. I am awaiting the K3 and I used Calibre to convert them all to mobi. So right now I have a each book in drm free epub and mobi format. When my K3 arrives I will plug it in and xfer all the books via Calibre. It knows to transfer all the mobi files and not epub. It really is that simple (or so I'm told )

It is that simple, I did it with epubs, RTF's and text PDF's, over 700, and it worked a dream

superstitious · 09-11-2010, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grzzly

But calibre really does a great job converting. I converted some plain text pdfs (with good text information i.e. no faulty recognitions of text) and they became perfect mobi files.

How do you do that? Every pdf files I tried to convert came out with the weird lettering at the end of each page.

09-07-2010, 07:16 AM	#1
BIG45-70 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Awaiting my Kindle 3 to arrive... question about epubs and PDFs I'm waiting for my kindle 3 too arrive, I'm in Canada so they arn't shipping until septmeber 20th. I have a very large collection of Epubs and a few PDF manuals I would like to put on it when I get it. To convert the EPubs for use on the kindle is it as simple as running them through caliber and converting them to a mobi file? I'm assuming the same goes for the PDFs, I run through caliber to convert to a mobi?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Whats the best reader for ePubs and PDFs?	BIG45-70	Which one should I buy?	3	07-28-2010 01:35 PM
PRS-505 - Manche epubs und pdfs nicht mehr lesbar!	Fölli	Sony Reader	2	04-06-2010 05:30 AM
Question about PDFs and Kindle DX	purl4peace	Amazon Kindle	1	06-11-2009 03:25 PM
RELEASED: Native transcoding of PDFs and epubs on the Kindle2	jesse	Kindle Developer's Corner	23	05-27-2009 11:19 AM
The Next Big Question for Those Awaiting K2	BurBunny	Amazon Kindle	16	02-23-2009 04:01 PM

09-07-2010, 07:24 AM	#2
grzzly Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 12 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Germany Device: Kindle 3	Yes, that works just fine with calibre. But beware of footnotes. They are obviously formatted into the text.

09-07-2010, 07:31 AM	#3
TheKindleWorm Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 177868 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: East Anglia UK Device: Kindle 3G, iPhone 3G, iPod 4G, PB 360, Sony 600 sold, Kindle 2i sold	Calibre will convert drm-free ePub files very well into mobi files - not sure about PDF conversion as I rarely read that format. If your files are protected with drm then conversion will not be possible unless you remove this first.

09-07-2010, 07:36 AM	#4
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,547 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	The ePubs will convert fine using Calibre. The pdfs will convert, but you can expect some less than satisfactory results depending on what kind of pdfs you started with.

09-07-2010, 07:39 AM	#5
grzzly Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 12 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Germany Device: Kindle 3	But calibre really does a great job converting. I converted some plain text pdfs (with good text information i.e. no faulty recognitions of text) and they became perfect mobi files.

09-07-2010, 08:42 AM	#6
shemsha Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 6666 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	Since I have the same question, anything special that should be done/selected in calibre for the conversion? Should I select Kindle in output profile? Anything else? Or just select source file and output format? Thanks!

09-07-2010, 09:13 AM	#7
warp Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 16 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	I have selected the Kindle as output format in Calibre. Just preview the results of the conversion in the viewer, most plain formatted PDF files will be fine. If not - I use OCR software to get a better result, eg if there are many footnotes in the PDF or page numbers

09-07-2010, 09:41 AM	#8
Corran006 Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 7080 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kindle 3	I find you have to go edit the Epub and remove any number on the left margin higher then 1. or it does not look like. so keep that in mind.

09-07-2010, 09:49 AM	#9
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,009 Karma: 18018738 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Libra2, Clara 2e, Kindle PW SE & Kindle 2022	My conversion of epubs and text pdf's was fine also. You can highlight your entire calibre library, select convert, then select MOBI as your outward file, and just walk away, calibre will do the lot in one go, just leave calibre to get on with and go and do something else. It puts the new MOBI file in the same folder in the calibre library as the existing file. Then when you connect your kindle calibre knows to send the correct file.

09-10-2010, 07:47 AM	#10
BIG45-70 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle 3	sweet deal, thanks all

09-10-2010, 07:55 AM	#11
suecsi Rock Chick Posts: 429 Karma: 4965 Join Date: May 2009 Location: near Heathrow Device: Kindle 2i, Kindle DX, Kindle 3G	I concur with the problem with headers and footers in PDFs, but I think there is a setting somewhere that attempts to strip them out. Otherwise, it works great.

Advert

Advert

09-10-2010, 07:58 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Good though Calibre is, I find that Mobi Creator generally does a better job when it comes to the specific task of PDF conversion.

09-10-2010, 10:01 AM	#13
RonF Zealot Posts: 139 Karma: 306 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NY Device: Sony PRS-300, K3 WiFi, K4 NT, PW2	Just wanted to post to add to the Calibre love I have a Sony 300 and all of my books are in epub. I am awaiting the K3 and I used Calibre to convert them all to mobi. So right now I have a each book in drm free epub and mobi format. When my K3 arrives I will plug it in and xfer all the books via Calibre. It knows to transfer all the mobi files and not epub. It really is that simple (or so I'm told ) When I converted, I switched the output to Kindle, and did it in batches of 20 at a time. I also went into "Look & feel" and checked "Remove spacing between paragraphs" and that will also add a 1.5em indent to the paragraphs. You can also check the box below it to "Insert blank line" between paragraphs. It depends on if you like spaces between the paragraphs or if you want to use as much real estate as possible and cram as many words on a page as you can. Lastly, under page margins I set the 4 margins to 1. Now this is my preference, ymmv and you need to play around with the settings to find what looks best for you. Just take one book and filter it through a few times and look at the output. Enjoy!