Formatting my newspaper

design256 · 09-14-2006, 09:08 AM

My local newspaper allows me to by a PDF edition. However, in its native form (designed for A3) it is impossible to read on the Iliad.

I have tried Ali's perl script to split and rotate it, but, while the resultant PDF is readable, it is nearly ten times the size of the original (9MB from 900KB for two pages!!) and the Iliad takes stupid amounts of time to load the pages - nearly 20 minutes in one case...

Does anybody have any ideas how I can read my newspaper on my Iliad without having the time to make and drink a coffee between each page, and without needing a microscope?

If you'd like to play, the original pdf is on: http://cjx.com/paper1.pdf

The version formatted by Ali's script is on: http://cjx.com/paper1_iliad.pdf

DHer · 09-14-2006, 10:31 AM

Ok, i tried pdf2txt and reflowing it using the acrobat reader, but both versions produced... how to say it... fertilizer. pdf2txt was slightly more fertile, but that's surely not the way to go.

Do you think you could ask your local newspaper to produce a .txt version? That should be no big deal and significantly easier to process. (You couldn't get the weather graphs, though)

pdam · 09-14-2006, 11:28 AM

I also tried it with Acrobat 6 Pro, more garbage produced ... you simply can't reflow documents with highly formatted pages and lots of graphics well ... now if you can get an HTML or XML version ... then you'd have something to play with ... it the paper available online?

design256 · 09-14-2006, 11:57 AM

Unfortunately, you can only view through their reader app or save as a PDF - and I think we're very lucky to get that - most newspapers only let you read online.

DHer · 09-14-2006, 12:53 PM

online reading would actually allow you to spider the content and clean it up.

Whereas pdf processing... well, it isn't fun, really. It's really ment for viewing and for printing, not for further processing.

pdam · 09-14-2006, 05:29 PM

i had a quick look online - the flash reader ... seems to be a clever way of reading a pdf, no help - as DHer mentions - you can scrape the online version ... or better still - let you're paper know of your dillema and see if they can help you - they are obviously tech savy for a local rag - it would probably be relatively easy for them to knock up an Iliad version, give themselves some great exposure and another channel to engage with their advertisers ... (and possibly you your paper on the Iliad :-)

design256 · 09-14-2006, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdam

i had a quick look online - the flash reader ... seems to be a clever way of reading a pdf, no help - as DHer mentions - you can scrape the online version ... or better still - let you're paper know of your dillema and see if they can help you - they are obviously tech savy for a local rag - it would probably be relatively easy for them to knock up an Iliad version, give themselves some great exposure and another channel to engage with there advertisers ... (and possibly you your paper on the Iliad :-)

Actually, the EADT is owned by Archant who also own several hundred other local papers around the UK. They have been responsive to requests for new features, so I guess it's worth a try...

scotty1024 · 10-05-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by design256

I have tried Ali's perl script to split and rotate it, but, while the resultant PDF is readable, it is nearly ten times the size of the original (9MB from 900KB for two pages!!)

Sorry I took so long getting around to this, I've been, otherwise engaged.

I'm sorry but my Java tool added 1679 bytes whilst rotating your file to 90 degrees with double pages. I hope that isn't too much larger to meet your needs.

Enjoy!

(my code is posted somewhere in the iLiad forum)

09-14-2006, 09:08 AM	#1
design256 Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 103 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ipswich, UK Device: Irex Iliad	Formatting my newspaper My local newspaper allows me to by a PDF edition. However, in its native form (designed for A3) it is impossible to read on the Iliad. I have tried Ali's perl script to split and rotate it, but, while the resultant PDF is readable, it is nearly ten times the size of the original (9MB from 900KB for two pages!!) and the Iliad takes stupid amounts of time to load the pages - nearly 20 minutes in one case... Does anybody have any ideas how I can read my newspaper on my Iliad without having the time to make and drink a coffee between each page, and without needing a microscope? If you'd like to play, the original pdf is on: http://cjx.com/paper1.pdf The version formatted by Ali's script is on: http://cjx.com/paper1_iliad.pdf

09-14-2006, 05:29 PM	#6
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	i had a quick look online - the flash reader ... seems to be a clever way of reading a pdf, no help - as DHer mentions - you can scrape the online version ... or better still - let you're paper know of your dillema and see if they can help you - they are obviously tech savy for a local rag - it would probably be relatively easy for them to knock up an Iliad version, give themselves some great exposure and another channel to engage with their advertisers ... (and possibly you your paper on the Iliad :-) Last edited by pdam; 09-15-2006 at 04:00 AM.

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09-14-2006, 10:31 AM	#2
DHer Addict Posts: 261 Karma: 156 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: iliad	Ok, i tried pdf2txt and reflowing it using the acrobat reader, but both versions produced... how to say it... fertilizer. pdf2txt was slightly more fertile, but that's surely not the way to go. Do you think you could ask your local newspaper to produce a .txt version? That should be no big deal and significantly easier to process. (You couldn't get the weather graphs, though)

09-14-2006, 11:28 AM	#3
pdam Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 100 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: iLiad, iPaq, Psion5&7, Blackberry	I also tried it with Acrobat 6 Pro, more garbage produced ... you simply can't reflow documents with highly formatted pages and lots of graphics well ... now if you can get an HTML or XML version ... then you'd have something to play with ... it the paper available online?

09-14-2006, 11:57 AM	#4
design256 Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 103 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Ipswich, UK Device: Irex Iliad	Unfortunately, you can only view through their reader app or save as a PDF - and I think we're very lucky to get that - most newspapers only let you read online.

09-14-2006, 12:53 PM	#5
DHer Addict Posts: 261 Karma: 156 Join Date: Jul 2006 Device: iliad	online reading would actually allow you to spider the content and clean it up. Whereas pdf processing... well, it isn't fun, really. It's really ment for viewing and for printing, not for further processing.

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