PDF to MOBI ... problem

oceaneagle · 07-12-2012, 04:54 AM

I am using that wonderful program Calibre. Recently I acquired a PDF copy of "Black Edelweiss" and using Calibre converted it to MOBI.

The type size of the MOBI conversion is far too small to read on a Kindle and the facility to increase type size doesn't work. To double check this I also tried the same thing using the software that allows one to read Kindle on a PC. Exactly the same thing.

Anyone have an answer?

GeoffC · 07-12-2012, 05:27 AM

PDF is not the easiest format to start from. Have you had a look at some of the conversion software mentioned in the e-book formats forum >>>here<<<

oceaneagle · 07-12-2012, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

PDF is not the easiest format to start from. Have you had a look at some of the conversion software mentioned in the e-book formats forum >>>here<<<

I have tried one or two other converters and the outcome is the same. Anyway Calibre is such a comprehensive program constantly improved and updated which gives me more faith in it than anyone. Maybe I should drop an email to Calibre themselves.

crich70 · 07-12-2012, 09:33 AM

You might try putting it through Mobipocket Creator and then using the HTML page that is generated in Sigil to create an epub which can then be converted to Mobi.

oceaneagle · 07-12-2012, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

You might try putting it through Mobipocket Creator and then using the HTML page that is generated in Sigil to create an epub which can then be converted to Mobi.

Thanks but I have now checked it out with Calibre. It appears that PDFs can be notoriously hard to convert because of the nuances and side issues which cannot be resolved. In short I have to "suck it up"

Pismire · 07-12-2012, 12:10 PM

Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't heuristic processing hold some options for a base font size? One that you can even tweak to adapt header sizes.
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conversion.html#id19

susan_cassidy · 07-12-2012, 12:16 PM

If the font size adjustment isn't working, then it isn't a mobi book, it is still a pdf.

oceaneagle · 07-12-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

If the font size adjustment isn't working, then it isn't a mobi book, it is still a pdf.

You sure about that? Because I'm sure it IS Mobi and I still have the original PDF file in the same folder. It now transpires this conversion problem is quite a well known one and discussed elsewhere.

terencek · 07-13-2012, 05:26 AM

If you are really fond of the PDF book you are trying to convert and are willing to put in a bit of work, you could of course convert it to EPUB using Calibre, then use the freebie SIGIL to clean it up and then convert it to MOBI.

Without SIGIL you could also simply convert the PDF original to MS Word, clean it up (Find and Replace are your friends...), Save As RTF (which Calibre can happily handle) and convert it to MOBI with Calibre. All a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but if you REALLY want a good conversion of a special book....

HarryT · 07-13-2012, 06:28 AM

The honest answer is that your best solution is to use an iPad or a 10" Android tablet and read the PDF. PDF is not an eBook format and can rarely be converted satisfactorily to another format.

If you have no choice but to convert it, OCR is often the best way to do so.

oceaneagle · 07-13-2012, 08:04 AM

Thanks for all the useful advice

Valhalla · 07-14-2012, 12:58 AM

Try emailing it to your kindle with a subject of 'convert'. Amazon will convert to azw and seems to do a better job of most methods I've tried.

ndixon · 07-16-2012, 03:11 AM

Depending on how geeky you are, you could use the Debug section of the Convert dialog (down at the bottom) to nominate a folder where the intermediate files will be generated.

This will let you see the results of each stage in the conversion process, and identify where the weirdness is creeping in.
Usually it's the initial pdf-to-html stage that has problems, but if you can correct the HTML you can load that into Calibre and convert it to MOBI.

HarryT · 07-16-2012, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

If the font size adjustment isn't working, then it isn't a mobi book, it is still a pdf.

Not necessarily. If the Mobi has its font size hard-coded, then the size won't be adjustable.

neonbible · 07-17-2012, 05:46 AM

You can let amazon convert PDF first and then tidy it up.

Check my previous post here - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...06&postcount=3

07-12-2012, 04:54 AM	#1
oceaneagle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: kindle, Ipad	PDF to MOBI ... problem I am using that wonderful program Calibre. Recently I acquired a PDF copy of "Black Edelweiss" and using Calibre converted it to MOBI. The type size of the MOBI conversion is far too small to read on a Kindle and the facility to increase type size doesn't work. To double check this I also tried the same thing using the software that allows one to read Kindle on a PC. Exactly the same thing. Anyone have an answer?

07-13-2012, 08:04 AM	#11
oceaneagle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: kindle, Ipad	pdf-mobi Thanks for all the useful advice

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07-12-2012, 05:27 AM	#2
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	PDF is not the easiest format to start from. Have you had a look at some of the conversion software mentioned in the e-book formats forum >>>here<<<

07-12-2012, 09:33 AM	#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)	You might try putting it through Mobipocket Creator and then using the HTML page that is generated in Sigil to create an epub which can then be converted to Mobi.

07-12-2012, 12:10 PM	#6
Pismire Small God, also Turtle. Posts: 78 Karma: 227774 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: South-ish Device: Kindle Touch	Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't heuristic processing hold some options for a base font size? One that you can even tweak to adapt header sizes. http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conversion.html#id19

07-12-2012, 12:16 PM	#7
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	If the font size adjustment isn't working, then it isn't a mobi book, it is still a pdf.

07-13-2012, 05:26 AM	#9
terencek Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 1010944 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The African bush Device: Kindle 3	If you are really fond of the PDF book you are trying to convert and are willing to put in a bit of work, you could of course convert it to EPUB using Calibre, then use the freebie SIGIL to clean it up and then convert it to MOBI. Without SIGIL you could also simply convert the PDF original to MS Word, clean it up (Find and Replace are your friends...), Save As RTF (which Calibre can happily handle) and convert it to MOBI with Calibre. All a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but if you REALLY want a good conversion of a special book....

07-13-2012, 06:28 AM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The honest answer is that your best solution is to use an iPad or a 10" Android tablet and read the PDF. PDF is not an eBook format and can rarely be converted satisfactorily to another format. If you have no choice but to convert it, OCR is often the best way to do so.

07-14-2012, 12:58 AM	#12
Valhalla Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 495253 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Try emailing it to your kindle with a subject of 'convert'. Amazon will convert to azw and seems to do a better job of most methods I've tried.

07-16-2012, 03:11 AM	#13
ndixon Mostly Harmless Posts: 41 Karma: 600872 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle 4, Nook Simple Touch	Depending on how geeky you are, you could use the Debug section of the Convert dialog (down at the bottom) to nominate a folder where the intermediate files will be generated. This will let you see the results of each stage in the conversion process, and identify where the weirdness is creeping in. Usually it's the initial pdf-to-html stage that has problems, but if you can correct the HTML you can load that into Calibre and convert it to MOBI.

07-17-2012, 05:46 AM	#15
neonbible Addict Posts: 202 Karma: 10802 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPhone 5, iPad Air, Nexus 7	You can let amazon convert PDF first and then tidy it up. Check my previous post here - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...06&postcount=3