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Old 02-11-2011, 12:39 PM   #1
HopelessManu
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from PDF to ePub

Hi there!
I would like to know if nowadays there's a better tool for converting PDF to ePub format than Calibre.
Using Calibre to me means starting from scratch with CSS and many, many other things.
Please help soon!

Thanks
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Old 02-11-2011, 12:48 PM   #2
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I don't know of a better tool. Yes, it has severe limitations, but that's because you're working against the grain. PDF was meant as an output format, it wasn't meant to be an input format for converting to others.

But I'm confused by "Using Calibre to me means starting from scratch with CSS and many, many other things." That seems to suggest that you had created a CSS file to begin with. Surely if you have access to the source files for the document, you're much better off using those to create your ePub, and not using PDF as an intermediary.
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Old 02-15-2011, 10:48 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frabjous View Post
I don't know of a better tool. Yes, it has severe limitations, but that's because you're working against the grain. PDF was meant as an output format, it wasn't meant to be an input format for converting to others.

But I'm confused by "Using Calibre to me means starting from scratch with CSS and many, many other things." That seems to suggest that you had created a CSS file to begin with. Surely if you have access to the source files for the document, you're much better off using those to create your ePub, and not using PDF as an intermediary.
No, I have no access to the source document. I just meant that, since Calibre makes a mess with headings, images, italic/bold and so on, I have to obtain them again preparing a new CSS.
Still no breakthrough discovery, then?
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Old 02-15-2011, 11:49 AM   #4
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For PDF's I always start with Mobipocket Creator to convert to HTML. In my experience that produces the best results. Then you can use Sigil to make your ePub.
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Old 02-17-2011, 12:15 AM   #5
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Hi Manu,

Try pdfreflow to create an HTML from your PDF. Then you can use Calibre to convert the HTML file into an epub.
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Old 03-01-2011, 10:46 PM   #6
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I have a same problem about converting PDF to Epub.
Does Calibre support my Mac OS?Or anyone have other recommendation for PDF Converter for Mac?
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Old 03-02-2011, 04:42 AM   #7
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Red face Pliz help convert PDF to anything that'll go on my Sony ?

Newie-ish and tech-idiot here ( well, relatively, I can turn it on and download things to my PC ) so please be gentle with me...........

I have downloaded my first PDF ebook to my PC . ( The Judas Tree)

Could some kind soul tell me how to get it onto my PRS650 ?
( Imagine how you'd tell a 7 year old , and that'd probably be about right ! )

I have Calibre installed ( not used it yet-I don't think ), Adobe Digital, and the normal Sony thingy. Haven't had to do anything heroic yet, as all's gone, more or less, easily from PC to reader.
I have the feeling this is going to be my first major challenge - and the child away at university, too, my usual tech-interpreter !

I am on yo mercy, one and all.
(Just to say I have read various threads / posts, but feel I need to start from scratch, hopefully without relying on assumed knowledge I actually don't have !)

Last edited by carpetmojo; 03-02-2011 at 04:46 AM. Reason: Missed a bit.
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Old 03-02-2011, 05:58 PM   #8
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Talking Ummm...................

Hey - I thought I'd have a bash - could I really do any lasting damage to the world and me ?

So-o-o.........I d/loaded a PDF (Judas Tree), connected PRS, opened my Caibre, opened d/load, hit it "Open containing folder", dragged that over to Calibre Library, watched the pinwheel go round....................and that was that, there it was on the reader !

Is that really all there was ?!
Or was I just lucky?

The text is fine ('specially now I've done the saturation custom tickle, brilliant), all there, and I'm so chuffed.

Does that mean the only thing I have to tackle now is DRM ?
Think I'll bask a bit afore I attempt any of that lark !!

Last edited by carpetmojo; 03-02-2011 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Missed a bit...
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Old 03-11-2011, 10:19 AM   #9
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If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can export to HTML, and then convert that to ePub as well.
Just realize that it isn't always an easy conversion, and may require a bit of cleanup.
What's more, you can follow this PDF Converter Reviews, which includes many article about transfering PDF to other farmats on PC or Mac.
Good luck!
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Old 10-21-2011, 10:30 PM   #10
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I have been pretty impressed by Mobipocket Creator. Convert to mobi then use Calibre to convert mobi to epub
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Old 12-17-2011, 11:10 AM   #11
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Calibre is, in my experience, a bad tool, especially for this kind of a job. Sure, the fan boys will bash everything in their way and it happened to read around here at least a couple of times that the fault is with the document at hand and not the bad converter.

My solution is to use Abbyy Finereader. It's quite cheap compared with the Adobe pack and it does a wonderful job of reading even old Xerox machine quality docs. But Abbyy is bad at outputting stuff. So the latest version (11) can save as epub, but it would be filled with mistakes. One way it would be to help it by going through the style editor. Another way would be to fire Sigil and fix it there. With some basic knowledge of HTML you can solve those issues fast.
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Old 12-26-2011, 12:22 AM   #12
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How well do these conversions work with image heavy PDF's?
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Old 12-26-2011, 06:02 AM   #13
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ePub wasn't designed for photo albums or really anything with more than one column. Chances are that the pictures will split across pages, especially if someone decides to use a different font (or font size).
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Old 12-26-2011, 02:11 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DSpider View Post
ePub wasn't designed for photo albums or really anything with more than one column. Chances are that the pictures will split across pages, especially if someone decides to use a different font (or font size).
Suggestion on a program that would work then? These are how-to books I wrote back in the dark ages and they are PDF files. I tried converting them to word documents and it looked terrible. I wrote the books originally using InDesign, I still have those files.

Kimberly

Last edited by milkweed; 12-26-2011 at 02:15 PM.
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Old 12-26-2011, 05:28 PM   #15
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Then fire up InDesign and go from there. Either export to ePub or at least to HTML if you have an older version and use Sigil to turn it into an ePub.
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