Public Library books and Calibre

Larla · 07-14-2016, 06:39 AM

I just went through the process of getting a public library book using ADE to transfer it to my Glo HD. It landed as an epub whereas I sideload all my other books as kepub.

The problem is I had some formatting issues which I don't have with my kepub books. The text was much larger and I couldn't get justified formatting to work.

Is there some way that I can do the side loading of the library epub via Calibre and thus convert it to kepub as I side load?

Note: I do NOT want to remove the DRM on the public library book; I just want to have it on my Glo HD as a kepub rather than epub.

compurandom · 07-14-2016, 07:29 AM

If you used ADE to side load the book, I assume it is encrypted. If it is encrypted, there's nothing that can be done to easily fix the formatting issues.

The big font issue can usually be fixed in calibre with the Kobo Utilities extension without loading the book into calibre. Connect the device, check the list of books on the device with the device icon, select the book(s), and in the Kobo Utilities menu,select the "Set reader font for selected books" option.

It usually remembers what you used last, so I usually just hit OK at this point. This changes settings in the device database, not in the book itself. I'm not sure why books from ADE default to a huge font. You can also change the justification there, which may or may not have an effect as well.

If this doesn't work, then the publisher may have set an absolute font size in the book or hard coded other settings and the only fix is to complain to the publisher about formatting errors or find a different edition of the book.

JSWolf · 07-14-2016, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larla

I just went through the process of getting a public library book using ADE to transfer it to my Glo HD. It landed as an epub whereas I sideload all my other books as kepub.

The problem is I had some formatting issues which I don't have with my kepub books. The text was much larger and I couldn't get justified formatting to work.

Is there some way that I can do the side loading of the library epub via Calibre and thus convert it to kepub as I side load?

Note: I do NOT want to remove the DRM on the public library book; I just want to have it on my Glo HD as a kepub rather than epub.

Most library eBooks have DRM. because of this, you cannot edit the book. If the CSS says the eBook is to be left justified, then it will be. The font size you should be able to change using the AA menu in ADE. Sometimes eBooks have the line-height set in CSS and I don't think you could set it any smaller. Margins are also set in CSS and no way to set those smaller.

But, try the AA menu and see if you can change the settings you want and see what works and what doesn't. That's the best you can do. There is no way to convert an ePub with DRM to a kepub.

Larla · 07-14-2016, 07:50 AM

Thanks guys -- I was afraid that changing it was not going to be possible. It does use the font that i was last using and I can reduce the font size using AA menu but the biggest problem is that I can't change the justification.

frostschutz · 07-14-2016, 08:28 AM

There are people who don't remove DRM and still cheat by messing with the date on their readers. In the end honesty does not depend on technology/DRM, it only depends on you. Removing DRM doesn't mean you can't "return" the book, that's all up to you.

Larla · 07-14-2016, 07:39 PM

frosty -- yes I understand what you are saying. If this were a major problem then one might have to weigh the letter of the law versus the spirit. But for now I can easily forget about public library acquisitions and just work with my side-loaded kepubs.

07-14-2016, 06:39 AM	#1
Larla Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 5262189 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Katy, TX Device: Samsung Tab S5E 12" Tablet	Public Library books and Calibre I just went through the process of getting a public library book using ADE to transfer it to my Glo HD. It landed as an epub whereas I sideload all my other books as kepub. The problem is I had some formatting issues which I don't have with my kepub books. The text was much larger and I couldn't get justified formatting to work. Is there some way that I can do the side loading of the library epub via Calibre and thus convert it to kepub as I side load? Note: I do NOT want to remove the DRM on the public library book; I just want to have it on my Glo HD as a kepub rather than epub. Last edited by Larla; 07-14-2016 at 07:28 AM.

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07-14-2016, 07:29 AM	#2
compurandom Guru Posts: 919 Karma: 417282 Join Date: Jun 2015 Device: kobo aura h2o, kobo forma	If you used ADE to side load the book, I assume it is encrypted. If it is encrypted, there's nothing that can be done to easily fix the formatting issues. The big font issue can usually be fixed in calibre with the Kobo Utilities extension without loading the book into calibre. Connect the device, check the list of books on the device with the device icon, select the book(s), and in the Kobo Utilities menu,select the "Set reader font for selected books" option. It usually remembers what you used last, so I usually just hit OK at this point. This changes settings in the device database, not in the book itself. I'm not sure why books from ADE default to a huge font. You can also change the justification there, which may or may not have an effect as well. If this doesn't work, then the publisher may have set an absolute font size in the book or hard coded other settings and the only fix is to complain to the publisher about formatting errors or find a different edition of the book.

07-14-2016, 07:50 AM	#4
Larla Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 5262189 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Katy, TX Device: Samsung Tab S5E 12" Tablet	Thanks guys -- I was afraid that changing it was not going to be possible. It does use the font that i was last using and I can reduce the font size using AA menu but the biggest problem is that I can't change the justification.

07-14-2016, 08:28 AM	#5
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	There are people who don't remove DRM and still cheat by messing with the date on their readers. In the end honesty does not depend on technology/DRM, it only depends on you. Removing DRM doesn't mean you can't "return" the book, that's all up to you.

07-14-2016, 07:39 PM	#6
Larla Addict Posts: 281 Karma: 5262189 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Katy, TX Device: Samsung Tab S5E 12" Tablet	frosty -- yes I understand what you are saying. If this were a major problem then one might have to weigh the letter of the law versus the spirit. But for now I can easily forget about public library acquisitions and just work with my side-loaded kepubs.