EPUB to MOBI - 2 errors: links and div tags

[miz sue]

Hello!
I've been trying to search for an answer without a lot of success. If anyone can advise/help me, I'd so appreciate it. I received a cookbook in epub to fix up and then convert to mobi. I cracked open the epub and have been editing the css in dreamweaver.
Problem 1:
Each recipe is linked to the Content page. The headings were all blue, underlined links. I was able to change the css for the link to color:inherit and text-decorations:none. From there, I went to each subheading in the css and added color. This all worked great for epub. In the mobi, the links are still underlined but black (from the inherit). Can I get the headings to change color in the mobi same as I did in epub? Also, is there an easy way to remove the underline? There are 400 pages in this ebook set up in multiple files.
Problem 2:
There are TIP boxes created with div tags. There were splitting in the epub and I fixed it using display:inline-block and width:auto. So this keep it together and made each box the width of the screen. This approach did not continue into the mobi file. How can I correct the splitting and ensure each box is the width of the screen?
Thank you for any feeback!
Sue

[eschwartz]

Why are you converting to MOBI? Kindles will usually support the newer and more featureful AZW3, and any other device will read EPUB better than MOBI anyway.

[miz sue]

Maybe mobi is too generic? Basically I take the ePub and run it through kindlegen then preview it. I'm trying to get it to look as close to the ePub as possible.

[Notjohn]

Well, I don't use KindleGen, but upload my epub to the KDP and let it convert there. Though the file is called a "mobi" it actually contains two or three books: a Mobi 7 file for the older Kindles, a KF8 file for the newer ones, and sometimes the file you originally uploaded (depending I think on what that file was). The correct file will be delivered to the purchaser, depending on the device he's downloading to.

Unless altered somehow by your CSS, a hyperlink will show as blue in a Fire tablet but black in the grayscale Kindles.

[mattmc]

Originally Posted by miz sue

Problem 1:
Each recipe is linked to the Content page. The headings were all blue, underlined links. I was able to change the css for the link to color:inherit and text-decorations:none. From there, I went to each subheading in the css and added color. This all worked great for epub. In the mobi, the links are still underlined but black (from the inherit). Can I get the headings to change color in the mobi same as I did in epub? Also, is there an easy way to remove the underline?

So the headings were blue and underlined, so you CSS'd them to be color:inherit and text-decoration:none. Then you went and re-CSS'd them to be color:blue or something? I don't totally get what you mean.

"In the mobi, the links are underlined, but black." Don't you want them to be black? I'm confused. Sorry

In any case, removing underlines from MOBI files is something I'd looked into quite a bit. You'll notice that KF8 doesn't really respect CSS like a{text-decoration:none}. I had to inline it and mark it important, like <a href="..." style="text-decoration:none !important">Link</a>.

Also, I know that readers that use KF7 are fast waning, but the way to remove underlines in that older format is with a special tag <mpb:nu>, like <a href="..."><mbp:nu>Link</mbp:nu></a>.

I ended up writing a script that processes my ePub to add this stuff in, before I send it to KindleGen.

EDIT: If you're Javascript-savvy, I can give you the script and you could bend it to your needs.

[miz sue]

Hi Notjohn!
That's exactly how I interpret mobi files. I'm just using kindlegen to test my file but I leave it to the publisher to do the final uploading.

I'm good with the links not being blue but I wish they'd be the red colour from the subheading preference.

[miz sue]

Hi Mattmc!
Thanks for your reply. The original links in the mobi were blue which looked horrible because there were 400 recipes. I was able to change it in CSS to black which was much better. However, what I really wanted was for the links to have their original subheading colours instead.

Thank you for the offer of the script - I struggle with the CSS and can't even think of JavaScript- lol!

However, if you have any ideas on the tip boxes going full width I'd appreciate it.
Thanks Sue

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by miz sue

Hi Mattmc!
However, what I really wanted was for the links to have their original subheading colours instead.

But Miz, Kindle devices (as opposed to Fire tablets and the apps) are grayscale.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by miz sue

Hi Mattmc!
Thanks for your reply. The original links in the mobi were blue which looked horrible because there were 400 recipes. I was able to change it in CSS to black which was much better. However, what I really wanted was for the links to have their original subheading colours instead.

Thank you for the offer of the script - I struggle with the CSS and can't even think of JavaScript- lol!

However, if you have any ideas on the tip boxes going full width I'd appreciate it.
Thanks Sue

As a professional formatter, I probably ought to point out that a) setting a color for the links that is black, is against the Amazon guidelines, because b) if anyone tries to read that book with "night mode," they won't be able to see the text. "Inherit" doesn't work on KF7 or 8 at this moment in time, AFAIK. And trust me when I tell you that not allowing for Night Mode in reading is a near surefire way to get a KQN.

Originally Posted by Notjohn

But Miz, Kindle devices (as opposed to Fire tablets and the apps) are grayscale.

Yes, they are, and they're not going away anytime soon. Nor is KF7 necessarily being "phased out," either. The DX is KF7 and so is at least 1 or 2 other of the still-selling Kindle devices. To top it off, the K4iPad reader is KF7, and I doubt that's going to change quickly.

Red links, by the way, are a VERY pale grey on the K2's, 3's, PPW's, Voyages, etc.

FWIW, but you'll come to regret those black TOC links, later if not sooner.

Hitch

[miz sue]

Hi NotJohn,

Thanks for your reply. I understand about the grayscale for some Kindle apps but I was trying to make the one-epub-fits-all as best as possible : ) As a follow up, I think the publisher is going to re-work this piece - it is really unmanageable.

[miz sue]

Hi Hitch,

Thanks for your feedback. I totally forgot about the night-mode feature! I'll make sure any future links are left alone. As I mentioned to NotJohn, the publisher plans to redo this book because it was created in a very unmanageable fashion.

[JSWolf]

First problem is Dreamweaver. It has to go. Use Calibre or Sigil.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by miz sue

Hi Hitch,

Thanks for your feedback. I totally forgot about the night-mode feature! I'll make sure any future links are left alone. As I mentioned to NotJohn, the publisher plans to redo this book because it was created in a very unmanageable fashion.

Cookbooks are very difficult to do well, if the source material is heavily-laden with spreads. Tables are required for the recipe content (lists of ingredients/amounts) and lists are needed for steps. If you have images that illustrate the steps, it gets ever-worse. I've had an inquiry from someone who created a cookbook, using (gods help us all) the ubiquitous iAuthor, which of course put out a perfectly lovely cookbook that was worthless on anything other than an iPad. I made several samples of what could be done for real e-readers, but...visual folks can't switch over to the realities of actual e-reading devices, in my experience. It's never fun.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

First problem is Dreamweaver. It has to go. Use Calibre or Sigil.

Agreed, That's courting disaster.

Hitch