Mirrored/flipped PDF

[PhoenixM]

Hi all,

Firstly, I wasn't entirely sure whether to put this here or in the forum about conversion, so do move if it's wrong.

I'm just starting out with Calibre. I've been trying to put some documents in my library which are PDF's. They probably have some degree of DRM, but they are licensed and allowed for printing, use on any device etc, by me (I'm a student, and this is what the copyright notice from my university says). The first page is a copyright notice, and then the remaining pages are photocopied pages of books/journals, that have been inputted under license by the uni library. When they go into Calibre, all but the first page (i.e. all the photocopied pages, which it considers to be images) are flipped/mirrored. They're all 90 rotated anyway, which is why they end up mirrored - I think it's a vertical flip that Calibre is doing.

I did/do have some plug-ins to wipe DRM, but I've disabled all of them as I thought that may be the issue. However, it persists. The same documents in Adobe Digital Editions come out fine - it's moving into Calibre that's the issue.

I would like to edit the metadata (as the titles are ridiculous currently, and totally impossible to search/catalogue) and preferably use the button on the metadata edit page to remove the first page, and let Calibre create a title page. However, none of this is as important as being able to read it!!!

I've done some searching, but couldn't find anything about this, just stuff about the same problem when converting from PDF. I don't mind keeping the documents as PDF's (well, at least, I know there isn't another way).

Why is Calibre doing this to my un-converted docs? How can I stop it? Thanks!

[Adoby]

Calibre is not very good at displaying PDFs. Use an external PDF viewer instead of the Calibre ebook viewer. (Set in preferences.)

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

I'm just starting out with Calibre. I've been trying to put some documents in my library which are PDF's. They probably have some degree of DRM, but they are licensed and allowed for printing, use on any device etc, by me (I'm a student, and this is what the copyright notice from my university says).

Calibre is great for organizing books in any format.

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

When they go into Calibre, all but the first page (i.e. all the photocopied pages, which it considers to be images) are flipped/mirrored. They're all 90 rotated anyway, which is why they end up mirrored - I think it's a vertical flip that Calibre is doing.

Calibre makes no changes to PDF files when they are added to calibre.

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

it's moving into Calibre that's the issue.

Moving PDF books into calibre causes no alteration to the book.

Originally Posted by PhoenixM

I've done some searching, but couldn't find anything about this, just stuff about the same problem when converting from PDF. I don't mind keeping the documents as PDF's (well, at least, I know there isn't another way).

Why is Calibre doing this to my un-converted docs? How can I stop it? Thanks!

You never say how you are viewing the PDF. The only thing that makes sense is you are using calibre's viewer to view the PDFs. Calibre's viewer is an ePub viewer. Any format other than ePub is given a quick and dirty conversion to a basic epub format then viewed. So your PDF is being converted for viewing.

The solution is not to use the Calibre viewer for PDF files. Go to Preference - Behavior and uncheck the box next to PDF in the Use internal viewer for column. Now when you go to view a PDF book from calibre it will open the PDF in your default PDF viewer and not use calibre's viewer.

Good Reading.

[PhoenixM]

Brilliant - thanks so much. I didn't realise the reader was converting it out of PDF. Is there a way to get Calibre title pages onto the PDF, without any kind of conversion (and associated mirroring)?
Thanks!