Importing books into Calibre without adding margins

Oranges_Love · 01-01-2021, 01:30 PM

I'm trying to add an .azw book of manga to Calibre and convert it to a .zip file. Whenever I import a book it adds margins to all sides of every image. I can remove the margins when I convert from .azw3 to .zip, but because the margins were already added during the first conversion, the image quality is ruined.

Is there a way to have the same conversion settings when importing a file as when I'm converting a file, so I can turn off the margins?

I'm using Calibre 3.48 as that is the latest version that works on Windows 7.

BetterRed · 01-01-2021, 04:07 PM

What device or viewer are you using to look at the ZIP?

BR

Oranges_Love · 01-01-2021, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

What device or viewer are you using to look at the ZIP?

BR

That's not really relevant. I can open a .zip and open each .jpeg and see that they are distorted. I can convert the file to any format and the quality issue is there.

The only way that the margins could not be the problem is if Calibre just loses image quality, which I don't think is the case since it's the same file type (.azw -> .azw3) and the file size is basically the same. I'm 99% certain it's caused by the resolution of the page staying the same, while the image is being squished to a smaller portion of the page by the margins, thus it has a smaller resolution.

If I zoom in on the image in the kindle app it is much less pixelated than after being imported into Calibre.

JSWolf · 01-01-2021, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oranges_Love

I'm trying to add an .azw book of manga to Calibre and convert it to a .zip file. Whenever I import a book it adds margins to all sides of every image. I can remove the margins when I convert from .azw3 to .zip, but because the margins were already added during the first conversion, the image quality is ruined.

Is there a way to have the same conversion settings when importing a file as when I'm converting a file, so I can turn off the margins?

I'm using Calibre 3.48 as that is the latest version that works on Windows 7.

Calibre 4.23 might work. It works on some Window 7 systems.

As for your margins, try this, go to preferences and then common options. On the right side select page setup and in the margins put in -0.1pt for all margins. I believe that negative margins work as no margins.

Oranges_Love · 01-01-2021, 05:47 PM

I originally tried making the margins -1. When I did that they changed to "unchanged" so I assumed this version was after the point when people had to put in negative numbers. I tried -0.1 and they stayed that way (didn't change to "unchanged"), but the margins were exactly the same. I think the common options are just for conversions that aren't adding a book the library. I also have the box checked to remove margins from css, but it still adds them when I add the book to Calibre.

jhowell · 01-01-2021, 07:18 PM

Unless you have specifically configured calibre to "Automatically convert added books to the preferred output format" it does not perform conversion upon import and will not be adding margins to your book.

Calibre does not handle fixed-layout e-books, such as Kindle comics, so trying to view them or convert them to another format can yield incorrect results.

Oranges_Love · 01-01-2021, 08:27 PM

I don't know if this is a "fixed-layout e-book", but it's not a kindle comic. It's downloaded via the Kindle PC app.

I think I understand though. It's not actually adding margins when I import it, it's just displaying it incorrectly (visually adding margins). When I convert it, it either adds margins that look exactly like those margins or not depending on the "remove margins" check box.

I just opened the .azw3 that Calibre made after importing in Kindle and it didn't look distorted. I guess because Calibre doesn't know how to handle .azw with images it just loses resolution when converting to other formats (or when using Kindle Unpack). Unless the Kindle app is just doing some trickery to upscale the images.

Does it have the same problem with .kfx? I think version 3.48 can't handle .kfx.

01-01-2021, 01:30 PM	#1
Oranges_Love Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2021 Device: none	Importing books into Calibre without adding margins I'm trying to add an .azw book of manga to Calibre and convert it to a .zip file. Whenever I import a book it adds margins to all sides of every image. I can remove the margins when I convert from .azw3 to .zip, but because the margins were already added during the first conversion, the image quality is ruined. Is there a way to have the same conversion settings when importing a file as when I'm converting a file, so I can turn off the margins? I'm using Calibre 3.48 as that is the latest version that works on Windows 7.

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01-01-2021, 04:07 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,706 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	What device or viewer are you using to look at the ZIP? BR

01-01-2021, 05:47 PM	#5
Oranges_Love Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2021 Device: none	I originally tried making the margins -1. When I did that they changed to "unchanged" so I assumed this version was after the point when people had to put in negative numbers. I tried -0.1 and they stayed that way (didn't change to "unchanged"), but the margins were exactly the same. I think the common options are just for conversions that aren't adding a book the library. I also have the box checked to remove margins from css, but it still adds them when I add the book to Calibre.

01-01-2021, 07:18 PM	#6
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,062 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	Unless you have specifically configured calibre to "Automatically convert added books to the preferred output format" it does not perform conversion upon import and will not be adding margins to your book. Calibre does not handle fixed-layout e-books, such as Kindle comics, so trying to view them or convert them to another format can yield incorrect results.

01-01-2021, 08:27 PM	#7
Oranges_Love Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2021 Device: none	I don't know if this is a "fixed-layout e-book", but it's not a kindle comic. It's downloaded via the Kindle PC app. I think I understand though. It's not actually adding margins when I import it, it's just displaying it incorrectly (visually adding margins). When I convert it, it either adds margins that look exactly like those margins or not depending on the "remove margins" check box. I just opened the .azw3 that Calibre made after importing in Kindle and it didn't look distorted. I guess because Calibre doesn't know how to handle .azw with images it just loses resolution when converting to other formats (or when using Kindle Unpack). Unless the Kindle app is just doing some trickery to upscale the images. Does it have the same problem with .kfx? I think version 3.48 can't handle .kfx.

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