Are Covers Stored in Metadata or in the Formats?

enuddleyarbl · 06-19-2021, 07:53 PM

I'm thinking of removing the various old formats of my Amazon books in my Calibre library (Remove Books > Remove All Formats From Selected Books) and then adding the latest format back from Amazon. Just about all of my book covers in my Library have been updated/changed over the years. If I remove all the old formats (leaving the metadata), do those updated covers go away, too? Or are they stored someplace in the metadata and will be the covers used once the new formats are in place? I'm especially worried that even if the covers are stored in the metadata, when I add back the new format, Calibre will prefer the file's/format's cover over any existing metadata cover.

theducks · 06-19-2021, 08:32 PM

The covers Calibre shows you are stored in the Library Folders (cover.jpg).

If you destroy the DB or mess using the OS, you lose the linkages.
You are fine if you use Calibre to do the deed.

enuddleyarbl · 06-19-2021, 10:32 PM

OK. I'll make a couple of backups just to be sure, but that sounds like using Calibre's Remove ... Formats should leave the cover alone. Thanks.

EDIT: Yep. Everything worked fine.

06-19-2021, 07:53 PM	#1
enuddleyarbl Guru Posts: 776 Karma: 1538394 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo Forma	Are Covers Stored in Metadata or in the Formats? I'm thinking of removing the various old formats of my Amazon books in my Calibre library (Remove Books > Remove All Formats From Selected Books) and then adding the latest format back from Amazon. Just about all of my book covers in my Library have been updated/changed over the years. If I remove all the old formats (leaving the metadata), do those updated covers go away, too? Or are they stored someplace in the metadata and will be the covers used once the new formats are in place? I'm especially worried that even if the covers are stored in the metadata, when I add back the new format, Calibre will prefer the file's/format's cover over any existing metadata cover.

06-19-2021, 10:32 PM	#3
enuddleyarbl Guru Posts: 776 Karma: 1538394 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo Forma	OK. I'll make a couple of backups just to be sure, but that sounds like using Calibre's Remove ... Formats should leave the cover alone. Thanks. EDIT: Yep. Everything worked fine. Last edited by enuddleyarbl; 06-20-2021 at 01:08 PM.

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06-19-2021, 08:32 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,061 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The covers Calibre shows you are stored in the Library Folders (cover.jpg). If you destroy the DB or mess using the OS, you lose the linkages. You are fine if you use Calibre to do the deed.

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