Margins in fixed layout epub

Simboubou · 01-17-2023, 07:23 AM

Hello there,

I recently bought an epub that, I think, turned out to be a fixed size epub.
It's an epub file alright, I can open it in calibre book editor and select text and stuff.

Once once my kobo tho, it behaves like a PDF: I can only do manual zooming, I can't edit the font, change size, or anything.

Unfortunately, the fixed layout include HUGE margins that makes the text much smaller than I'd like too. Is there a simple way to remove the fixed layout it, or at least a way to reduce the margins myself ?

Thanks !

DNSB · 01-17-2023, 10:59 AM

There is no easy way to do that on a fixed layout epub. Every character and image has a fixed location. Converting a fixed layout epub to reflowable is not an easy task and, IMHO, from the two times I've attempted to do so is not worth the effort since it totally trashed the page layout.

Sarmat89 · 01-17-2023, 11:16 AM

Usually, the contents of fixed-layout books is in the logical reading order. In that case, you can use the usual PDF methods of converting the text into flowing layout.

Simboubou · 01-17-2023, 11:40 AM

Thanks you for your answers.

I checked the html code and indeed, every single page has its own single css file and everything is at a fixed position.

Gettting a reflowable text will be too hard. Now I'm only trying to figure out a hack to get a "cropped" version? Is there a tool to convert the fixed-layout epub to a pdf ? So that I can then use a pdf cropping tool.

Quoth · 01-17-2023, 12:01 PM

Try exporting from Calibre as docx or rtf?
Or if you have a desktop viewer that can print and display FXL epub, then print to PDF.

Simboubou · 01-17-2023, 04:30 PM

I tried, but the conversion / print to pdf seems lost in an infinite loop.

kovidgoyal · 01-17-2023, 09:37 PM

fixed layout epubs are not supported in calibre so you are not going to get anything useful from it.

Simboubou · 01-19-2023, 03:22 AM

Ah, ok

The ebook viewer and ebook editor do seem to display it correctly (altho the viewer can't reduce the viewport size), so I was hoping one of them could somehow dump it to pdf or even images.

Well then, I'll try to hunt down a physical version

Thanks !

Quoth · 01-19-2023, 03:42 AM

You tried Print from the viewer? That simply makes a PDF file with my ebooks (Linux) with Calibre Viewer, but I have no FXL epubs.

ownedbycats · 01-19-2023, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

You tried Print from the viewer? That simply makes a PDF file with my ebooks (Linux) with Calibre Viewer, but I have no FXL epubs.

I tried that once. Went poorly.

AZARDI is what I use for fixed-layout epubs on Windows, but its not seen updates in several years.

Comfy.n · 01-19-2023, 08:01 AM

FWIW, I would try opening the file on Calibre Editor (a backup of the original EPUB, of course), and removing all .css files. Save. See how it looks on the reader. Afterwards maybe create a new minimal CSS stylesheet file with rules for general elements like <p> and perhaps <div>...

Simboubou · 01-20-2023, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comfy.n

FWIW, I would try opening the file on Calibre Editor (a backup of the original EPUB, of course), and removing all .css files. Save. See how it looks on the reader. Afterwards maybe create a new minimal CSS stylesheet file with rules for general elements like <p> and perhaps <div>...

I could try, but the book is written in japanese with furigana (i.e. small kana characters written over the Kanji to indicate how it's read).
I'm fairly sure that removing all the css files would just break all furigana.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

You tried Print from the viewer? That simply makes a PDF file with my ebooks (Linux) with Calibre Viewer, but I have no FXL epubs.

I tried. The conversion gets stuck at some point. Or maybe it just takes 4 hours.

01-17-2023, 07:23 AM	#1
Simboubou Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 2112464 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Glo HD	Margins in fixed layout epub Hello there, I recently bought an epub that, I think, turned out to be a fixed size epub. It's an epub file alright, I can open it in calibre book editor and select text and stuff. Once once my kobo tho, it behaves like a PDF: I can only do manual zooming, I can't edit the font, change size, or anything. Unfortunately, the fixed layout include HUGE margins that makes the text much smaller than I'd like too. Is there a simple way to remove the fixed layout it, or at least a way to reduce the margins myself ? Thanks !

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01-17-2023, 10:59 AM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 46,210 Karma: 168983734 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	There is no easy way to do that on a fixed layout epub. Every character and image has a fixed location. Converting a fixed layout epub to reflowable is not an easy task and, IMHO, from the two times I've attempted to do so is not worth the effort since it totally trashed the page layout.

01-17-2023, 11:16 AM	#3
Sarmat89 Fanatic Posts: 518 Karma: 2268308 Join Date: Nov 2015 Device: none	Usually, the contents of fixed-layout books is in the logical reading order. In that case, you can use the usual PDF methods of converting the text into flowing layout.

01-17-2023, 11:40 AM	#4
Simboubou Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 2112464 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Glo HD	Thanks you for your answers. I checked the html code and indeed, every single page has its own single css file and everything is at a fixed position. Gettting a reflowable text will be too hard. Now I'm only trying to figure out a hack to get a "cropped" version? Is there a tool to convert the fixed-layout epub to a pdf ? So that I can then use a pdf cropping tool.

01-17-2023, 12:01 PM	#5
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,037 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Try exporting from Calibre as docx or rtf? Or if you have a desktop viewer that can print and display FXL epub, then print to PDF.

01-17-2023, 04:30 PM	#6
Simboubou Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 2112464 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Glo HD	I tried, but the conversion / print to pdf seems lost in an infinite loop.

01-17-2023, 09:37 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,353 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	fixed layout epubs are not supported in calibre so you are not going to get anything useful from it.

01-19-2023, 03:22 AM	#8
Simboubou Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 2112464 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Glo HD	Ah, ok The ebook viewer and ebook editor do seem to display it correctly (altho the viewer can't reduce the viewport size), so I was hoping one of them could somehow dump it to pdf or even images. Well then, I'll try to hunt down a physical version Thanks !

01-19-2023, 03:42 AM	#9
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,037 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	You tried Print from the viewer? That simply makes a PDF file with my ebooks (Linux) with Calibre Viewer, but I have no FXL epubs.

01-19-2023, 08:01 AM	#11
Comfy.n want to learn what I want Posts: 1,611 Karma: 7891011 Join Date: Sep 2020 Device: none	FWIW, I would try opening the file on Calibre Editor (a backup of the original EPUB, of course), and removing all .css files. Save. See how it looks on the reader. Afterwards maybe create a new minimal CSS stylesheet file with rules for general elements like <p> and perhaps <div>...

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