PDF to anything problem.

geokhentix · 09-07-2010, 10:05 AM

Hey guys, Just got a nook, planned to root it but it's 10031 / 1.4.1, sad day. I can wait though, but i have a problem. No matter what I convert using Calibre, the text doesn't come out right, on the Nook or on my PC.

After the conversion, the text on the nook will be spaced and aligned to the left side. It's a Game Developement / Trigonometry textbook, but the raw PDF works fine, it just looks like a PDF. I'd rather an ePub. I've restored default settings, uninstalled / cleaned registry / reinstalled, problem persists now.

Is there a problem with the source PDF, or any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Geo

ldolse · 09-07-2010, 10:19 AM

This is just the way that pdf conversion works. Original line indents and other text formatting aren't preserved. (aside from bold/italics, which are)

This works ok for novels, but as you noted isn't the best for many textbooks. There may be some commercial tools which may be able to do a better job at pdf to html conversion (not sure but have seen other users mention they exist). If you can find something that does that Calibre can convert the html to a epub from there.

geokhentix · 09-07-2010, 10:21 AM

Thanks a lot for the snappy response Idolse, I will definitely track down a PDF<->HTML tool. Considering the source PDF does work fine and is legible on the nook, would converting it to ePub really give me any advantage over the source pdf?

ldolse · 09-07-2010, 11:23 AM

If it looks fine as is on the nook then you don't really need epub. The big advantage of epub is that it will reflow easily, so will work across a variety of reader sizes. PDF doesn't reflow well - it will only look good on something that's roughly the same dimensions as the original pdf.

09-07-2010, 10:05 AM	#1
geokhentix Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Nook	PDF to anything problem. Hey guys, Just got a nook, planned to root it but it's 10031 / 1.4.1, sad day. I can wait though, but i have a problem. No matter what I convert using Calibre, the text doesn't come out right, on the Nook or on my PC. After the conversion, the text on the nook will be spaced and aligned to the left side. It's a Game Developement / Trigonometry textbook, but the raw PDF works fine, it just looks like a PDF. I'd rather an ePub. I've restored default settings, uninstalled / cleaned registry / reinstalled, problem persists now. Is there a problem with the source PDF, or any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Geo

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09-07-2010, 10:19 AM	#2
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	This is just the way that pdf conversion works. Original line indents and other text formatting aren't preserved. (aside from bold/italics, which are) This works ok for novels, but as you noted isn't the best for many textbooks. There may be some commercial tools which may be able to do a better job at pdf to html conversion (not sure but have seen other users mention they exist). If you can find something that does that Calibre can convert the html to a epub from there.

09-07-2010, 10:21 AM	#3
geokhentix Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Nook	Thanks a lot for the snappy response Idolse, I will definitely track down a PDF<->HTML tool. Considering the source PDF does work fine and is legible on the nook, would converting it to ePub really give me any advantage over the source pdf?

09-07-2010, 11:23 AM	#4
ldolse Wizard Posts: 1,337 Karma: 123455 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaysia Device: PRS-650, iPhone	If it looks fine as is on the nook then you don't really need epub. The big advantage of epub is that it will reflow easily, so will work across a variety of reader sizes. PDF doesn't reflow well - it will only look good on something that's roughly the same dimensions as the original pdf.

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