disjointed text in pdf to epub conversion (calibre)

Janelle12 · 04-29-2013, 07:29 PM

I'm using Stanza on my iphone 4 to read a book called Allies of Humanity, Book One (available for free at this link

<Removed Link>

I used Calibre to convert it to an EPub. When I read it, its okay for a while, but then it starts to mix the paragraphs. I'll get a few paragraphs normal and okay, but then it starts to give a few words of one paragraph, skips a line (blank line), then a few words from another paragraph, then the next few words from the first paragraph. It gets back to normal, then cycles through mixing paragraphs again. I can put up with a lot of inconvenience but I'm wondering if I can fix this problem. I did not see any errors in conversion and there is no info under job details in caligre. I will put a photo of the wacky paragraph fragmenting and alternation.

"The file you are trying to convert. If the file is copyrighted then create an extract/sample that shows the problem, or use the calibre bug report system to create a bug with the file attached. (LINK GIVEN)
The conversion log from calibre. You get this by clicking the rotating spinner in the bottom right of the main calibre window and using the show job details button. (IT SHOWED NOTHING)
The output file, if any. (NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS, SORRY!)
A description of what exactly the problem is. If there is an error message when converting then the full error message, which you can get by clicking the show details button on the error message.
A description of any conversion options you changed from the default (DID NOT CHANGE ANY)

"It is particularly important that you provide us with a way to reproduce your problem. That makes it much easier to answer your question. That means you provide at least the input file and a description of the problem as well as any non default conversion settings you use."

theducks · 04-29-2013, 07:49 PM

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=118605

You just found an extreme case

.
Now you see why we say:' Avoid PDF"

BetterRed · 04-29-2013, 09:05 PM

@Janelle12

If you're running Calibre on Windows you could try MobiCreator to do the conversion

My experience is that Mobicreator often produces 'better results' than Calibre - without experimenting with lots of settings. It creates PRC files, not sure if Stanza can read PRC, but Calibre does a good job on converting PRC to ePUB or one of the other formats that Stanza supports.

I also just stumbled on another converter from Hampster Soft (thanks to member Dullahir). It seems to produce better results than both MobiCreator and Calibre, its simpler to use than Mobicreator, and it can create an EPUB directly.

If you install it the Hampster Soft program watch out for the Open Candy stuff, and make sure you do a custom install - otherwise you'll end up with AVG toolbars in your browsers etc etc <grhhh>

BR

Janelle12 · 04-30-2013, 06:56 PM

Thanks guys. Yes I did read the problems with pdf's document. I did download and convert using mobicreator, with the exact same outcome. So, I guess I'm not going to be reading that book on an ereader! Luckily I can read it directly from the website (I just discovered today) and not have to deal with it. Or, I could PAY (!!!) and get the official kindle version. I'm so cheap

What is the name of the Hampster Soft converter and where can I get it?

itimpi · 04-30-2013, 08:48 PM

What size is the file? I strongly suspect hat is an image based PDF with some random text characters underlying it! If so it will never convert properly.

BetterRed · 04-30-2013, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janelle12

Thanks guys. Yes I did read the problems with pdf's document. I did download and convert using mobicreator, with the exact same outcome. So, I guess I'm not going to be reading that book on an ereader! Luckily I can read it directly from the website (I just discovered today) and not have to deal with it. Or, I could PAY (!!!) and get the official kindle version. I'm so cheap

What is the name of the Hampster Soft converter and where can I get it?

@Janelle12 oops sorry, not only is the 'p' silent, it's absent

Google for Hamster Soft - watch out for hidden extra's - do a custom install.

Oh, it needs .NET 3.5

I just had a look at the website for that book - it looks like its very straightforward text in a single font, I'm surprised mobicreator didn't to a satisfactory job - maybe they 'deliberately' crippled the PDF to make it 'unconvertible'

Silly question - have you tried reading the PDF with Stanza ?

Here's three other tricks you could try.

You could open the PDF in a PDF reader (I use Trackersofts PDF xChange), and print it as a PDF via a PDF print driver (I use the one from Bullzip). Then convert the PDF that print driver created. That's worked for me a couple of times.
A variant on that is to print it to a postscript file see post #6 in this thread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ght=postscript
If the online version presents itself as not too many pages, you could clip them from your browser into Evernote, export them out of Evernote as HTML, add the HTMLs to Calibre, convert them to ePUB and join them with ePUBMerge plug in. Why Evernote - its clipper is pretty good at sorting the wheat from the chaff.

BR

Janelle12 · 05-06-2013, 09:57 AM

Yes I ended up reading it on kindle. Stanza conversion would not work. My husband emailed it to the kindle email address and I read it on the actual kindle (second gen) rather than the iphone kindle app.

Boy this ereading is a LOT of work, esp. for someone who doesn't know have of what y'all are talking about!! LOL. But thanks for all your details!

04-29-2013, 07:29 PM	#1
Janelle12 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: texas Device: iphone 4, stanza	disjointed text in pdf to epub conversion (calibre) I'm using Stanza on my iphone 4 to read a book called Allies of Humanity, Book One (available for free at this link <Removed Link> I used Calibre to convert it to an EPub. When I read it, its okay for a while, but then it starts to mix the paragraphs. I'll get a few paragraphs normal and okay, but then it starts to give a few words of one paragraph, skips a line (blank line), then a few words from another paragraph, then the next few words from the first paragraph. It gets back to normal, then cycles through mixing paragraphs again. I can put up with a lot of inconvenience but I'm wondering if I can fix this problem. I did not see any errors in conversion and there is no info under job details in caligre. I will put a photo of the wacky paragraph fragmenting and alternation. "The file you are trying to convert. If the file is copyrighted then create an extract/sample that shows the problem, or use the calibre bug report system to create a bug with the file attached. (LINK GIVEN) The conversion log from calibre. You get this by clicking the rotating spinner in the bottom right of the main calibre window and using the show job details button. (IT SHOWED NOTHING) The output file, if any. (NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS, SORRY!) A description of what exactly the problem is. If there is an error message when converting then the full error message, which you can get by clicking the show details button on the error message. A description of any conversion options you changed from the default (DID NOT CHANGE ANY) "It is particularly important that you provide us with a way to reproduce your problem. That makes it much easier to answer your question. That means you provide at least the input file and a description of the problem as well as any non default conversion settings you use." Attached Thumbnails Last edited by theducks; 04-29-2013 at 08:20 PM. Reason: removed link

04-29-2013, 09:05 PM	#3
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,631 Karma: 29710510 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@Janelle12 If you're running Calibre on Windows you could try MobiCreator to do the conversion My experience is that Mobicreator often produces 'better results' than Calibre - without experimenting with lots of settings. It creates PRC files, not sure if Stanza can read PRC, but Calibre does a good job on converting PRC to ePUB or one of the other formats that Stanza supports. I also just stumbled on another converter from Hampster Soft (thanks to member Dullahir). It seems to produce better results than both MobiCreator and Calibre, its simpler to use than Mobicreator, and it can create an EPUB directly. If you install it the Hampster Soft program watch out for the Open Candy stuff, and make sure you do a custom install - otherwise you'll end up with AVG toolbars in your browsers etc etc <grhhh> BR Last edited by BetterRed; 04-29-2013 at 09:07 PM.

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04-29-2013, 07:49 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,909 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=118605 You just found an extreme case . Now you see why we say:' Avoid PDF"

04-30-2013, 06:56 PM	#4
Janelle12 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: texas Device: iphone 4, stanza	Thanks guys. Yes I did read the problems with pdf's document. I did download and convert using mobicreator, with the exact same outcome. So, I guess I'm not going to be reading that book on an ereader! Luckily I can read it directly from the website (I just discovered today) and not have to deal with it. Or, I could PAY (!!!) and get the official kindle version. I'm so cheap What is the name of the Hampster Soft converter and where can I get it?

04-30-2013, 08:48 PM	#5
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	What size is the file? I strongly suspect hat is an image based PDF with some random text characters underlying it! If so it will never convert properly.

05-06-2013, 09:57 AM	#7
Janelle12 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: texas Device: iphone 4, stanza	Yes I ended up reading it on kindle. Stanza conversion would not work. My husband emailed it to the kindle email address and I read it on the actual kindle (second gen) rather than the iphone kindle app. Boy this ereading is a LOT of work, esp. for someone who doesn't know have of what y'all are talking about!! LOL. But thanks for all your details!

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