Get Lefty!

[Blaineoreski]

Hi,

I've got a mobi file I've converted beautifully to PDF. Looks GREAT!

One problem. The file is a translation into English. I'm working to make edits. I NEED to use PDF to make the edits.

Here's what's happening. In the file, I can see places where one paragraph really should be two.

Trouble is, every time I put in a carriage return, that seems to make the spacing for the preceding and successive line go way out of wack. Like this: https://ibb.co/vHwX0HT

I Googled around a bit and got to

Text Alignment

and

Choose Left

This has been repairing things. But, I've been selecting

Make This Text Formatting Default

in my PDF Editor (PDF-X Change Editor Pro)

And...for that PAGE it seems to make the Text Alignment Left. However...somehow that's not carrying over to other pages? Like...it needs to be set manually on every page / block of text?

Any way to make the "Default" text Alignment > Left apply to the whole file?

I was thinking that this is somehow a setting within the Mobi to PDF conversion?

Anything you can think of?

Thanks!

Blaine

[jhowell]

Any sort of editing of PDF is not going to work very well. Why do you NEED to do it that way? It would be far better to convert to a more editable format, fix it up, and then convert to PDF.

[Blaineoreski]

Hi jhowell,

Ah! I'm FAMILIAR with the Gulf Coast! Though FARRRRR away now. Love that image on your profile!

You're right. Would be a LOT easier! But, with the commenting protocol I need to use I'm stuck that way.

There's sooooo many wee features in the conversion. I've noticed that some files come out with the text as all Right justified. Some as Left, and there's a few others, too. Was just hoping if there was something among the dialog boxes that could set everything to Left. A checkbox? Look & Feel...?

Sincerely,

Blaine

[Quoth]

No, this makes no sense at all. Use Calibre to convert to RTF and docx.

See which is better in your wordprocessor. If using LO Writer rather than MS Word you save and edit in odt format and Save As an extra docx to import to Calibre.

Use styles and headings, never direct formatting.

Then make an epub in Calibre. Convert the epub to old mobi, or dual mobi or azw3 for Kindle.

PDFs are sometimes used as forms. They can allow rubbish annotation. But they are really a WYSIWG electronic book intended to preview paper or be printed on paper. Only the SOURCE of the PDF should ever be edited.

Current MS Word and LO Writer directly export PDFs, though a PDF may use different styles etc from a true ebook.

PDF editors are really obsolete. They date from when wordprocessors didn't do good PDFs. They are really only for creating a PDF from other sources. Just don't use it.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Blaineoreski

There's sooooo many wee features in the conversion. I've noticed that some files come out with the text as all Right justified. Come as Left, and there's a few others, too. Was just hoping if there was something among the dialog boxes that could set everything to Left. A checkbox? Look & Feel...?

PDF uses a fixed layout. I suspect that the differing alignments you see are artifacts of your editing software.

[Blaineoreski]

Hi,

Ah! I think it CAN be done, here: https://ibb.co/4Rp91Fv

So! That's good news.

As a follow up - does anyone know if there's a FURTHER setting for First Line Indent: https://ibb.co/5kz4yRC

Thanks!

Blaine