Troubleshooting Converting PDF to AZW files via Amazon email

sirmaru · 09-05-2010, 09:44 AM

I sent an email to the proper Amazon account with a PDF file attached and "convert" without the quotes in the subject line.

It came back to my Kindle as an apparent PDF file but in much worse shape than the original PDF file.

It appears all the came back as PHOTOS.

What did I do wrong? What should I do to get the conversion done?

Josieb1 · 09-05-2010, 12:25 PM

I converted Pdf's to Mobi format using Calibre, they were mainly text Pdf's with very few images

jswinden · 09-05-2010, 12:29 PM

I agree with Josieb1--use calibre or another conversion program. But even then don't expect great results. PDFs were never intend for reflowable text. PDFs therefore are often not converted well to any ebook format.

wallcraft · 09-05-2010, 12:35 PM

Since the ebook you got back is not an exact copy of the original, it has been converted. The result should always be an .azw (MOBI) file, but if Amazon can't convert the PDF to text it will instead convert it to images. This was more useful before the Kindle could read PDFs - now it is probably a waste of time.

As Josieb1 says, you might want to try Calibre's PDF to MOBI conversion. Calibre is very easy to use, and is worth installing if you expect to read any significant number of your own documents on the Kindle. However, some PDFs are just intrinsically hard to convert to another format - so don't be surprised if Calibre's conversion is also a bust.

SteveEisenberg · 09-05-2010, 12:42 PM

I wonder if the original PDF was perhaps also a graphic file, such as would be created by scanning a paper article and saving the results as a pdf.

I myself had a similar experience with a graphic-based PDF. Before the conversion to Kindle format, you could at least zoom, but after using the Convert email function I could not. It did not much matter, because it was too frustrating to read either way.

Fortunately, the great majority of pdf's on the web are not based on scanned images.

trekchick · 09-05-2010, 02:21 PM

If you really want it converted cleanly, try Calibre's debug mode (click convert, then scroll down to the cute little lady bug in the left pane). A lot of times, you can fix the major problems by editing the html output in one of the debug folders. Calibre outputs four versions: Input, Parsed, Processed, and Structure. So, you can pick which version looks best and tweak from there (I'd start with Parsed, and go back to Input if necessary).

If Calibre extracts nothing but jpegs, you can still work with that. Use Mobipocket Creator to create a new book and add the images (in correct order) to the Publication Files (I'm not in front of Windows right now, so I'm relying on memory - if it's not called "Publication Files" it's something similar).

09-05-2010, 09:44 AM	#1
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	Converting PDF to AZW files via Amazon email I sent an email to the proper Amazon account with a PDF file attached and "convert" without the quotes in the subject line. It came back to my Kindle as an apparent PDF file but in much worse shape than the original PDF file. It appears all the came back as PHOTOS. What did I do wrong? What should I do to get the conversion done?

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09-05-2010, 12:25 PM	#2
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,082 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra Colour, Libra 2	I converted Pdf's to Mobi format using Calibre, they were mainly text Pdf's with very few images

09-05-2010, 12:29 PM	#3
jswinden Nameless Being	I agree with Josieb1--use calibre or another conversion program. But even then don't expect great results. PDFs were never intend for reflowable text. PDFs therefore are often not converted well to any ebook format.

09-05-2010, 12:35 PM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Since the ebook you got back is not an exact copy of the original, it has been converted. The result should always be an .azw (MOBI) file, but if Amazon can't convert the PDF to text it will instead convert it to images. This was more useful before the Kindle could read PDFs - now it is probably a waste of time. As Josieb1 says, you might want to try Calibre's PDF to MOBI conversion. Calibre is very easy to use, and is worth installing if you expect to read any significant number of your own documents on the Kindle. However, some PDFs are just intrinsically hard to convert to another format - so don't be surprised if Calibre's conversion is also a bust.

09-05-2010, 12:42 PM	#5
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,353 Karma: 42994616 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	I wonder if the original PDF was perhaps also a graphic file, such as would be created by scanning a paper article and saving the results as a pdf. I myself had a similar experience with a graphic-based PDF. Before the conversion to Kindle format, you could at least zoom, but after using the Convert email function I could not. It did not much matter, because it was too frustrating to read either way. Fortunately, the great majority of pdf's on the web are not based on scanned images.

09-05-2010, 02:21 PM	#6
trekchick Lurker Posts: 226 Karma: 9245 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Walton, KY Device: Sonys and Kindles and Nooks, oh my!	If you really want it converted cleanly, try Calibre's debug mode (click convert, then scroll down to the cute little lady bug in the left pane). A lot of times, you can fix the major problems by editing the html output in one of the debug folders. Calibre outputs four versions: Input, Parsed, Processed, and Structure. So, you can pick which version looks best and tweak from there (I'd start with Parsed, and go back to Input if necessary). If Calibre extracts nothing but jpegs, you can still work with that. Use Mobipocket Creator to create a new book and add the images (in correct order) to the Publication Files (I'm not in front of Windows right now, so I'm relying on memory - if it's not called "Publication Files" it's something similar).

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