Kindle ----> PDF conversions completely unusable

[bbbache]

Hello!

I have trying to convert some of my school books that I purchased on amazon to PDF without any success. Some of the kindle files I'm having trouble with specifically are flash cards. I know it must be possible to convert them because I have a couple PDF versions of the exact same style of cards on a different subject.

The problem: When I convert the files .azw4 files to PDF, they come out distorted and unreadable. I can open them in the calibre "reader" and view them just fine, but I need them PDF form for the sake of putting them in a note-taking application on my Mac. I have tried making many different adjustments after clicking "convert books" without any success. All I want is a PDF version of my input that looks identical to how it looks in the Kindle reader.

Can anyone help with this? Pretty desperate. I see that there is quite a bit of trouble regarding the conversion of PDFs to Kindle, but I can't find anything about what I'm trying to do.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by bbbache

The problem: When I convert the files .azw4 files to PDF, they come out distorted and unreadable.

AZW4 files are PDF files with an Amazon DRM wrapper around them. Strip the DRM off and use the KindleUnpack plugin to extract the PDF. Don't convert them.

[bbbache]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

AZW4 files are PDF files with an Amazon DRM wrapper around them. Strip the DRM off and use the KindleUnpack plugin to extract the PDF. Don't convert them.

Thank you so much! One additional question: What if they are .azw3 files? That actually worked for the .azw4 file perfectly, but the only option I see to convert a .azw3 using that plugin is to EPUB – no option for pdf. Thoughts?

[eschwartz]

AZW4 files are a PDF in a wrapper -- and converting PDF to PDF is pretty bad.

AZW3 to PDF should come out much nicer -- or you could print it.



That being said, why do you want to convert an AZW3 to a PDF? AZW3/EPUB will display well on any ereader already.

[bbbache]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

AZW4 files are a PDF in a wrapper -- and converting PDF to PDF is pretty bad.

AZW3 to PDF should come out much nicer -- or you could print it.



That being said, why do you want to convert an AZW3 to a PDF? AZW3/EPUB will display well on any ereader already.

I want to convert to PDF so that I can input the file into a notability and take notes on my computer, so I don't have any intention of using them on an ereader. Now, I am running into the same problem with the .azw3 files that I originally had with the .azw4 files (coming out very distorted in PDF form). Any ideas?

[eschwartz]

Well, Notability also supports RTF and Google Docs, so you could convert to DOCX with calibre, then save from Word as RTF -- or upload to Google Docs.


As for converting to PDF, PDF is "complicated".
What kind of distortion are we talking about?

[bbbache]

It is over-magnified, and even despite me trying to manipulate settings in the conversion. For example, the text comes out so large that barely 2-3 sentences fit on one page, and all of the pictures are lost. It comes out completely unusable.

[kovidgoyal]

Read the first sentence here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conv...verting-to-pdf

[eschwartz]

PDF -- very fun.

Always check the options available for a conversion. calibre gives you a lot of control over how an ebook comes out -- the downside is that you have to actually learn what those choices are.

[bbbache]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Read the first sentence here: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conv...verting-to-pdf

Thank you! I actually had noticed that article in the link, but clicking that option does not fix the issue. It still comes out with the text much larger than the input file. I have also tried reducing the minmimum line height to 0.0, and margins to < 0, and I have done these things both with and without toggling the option mentioned in your link. My goal is to get a PDF output that looks exactly like the input.

Anything else I could be missing?

[kovidgoyal]

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186697

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

AZW4 files are a PDF in a wrapper -- and converting PDF to PDF is pretty bad.

... Which makes me wonder why no one has ever thought of suggesting calibre simply unwrap those before.
Seems rather obvious now you think of it.


Kovid!