No photos to EPUB from RTF files

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by DVC

LIT? What the hell is that? I don't know where you live, but there is only one universal document standard and that is PDF. Since the rules of decoding PDF are decades old, why would anyone design a conversion program that accepted PDF as the "last" choice? In reality, PDF is the only input format needed for making eBooks.

The original design aim of a PDF was that it should handle layout and NOT be editable (and thefore making it convertable was not a design aim). It was not intended that it should support reflowable text and thus be adaptable to display on any other form factor other than the one it was originally produced for. In particular PDF does not store much of the original information that related to reflowable text that word processor oriented formats store.

The other point is that if you think PDF is the only format required - then why are you bothering with Calibre if you already have PDF files! One assumes that this is because PDF does NOT satisfy your requirements.

All the modern ebook based standards internally have HTML+CSS as their representation. Therefore anything that cannot be represented in HTML+CSS is going to be lost in converting to any of these standards.

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by DVC

Why list RTF if it can't convert an RTF with pictures. Telling me there may be pix format that is not supported only means RTF is not really fully supported. RTF means RTF as it comes from any software that produces it. Since almost every RTF document includes pix -- a conversion program has be able to deal with all pix. What's so radical about JPEGs?

RTF allows for any arbitary file format to be embedded in it or linked to from it. Therfore saying that RTF support promises anything that can go into a RTF file must be supported is nonsense. All RTF support promises is that the parts that are NOT embedded/linked files can be handled.

I have had no problems with embedded JPG files being handled by Calibre so if your pictures are not being converted then there is some other issue. Perhaps the embedded images are not standard JPG files?

[kiklop74]

Originally Posted by DVC

Sorry, to be so negative, but Caliber simply doesn't make eBooks than can be sold. So, I'm not sure why it was written. Converting LIT to EPUB. Why?

Calibre was never written with a goal to create ebooks somebody can sell (although it can be used for that if you know how). Where did you get that idea? It is a tool for managing and converting ebooks. It is not perfect (no tool is) but it is one of the best open source programs for this task. However you have no right to be angry. Not a bit. This is Open Source software. It comes with no guarantees expressed or implied whatsoever. You paid nothing for it. So stop behaving like a spoiled brat. If you think something is missing you can always contribute something yourself, either with constructive ideas, some coding know-how or some money.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by itimpi

I have had no problems with embedded JPG files being handled by Calibre so if your pictures are not being converted then there is some other issue. Perhaps the embedded images are not standard JPG files?

It's possible that they're standard image files, probably jpg, but something in the formatting isn't converting.

Word does images as both inline-with-text and in frames so the text can scroll around the images (and the frames have several options); it's possible that some of those formatting options don't translate to ePub, and the image gets lost in conversion. Or it may be in the ePub file, but have no way to be displayed, or the viewer may not have the ability to parse whatever HTML/CSS is created to locate the image.

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

You are, of course, welcome to code your own ePub files by hand; they're
If you want to make sale-able ebooks with complex formatting, you may want to use a program like Bookdesigner that gives more precise control. Calibre can give a lot of control, but it's through extra lines of coding; Bookdesigner has a GUI for its editing. However, it's not simple & quick to learn.

Or you can learn to hand-code ePub files. I'm told that once the basics are learned, it can go fairly quickly. For myself, I make a lot of 3.46"x4.57" PDFs, because I'm comfortable tinkering with formatting in Word, and haven't figured out HTML/CSS editing yet.

Book Designer won't make ePubs. However, a person could use it to make a lit file, then drop that into Calibre. However, I rather doubt whether it would meet the original poster's needs. Book Designer has some quirks and limitations which would undoubtedly irritate him.

Perhaps he had best hand-code his html then use Sigil for an ePub conversion.

[animedude01]

DVC, if you think Calibre's conversions don't do a proper job, please grab the source code, fix the converter code , and forward the patch to Kovid. I'm sure he'd appreciate the help.

Other than that, please carefully read the comments others with multiple years of experience have posted and try some of them.

Conversion has issues. Can WordPerfect or OpenOffice perfectly convert all .doc or .docx files? For that matter, can Firefox properly display web sites coded for IE?

Yes, there are standards, but some programs don't implement them properly, or implement only parts.

Please don't complain so much about an Open Source product that you're getting for free. Even the commercial programs don't do a perfect job and you're paying for those!

If you want to get really high quality conversions, pay a professional to do it. Then you can complain to them all you want about the conversions quality.

[DoctorOhh]

Ignorance Alert!

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Instead of expressing anger, how about trying to educate yourself on the processes involved in converting files.

As I stated above you should really try and educate yourself on ebook formats. Your ignorance of ereaders/ebooks and how the document flows is apparent throughout your post.

Originally Posted by DVC

First, .doc is not supported so that route is closed.

The format .doc is not an ereader format, but if you save as filtered html (trashing most of the garbage it places in a HTML file) it can be a good place where beginners can gain some control over there ereader documents.

Originally Posted by DVC

Second, converting to HTML will destroy a book's format. The result will be as bad as a web-page. I know, I've used Word to make HTMLs.

Most ereader formats are at their core html. Since html is their core, converting first to html is a sensible first step in any conversion process. This does not destroy a book's format, this is the books format. (My own ignorance alert, html, xml some sort of ml )

The format for ereaders is a reflowable format which is critical to have books look good across various size devices and html does this very well.

Originally Posted by DVC

LIT? What the hell is that?

Until the epub standard .lit (Microsoft) and .mobi (MobiPocket) seemed to be the standard in digital reader formats. To talk about what an ereader/management/conversion package should and shouldn't be able to do but have no clue about one of the widest available formats for digital books is very telling.

Originally Posted by DVC

In reality, PDF is the only input format needed for making eBooks.

PDF is a poor input format for ebooks made/sold to read on most ereaders. Most ereaders will read PDF files but they have to contort themselves to do it. Generic PDF documents will be fine for larger devices but unless specifically formatted to be viewed on an ereader, the PDF format is currently limited as a preferred ereader format.

From Adobe:

PDF represents a fixed-page view and gives the publisher complete control over page layout and presentation. The reader consumes content exactly as the publisher intended. EPUB allows digital publication text to reflow according to screen size, enabling the publisher to distribute and the reader to consume digital publications on a variety of screen sizes.

Adobe did release a reflowable text Software Development Kit early last year to start to address the fact that PDF sucks for ereaders is severely limited for various size devices due to being primary a print/layout format designed before ereaders existed.

Originally Posted by DVC

Why list RTF if it can't convert an RTF with pictures.

... ~~~ ... ~~~ ...

What's so radical about JPEGs?

My reader supports JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP. I'm guessing that Calibre supports these standards in RTF files too.

Originally Posted by DVC

And, since EPUB is designed for BOOKS -- the comments that one cannot expect to convert BOOKS kind of defeats the purpose of a CONVERTER TO EPUB.

Properly formatted lit, html, mobi, and epub are all html based formats that can be converted from one to the other easily enough within Calibre.

PDF books and magazines are for the most part designed to be printed or read in the exact layout they were created. To expect to easily convert those books to a format that can be read on anything from a iPhone to a Kindle is ludicrous.

Originally Posted by DVC

Now, were there a way to interactively edit the EPUB output so one could fix conversion problems -- it would be acceptable given the likelihood of conversion errors. But, there isn't. The Debug feature is a joke -- a folder full of .jpegs.)

A html editor of your choice is fine to interactively edit the EPUB output. Just change the extension from epub to zip and unzip it. Of course if you looked around this forum there is an interactive epub editor called Sigil in development. Once Sigil reaches a certain level of maturity it wouldn't surprise me to see it either integrated into Calibre or be able to be called from within Calibre.

Originally Posted by DVC

Sorry, to be so negative, but Caliber simply doesn't make eBooks than can be sold.

You aren't so much negative as you are laughable.

Calibre isn't a ebook development platform, but there are companies who do use Calibre to create alternate formats for purchase from their original HTML source.

Originally Posted by DVC

So, I'm not sure why it was written. Converting LIT to EPUB. Why?

Maybe you should start here.

****************

Like everyone I will make incorrect statements, but I try my best not to embarrass myself by speaking in areas that I am ignorant. I'll ask questions to help myself overcome my ignorance, but I will not stand up proudly and shout my ignorance at the top of my lungs.

If you really want to make the most of your iphone as an ereader, shed your ignorance and start the process of educating yourself on ebook formats.

[DVC]

As I stated above you should really try and educate yourself on ebook formats. Your ignorance of ereaders/ebooks and how the document flows is apparent throughout your post.

I've sold eBooks for years -- many -- and they were PDF's that display on a computer screen -- any screen -- including my iPhone -- just as they were written. And, I can use any number of PDF readers and they all work alike. (So much for the "gee it's hard to decode, argument." And, they print just as they were written.

I agree I know nothing about ereaders -- as far as I can tell they are nothing more than readers with a page-turning rather than a scrolling function. Plus, the ability to bookmark.

There certainly is no need for some special re-formating for the tiny screen function since any PDF iPhone reader can already do that. Likewise, I confess I see no reason to CONVERT news stories to EPUB when Safari on the iPhone can read them directly.

I'm beginning to think EPUB, LIT, etc. were designed when readers were dumb. But, with the iPhone and iPad that's no longer true. The iPhone and iPad are true computers -- and all I really need is a PDF reader that looks like what an ereader looks like. (I have no idea because until the iPad and iPhone, the existing hardware like the Kindle were jokes! Can you imagine reading books on technical subjects with tables, photos, and diagrams without color?

So you have educated me that with current technology -- I have no need of an "HTML" like experience. My books don't need to be converted. In fact, with the iPad there's no need to reformat them to a tiny screen. Note: I just "read" my latest book on my iPhone and by double-tapping, the PDF automatically perfectly fits the screen including photos. (I just haven't figured out how to advance by screen rather than scrolling.)

So, thank you for showing that beginning April 3rd there's no need to convert. Problem solved.

[DVC]

Now we can all forget Calibre:

Self-publishing authors will be able to offer their titles on Apple's iBookstore for the iPad at almost no cost, potentially breaking down the barriers for independent writers who want to sell their work across the globe.

According to DigitalBeat, the self-publishing service Smashwords has signed a distribution deal with Apple to put books on the iBookstore, which will be a part of the iBooks application, available as a free download on the iPad through the App Store. Mark Coker, chief executive of Smashwords, announced the agreement in an e-mail to authors who use the service.

The e-mail from Coker also revealed Apple's pricing rules for the iBookstore. Each title's price must end in 99 cents (i.e. $12.99), and books can be priced as low as 99 cents. The price of the book must also be less than its print counterpart.

Author Dean Takahashi said users can submit their work to Smashwords through a simple process that involves uploading a >>> Microsoft Word file <<< setting the price and deciding where the book is to be published.

The company is also reportedly adding support for International Standard Book Numbers, something that is required by Apple for all titles on the iBookstore. In order to see inclusion on the iBookstore at launch, Smashwords authors must submit by March 31 their work to the company's "Premium Feed," which distributes to other major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Kobo.

Through the service, authors receive 85 percent of net sale proceeds from titles, or 70.5 percent of affiliate sales. The report said the cost to distribute a book on the iPad is free.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by DVC

There certainly is no need for some special re-formating for the tiny screen function since any PDF iPhone reader can already do that. Likewise, I confess I see no reason to CONVERT news stories to EPUB when Safari on the iPhone can read them directly.

If you do all your ebook reading where you have wireless access, of course. Many of us like to read in times & places where we don't have that. Also, some of us like longer than a few hours' battery life.

I'm beginning to think EPUB, LIT, etc. were designed when readers were dumb.

Lit is an older format. EPub is relatively new. Both are based on HTML markup to allow them to be read on many devices. IPhone/iPad's ability to parse PDFs is limited, like any other PDF reader--plenty of zoom-and-scroll options, but the effectiveness of reflow for optimum reading is based on how the PDF was created.

But, with the iPhone and iPad that's no longer true. The iPhone and iPad are true computers

Can I run FineReader on them? Can I run Acrobat Pro on them, and use them for ebook creation? IPhone & iPad are application platforms, not computers.

the existing hardware like the Kindle were jokes! Can you imagine reading books on technical subjects with tables, photos, and diagrams without color?

No, but I don't read tech books with color tables much. I do read novels. Lots of them. Because I do a lot of linear reading, I want a reader with good typographical options and long battery life; color screen isn't important to me. However, "works in train tunnels" is, and so a news reader dependent on web access isn't a good option for me.

So, thank you for showing that beginning April 3rd there's no need to convert. Problem solved.

Glad the iPhone works as a PDF reader for you. It's not sufficient for a lot of people, and we try to be accepting of everyone's reading preferences.

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by DVC

As I stated above you should really try and educate yourself on ebook formats. Your ignorance of ereaders/ebooks and how the document flows is apparent throughout your post.

I've sold eBooks for years -- many -- and they were PDF's that display on a computer screen -- any screen -- including my iPhone -- just as they were written. And, I can use any number of PDF readers and they all work alike. (So much for the "gee it's hard to decode, argument." And, they print just as they were written.

I agree I know nothing about ereaders -- as far as I can tell they are nothing more than readers with a page-turning rather than a scrolling function. Plus, the ability to bookmark.

There certainly is no need for some special re-formating for the tiny screen function since any PDF iPhone reader can already do that. Likewise, I confess I see no reason to CONVERT news stories to EPUB when Safari on the iPhone can read them directly.

I'm beginning to think EPUB, LIT, etc. were designed when readers were dumb. But, with the iPhone and iPad that's no longer true. The iPhone and iPad are true computers -- and all I really need is a PDF reader that looks like what an ereader looks like. (I have no idea because until the iPad and iPhone, the existing hardware like the Kindle were jokes! Can you imagine reading books on technical subjects with tables, photos, and diagrams without color?

So you have educated me that with current technology -- I have no need of an "HTML" like experience. My books don't need to be converted. In fact, with the iPad there's no need to reformat them to a tiny screen. Note: I just "read" my latest book on my iPhone and by double-tapping, the PDF automatically perfectly fits the screen including photos. (I just haven't figured out how to advance by screen rather than scrolling.)

So, thank you for showing that beginning April 3rd there's no need to convert. Problem solved.

Thank you. I've been in need of a really good laugh all day.

[Asteratu]

Hello All:
I don't often add to the Calibre dialog here, but I think like so many other ebook readers my experience would be greatly impoverished if it was not for the excellent Calibre program. My Sony prs 505 would be all but useless to me if I had to rely on Sony software. Calibre is donationware created by someone who also has the demands of his main career to contend with. It is constantly improved and has morphed from a program to deal with the Sony reader into a comprehensive ebook conversion and management program.
Please, Kovid, do not allow the criticisms by such as DVD to cause you and your colleagues to abandon this wonderful program. Those of us who bother to read the manual, have no trouble creating fine ebooks with Calibre. You have done a great service to your fellow readers.

Asteratu

[kovidgoyal]

No worries, I enjoy working on calibre too much to let a little criticism stop me

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by DVC

I agree I know nothing about ereaders -- as far as I can tell they are nothing more than readers with a page-turning rather than a scrolling function. Plus, the ability to bookmark.

You start off honest then ..... you flash us your ignorance.

Originally Posted by DVC

I'm beginning to think EPUB, LIT, etc. were designed when readers were dumb. But, with the iPhone and iPad that's no longer true.
...~~~...
So you have educated me that with current technology -- I have no need of an "HTML" like experience.

You might want to hold off on missing that "HTML" like experience language, I mean if your going to use the iPad that is.

Here is what Apple says about ePub:

Grow your library.

You’ll find lots of books on the iBookstore, and more arrive every day. The iBooks app uses the ePub format — the most popular open book format in the world. That makes it easy for publishers to create iBooks versions of your favorite reads. And you can add free ePub titles to iTunes and sync them to the iBooks app on your iPad.

*********************

Originally Posted by DVC

Can you imagine reading books on technical subjects with tables, photos, and diagrams without color?

I can imagine it without color but it is hard for me to see it on most of the current ereaders out there. This is the one area that I am looking forward to using the iPad for.

Originally Posted by DVC

Self-publishing authors will be able to offer their titles on Apple's iBookstore for the iPad at almost no cost, potentially breaking down the barriers for independent writers who want to sell their work across the globe.

How is this different from Amazon or half a dozen other ebooks sites?

Originally Posted by DVC

Author Dean Takahashi said users can submit their work to Smashwords through a simple process that involves uploading a >>> Microsoft Word file <<< setting the price and deciding where the book is to be published.

I'm betting the first stop for that >>> Microsoft Word file <<< will be HTML on it's way to becoming a Epub file.

If all you wanted to know was how to change a MS Doc file to and ePub all you needed to do was ask, try this.

[Man Eating Duck]

Originally Posted by DVC

Sorry, to be so negative, but Caliber simply doesn't make eBooks than can be sold. So, I'm not sure why it was written. Converting LIT to EPUB. Why?

I stumbled upon this thread, and am quite amused by the good DVCs... attitude. I think this quote sums it up pretty well.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I work at an academic publishing company, one of my tasks is creating epubs. It's not trivial but I've got a pretty streamlined workflow going now, of which Calibre is an integral part. It's basically source -> indesign template -> Export for ADE -> Calibre epub-epub and metadata -> final massaging by hand.

InDesign doesn't produce epubs that I would be comfortable selling, in fact its export is a joke, but Calibre certainly sets them straight. A big thanks to Kovid Goyal for the effort he's making, a donation is coming up as soon as my bosses approve

DVC: If your business is selling ebooks you should put in the effort to learn to make proper ones. Whining that "docx is not an input option"... I don't even know what to say to that one. You seem to lack basic understanding of the formats involved and their capabilities. Btw, (x)html is designed for reflowed reading on various screen sizes, and it's a very suitable base format for ebooks. It's also excellent for making books that don't look like web pages.

PDF is not a suitable source format, as someone said you'd probably be better off running them through finereader. Garbage in = garbage out. Some manual touchup afterwards is always necessary, for that you need to know basic css+xhtml, Sigil can probably be of assistance to you as well.

Anyway - good luck. Learn to see Calibre for the extremely valuable tool that it is. Divebombing on a forum is NOT the way to get help from people, in spite of that you have gotten valuable feedback from people in this very thread. I've found this forum to be an indispensable source of knowledge just by following discussions, and if you ask sensible questions in a nice way you'll probably get your problems sorted as well.