ePub to... ? Best format for Kindle PaperWhite

[Claude_C]

Hi,

I just switched from Kobo to Kindle. (I'll be receiving my PaperWhite in a few days.)

My Calibre library is all in ePub.

Which format should I convert me ebooks to : mobi, azw3, kfx ?

I knew about the mobi and azw3 format, but not kfx. Which is the best?

I've seen here a plugin kfx output. I installed the KFX Previewer 3. Tried it. Converted one ePub. It resulted in a file 3 times the size... Is it worth it?

I use to have a Kindle, but that was 4 years ago. I need to get back into it!

Thanks.

[Sirtel]

Azw3 is generally entirely sufficient. If you terribly want enhanced typography and hyphenation, use kfx. Mobi should be avoided. If you want to email your books to your Kindle or use the send-to-kindle app, you should convert to dual mobi, which contains both mobi and azw3. If you plan to sideload your books via USB, azw3 is enough.

[darryl]

Forget mobi except as a last resort. I always use azw3. I don't worry about hyphenation but if I did I would use Hyphenate This! or similar. KFX gives enhanced typesetting but is a very poor format for archiving and conversion, though this probably won't be a concern with your current books in epub. Using another Calibre plugin you can actually unpack an epub from an Amazon azw3 file (without drm of course) without needing to convert.

Try both, see which one you prefer.

[Claude_C]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Azw3 is generally entirely sufficient. If you terribly want enhanced typography and hyphenation, use kfx. Mobi should be avoided. If you want to email your books to your Kindle or use the send-to-kindle app, you should convert to dual mobi, which contains both mobi and azw3. If you plan to sideload your books via USB, azw3 is enough.

Thanks.

When I had a Kindle, I side loaded my ebooks to the Kindle with the Send to Kindle App. I thought the App used to convert ePub to Kindle format on the fly. Maybe back then or I’m imagining things.

[Claude_C]

Originally Posted by darryl

Forget mobi except as a last resort. I always use azw3. I don't worry about hyphenation but if I did I would use Hyphenate This! or similar. KFX gives enhanced typesetting but is a very poor format for archiving and conversion, though this probably won't be a concern with your current books in epub. Using another Calibre plugin you can actually unpack an epub from an Amazon azw3 file (without drm of course) without needing to convert.

Try both, see which one you prefer.

Thanks.

I’ve seen something about the plugin Hyphenate This! I’ll try it too.

I thought that the KFX plugin output was working like the Kepub output for Kobo, converting on the fly? So, no need to store the KFX file in Calibre?

I’ve read about Enhenced Typography, and I sure would like to experience the best of what my Kindle has to offer. I’m just not sure if reading an azw3 ebook is an as good experience too.

[theducks]

Conversion can't gain something (visually) that was not there to begin with, without additional work by the person converting.

AZW3 allowed you to KEEP (over Mobi) most of the features your EPUB had.

What UP converting does, is mostly give you ACCESS to add features that were not available.

So unless you want to edit. EPUB -> AZW3

[Tarana]

After some testing, even older kindles, such as Keyboard Kindle and K5 work fine with AZW3, so even I am completely switching to AZW3. AZW3 allows some of the newer functions such as greater span of font sizes and bolding at different amounts on newer units.

I do recommend keeping the original epub version until you've actually read a book. Sometimes the conversion isn't quite what you wanted (i.e. lines between paragraphs and no indentation when you wanted no lines between paragraphs and indentation). I have both formats because I still have Nooks which use epub.

[Claude_C]

Originally Posted by theducks

Conversion can't gain something (visually) that was not there to begin with, without additional work by the person converting.

AZW3 allowed you to KEEP (over Mobi) most of the features your EPUB had.

What UP converting does, is mostly give you ACCESS to add features that were not available.

So unless you want to edit. EPUB -> AZW3

Seems like great advice!

Thank you for your input.

In that scenario (ePub to Azw3), which would work best : use Send to Kindle App or Calibre send to Device?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Seems like great advice!

Thank you for your input.

In that scenario (ePub to Azw3), which would work best : use Send to Kindle App or Calibre send to Device?

You cannot use azw3 with the send-to-kindle app, you have to convert to mobi or dual mobi then. With plain mobi you cannot use the boldness settings or custom fonts on your Paperwhite.

Azw3 works best if you send from Calibre.

[Claude_C]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You cannot use azw3 with the send-to-kindle app, you have to convert to mobi or dual mobi then. With plain mobi you cannot use the boldness settings or custom fonts on your Paperwhite.

Azw3 works best if you send from Calibre.

Again, many thanks.

So, for best reading experience : Send Azw3 to Kindle from Calibre or Dual Mobi to Send To Kindle App?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Again, many thanks.

So, for best reading experience : Send Azw3 to Kindle from Calibre or Dual Mobi to Send To Kindle App?

Yep.

[Claude_C]

So...

I got my Kindle today. After a few tests, I decided to go with the KFX output plugin. I prefer the text to be better justified and hyphenated. And 4 gigs is still a lot of storage.

Strange enough, some converted ePub are smaller in size in KFX. Most are bigger though.

One converted ebook in KFX would not play nice with Amazon's Enhanced Typesetting. But so far, it's the only one.

Thanks for all your help.

[darryl]

Enjoy.