calibre kills lay-out of my books,help !

[Nick_1964]

Sorry I am dislectic so I can't find the right keywords to make a simple title.
I like it when my books start with the text completely on the left.

Sometimes I get a book, and I see words having a space before it.
Just align left with sigil doesn't work.
When I open the book there is always something like this before it:

<p class="calibre2"><span class="none2">

I included in my css file:

body, div, p, h1, h2, h3, h4 { margin: 0; padding: 0; }

The only thing I can do now is to completely remove formatting or remove the calibre code,but then the book looks awful !

Is there a way to prevent this behaviour with a code,either in the body of the book or in the css file ?
I just want to have my text nice aligned to the left side.
For some reason all my readers put a space in the text where a calibre tag is inserted (also with ade) and I want to overrule this without killing the format.

Sorry for my bad language ( only have one year english lessons, and because of my dislectic problems) I hope I put it in the right section.

Example:

This line looks good.
 This line is not aligned to the left,there is a non removable space on the left.

When I look in code view with sigil, there is always a line looking like this,

<p class="calibre2"><span class="none2">

Value can change but it's always starting with:

<p class="calibre......

[jackie_w]

Have you also set the left-margin to zero on the [Convert] - [Page Setup] page?

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Have you also set the left-margin to zero on the [Convert] - [Page Setup] page?

Sorry for not talking clear, it is always in books that I receive, so they are already converted with calibre,they are already in the epub format.

[jackie_w]

You refer to a CSS file being set to
body, div, p, h1, h2, h3, h4 { margin: 0; padding: 0; }
Where is this CSS file? I had assumed you meant it was in the convert 'Extra CSS' box but I was obviously wrong.

[jackie_w]

... and another thought. Does the epub contain a file called page-template.xpgt? Margins are also set in here which are in addition to any in the CSS.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

You refer to a CSS file being set to
body, div, p, h1, h2, h3, h4 { margin: 0; padding: 0; }
Where is this CSS file? I had assumed you meant it was in the convert 'Extra CSS' box but I was obviously wrong.

The css file was in the ebook itself.
I never convert files with calibre, but others do giving this bad behaviour.
So it have nothing to do with the settings in calibre itself,cause I don't use it.
I will look in the other file, but if I am talking about errors in an epub I always refer to the file that I have.
I never use calibre to convert the epubs myself.
I just want the text of the epubs that someone gives me, aligned to the left.
But if there is a calibre code in the converted file, it always moves words one or 2 places to the right.
like reading like this:

-
  -
-
  -
-

It drives me crazy.
I guess they scan the books, do the spell check in word and then use calibre to make a epub of it, and then it looks like the way I explained.

When I make a book, I use abbyy finereader, export it to html, open the html in sigil and I have a perfect book,with all the text aligned to the left.
But as soon as others use calibre, the text is out of line !
So I try to find a way to correct it with sigil without destroying the complete book.

[jackie_w]

If you can attach (legally) one of the offending epubs I could have a closer look if you like. Or if that would break copyright laws then attach the css file and a small sample of an xhtml file displaying the unwanted behaviour.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

The css file was in the ebook itself.
I never convert files with calibre, but others do giving this bad behaviour.
So it have nothing to do with the settings in calibre itself,cause I don't use it.
I will look in the other file, but if I am talking about errors in an epub I always refer to the file that I have.
I never use calibre to convert the epubs myself.
I just want the text of the epubs that someone gives me, aligned to the left.
But if there is a calibre code in the converted file, it always moves words one or 2 places to the right.
like reading like this:

-
  -
-
  -
-

It drives me crazy.
I guess they scan the books, do the spell check in word and then use calibre to make a epub of it, and then it looks like the way I explained.

When I make a book, I use abbyy finereader, export it to html, open the html in sigil and I have a perfect book,with all the text aligned to the left.
But as soon as others use calibre, the text is out of line !
So I try to find a way to correct it with sigil without destroying the complete book.

The affected paragraph class might have a text-indent: <value>
Every paragraph <p class="...">
either set it to 0 or comment it out /* unwanted */
NB remember to remove the pre-ceding semicolon if it was the last line in the style declaration.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by theducks

The affected paragraph class might have a text-indent: <value>
Every paragraph <p class="...">
either set it to 0 or comment it out /* unwanted */
NB remember to remove the pre-ceding semicolon if it was the last line in the style declaration.

But this happened to every converted epub.. But I gonna fight this !
(short for, I don't exactly understand how to do this,either set it to 0 or comment it out /* unwanted */ thing, but the people in my environment are talking like chickens so I can't concentrate myself enough so I have to drop it until I am alone again... tv's on..dad, food is ready, dad can I go out... cat that tries to sit on my lap,dog is barking)

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

Sorry I am dislectic so I can't find the right keywords to make a simple title.

Your right, to say your title lacks accuracy is being kind. Obviously calibre is preserving the layout. If you have books, converted by other folks, that have margins or padding. Calibre has nothing to do with the formatting you found.

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

I like it when my books start with the text completely on the left.

That is my preference too. When I run into this I fix it. I know this is what you want too, to fix this.

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

When I open the book there is always something like this before it:

<p class="calibre2"><span class="none2">

Did you go to the CSS file and see what margin or padding is set for calibre2 or none2? If the paragraph is enclosed in a <div class=????> did you look at that margin that is set for the <div class=?????>?

Go into your CSS file in Sigil and change every instance of

margin-left: ???; to margin-left: 0;
padding-left: ???; to padding-left: 0;

Doing this will correct 99% of the situations you run into.

Of course some margins are used for special sections of text that the publisher wants block indented to stand out. These margins are desirable.

Good Luck.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Your right, to say your title lacks accuracy is being kind. Obviously calibre is preserving the layout. If you have books, converted by other folks, that have margins or padding. Calibre has nothing to do with the formatting you found.

Go into your CSS file in Sigil and change every instance of

margin-left: ???; to margin-left: 0;
padding-left: ???; to padding-left: 0;

Doing this will correct 99% of the situations you run into.

Of course some margins are used for special sections of text that the publisher wants block indented to stand out. These margins are desirable.

Good Luck.

Thank you for all your kind answers, it is difficult for me: A : to find the words, B to get it all clear, and C to write it down withhout making wrong things because I only have one year english lessons.

It is clear in my head,but because of my "handicap" I can't get it out the right way.
Dyslectic isn't only that you cant read or write exact, there is nothing wrong with my reading, but when I have to place a phonecall to,lets say,my doctor, I have to write down the name of the medication,but allso my date of birth.
Because sometimes when people ask, my mind blocks and I know my date of birth but I cant say it at that moment.
I know the names of my dogs, I have them 10 years, but in the middle of a conversation it happens that I know the name,but I can't get it out.

What is the problem I think: people have converted an ebook for their own reader and then pass it to me.
In the css the margins are correct.
I did all the things other people say but I have now a working solution.
I put the following code in the css:
h1 {text-align:center;}
h2 {text-align:center;}
h3 {text-align:center;font-weight: bold;font-size: 1.88889em;}
p {margin: 0; padding: 0;}
body, div, p, h1, h2, h3, h4, none { margin: 0; padding: 0; }

Then I replace in the editor all the <p class="calibre2"> in <p class="0">
Do this with all the calibre "tags" and the result is nice alignment and a good readable book.

Thanks to you,all the people that takes te time to assist me.

It's not that I am stupid, my iq is 109 but this handicap is a hell, I am 46 years of age and I need a note for everything.
I never forget,give me a list of 100 things and send me to a supermarket.
I bring them back all 100, even without the list, I remember.
But when tere are no potatoes or tomatoes, I ask the personnel, excuse me , can you point me the < BLOCK >.. the word tomatoes is in my head... but I can't get it out.
It drives me crazy.

[jackie_w]

I'm glad you finally got there.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I'm glad you finally got there.

I am glad with the patience off the people here to take time to explain some things !

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

...Dyslectic isn't only that you cant read or write exact, there is nothing wrong with my reading, but when I have to place a phonecall to,lets say,my doctor, I have to write down the name of the medication,but allso my date of birth.
Because sometimes when people ask, my mind blocks and I know my date of birth but I cant say it at that moment.
I know the names of my dogs, I have them 10 years, but in the middle of a conversation it happens that I know the name,but I can't get it out...

I have a similar problem. In my case, it's called Old Age. Btw, for having studied English only one year, you are doing very well.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I have a similar problem. In my case, it's called Old Age. Btw, for having studied English only one year, you are doing very well.

I am practicing for the old age but I have it all my life, with one year english on school ( one hour once a week) you can't get to far, so the rest I learned myself just by reading.
Thank you very much for your compliments.