Embedding Book Cover images

oldbwl · 08-15-2010, 09:15 AM

I am a new user to Calibre - great program by the way, and I am feeling my way in to its more complex areas.

I have downloaded Covers using Calibre for various unprotected PDF and Epub files, they appear well in my Calibre set-up, but never seem to get transferred to the Sony prs300. I have emptied the Sony and resent the docs to refresh them but the jpgs do not seem to get embded in the files and sent or sent separately.

Can anyone tell me if this is even possible or do I have to manually edit the files with an ebook creator as well?

One other thing I would dearly like to see is that, if I make a change to a file which is marked as already on the reader and the reader is attached, then I would love the changed to be auto sync'd. If that is already possible in Calibre, how is it achieved.

DoctorOhh · 08-15-2010, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldbwl

I have downloaded Covers using Calibre for various unprotected PDF and Epub files, they appear well in my Calibre set-up, but never seem to get transferred to the Sony prs300. I have emptied the Sony and resent the docs to refresh them but the jpgs do not seem to get embded in the files and sent or sent separately.

If an epub has a properly set cover image in the file then using the send to device feature would update the cover with any new one you specified. If the epub does not have a properly set cover in it the easiest way to embed your cover of choice is by converting the file. Epub to Epub conversion could be used to properly place a cover in your book.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldbwl

One other thing I would dearly like to see is that, if I make a change to a file which is marked as already on the reader and the reader is attached, then I would love the changed to be auto sync'd. If that is already possible in Calibre, how is it achieved.

What do you mean by make a change to a file?

If you are referring to metadata changes such as Title, author etc.. then that can happen now by having calibre set to Automatic Management under Preferences - Add/save - Send to Device.

If you are referring to changes to the content of the book itself then I think a manual resend is still required.

oldbwl · 08-16-2010, 12:52 AM

The epub to epub conversion and automatic management certainly solve some of the problems, many thanks.

Themus · 11-09-2010, 07:40 PM

I had a ePub that came over without a cover and so from reading this site, I learned to try to embed the cover by doing an ePub to ePub conversion. Which I took just to mean to re-convert it to an ePub again. It worked fine.

Is there any drawback to doing this? I have several to do and just want to avoid discovering any pitfalls down the road.

Once again, Calibre is the standard.!

kovidgoyal · 11-09-2010, 07:43 PM

calibre's conversion completely re-organizes the interior of the ebook, while trying hard to preserve the look of it. It usually (at least in my experience, succeeds when going from epub to epub). So if you dont care about the internals of the epub file, then there are no drawbacks.

Perkin · 11-09-2010, 07:54 PM

Kovid, how easy would it be to have an option to just embed a cover or replace an already existing cover, without doing anything else to the file.
And maybe update the metadata at this time as well.

I've carefully edited a few hundred epubs, and just having an 'embed cover' option would be great, without having to have calibre re-convert (and adjust) my carefully crafted editing.

kovidgoyal · 11-09-2010, 08:01 PM

It's not easy, which is why the option does not exist. If your epub defines a cover properly (calibre created epubs do, as do epubs optimised for iTunes or produced by newer versions of Sigil), then calibre will be able to update the cover, otherwise, your only hope is to re-convert.

Perkin · 11-10-2010, 05:45 AM

Thanks anyway Kovid. As a workaround, I store a copy of the original, do a re-convert, then explode it, copy out the necessary files, and copy them into an exploded original and make any adjustments. Then replace the re-convert with the adjusted original.
Can be quite quickly done, once you've done a few.

ThR · 11-10-2010, 06:35 AM

Embedding a cover only with calibre within an epub - that would be a nice feature.

With the epub to epub conversion, I have the problem that calibre resets the font-sizes from e.g. small, middle, large to em-values, which results in some unwanted screen appearences.

08-15-2010, 09:15 AM	#1
oldbwl Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 164 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Old Ynysybwl Device: Sony PRS-300	Embedding Book Cover images I am a new user to Calibre - great program by the way, and I am feeling my way in to its more complex areas. I have downloaded Covers using Calibre for various unprotected PDF and Epub files, they appear well in my Calibre set-up, but never seem to get transferred to the Sony prs300. I have emptied the Sony and resent the docs to refresh them but the jpgs do not seem to get embded in the files and sent or sent separately. Can anyone tell me if this is even possible or do I have to manually edit the files with an ebook creator as well? One other thing I would dearly like to see is that, if I make a change to a file which is marked as already on the reader and the reader is attached, then I would love the changed to be auto sync'd. If that is already possible in Calibre, how is it achieved.

11-09-2010, 07:40 PM	#4
Themus Zealot Posts: 133 Karma: 998 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Nook	ePub to ePub Conversion - Any Drawbacks? I had a ePub that came over without a cover and so from reading this site, I learned to try to embed the cover by doing an ePub to ePub conversion. Which I took just to mean to re-convert it to an ePub again. It worked fine. Is there any drawback to doing this? I have several to do and just want to avoid discovering any pitfalls down the road. Once again, Calibre is the standard.!

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08-16-2010, 12:52 AM	#3
oldbwl Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 164 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Old Ynysybwl Device: Sony PRS-300	The epub to epub conversion and automatic management certainly solve some of the problems, many thanks.

11-09-2010, 07:43 PM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	calibre's conversion completely re-organizes the interior of the ebook, while trying hard to preserve the look of it. It usually (at least in my experience, succeeds when going from epub to epub). So if you dont care about the internals of the epub file, then there are no drawbacks.

11-09-2010, 07:54 PM	#6
Perkin Guru Posts: 655 Karma: 64171 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Kent, England, Sol 3, ZZ9 plural Z Alpha Device: Sony PRS-300, Kobo Aura HD, iPad (Marvin)	Kovid, how easy would it be to have an option to just embed a cover or replace an already existing cover, without doing anything else to the file. And maybe update the metadata at this time as well. I've carefully edited a few hundred epubs, and just having an 'embed cover' option would be great, without having to have calibre re-convert (and adjust) my carefully crafted editing.

11-09-2010, 08:01 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It's not easy, which is why the option does not exist. If your epub defines a cover properly (calibre created epubs do, as do epubs optimised for iTunes or produced by newer versions of Sigil), then calibre will be able to update the cover, otherwise, your only hope is to re-convert.

11-10-2010, 05:45 AM	#8
Perkin Guru Posts: 655 Karma: 64171 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Kent, England, Sol 3, ZZ9 plural Z Alpha Device: Sony PRS-300, Kobo Aura HD, iPad (Marvin)	Thanks anyway Kovid. As a workaround, I store a copy of the original, do a re-convert, then explode it, copy out the necessary files, and copy them into an exploded original and make any adjustments. Then replace the re-convert with the adjusted original. Can be quite quickly done, once you've done a few.

11-10-2010, 06:35 AM	#9
ThR Tatütatuter Posts: 390 Karma: 3148 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Germany, Baden, Karlsruhe Device: Aura H2O, Glo HD, Paperwhite, PRS-950	Embedding a cover only with calibre within an epub - that would be a nice feature. With the epub to epub conversion, I have the problem that calibre resets the font-sizes from e.g. small, middle, large to em-values, which results in some unwanted screen appearences.

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