Calibre as workaround for missing covers with Send to Kindle EPUB files?

pjft · 05-12-2022, 07:40 AM

I started this on Reddit before finding out via the Calibre docs that there was a better forum for this - so apologies for that.

I've been using Calibre for the last 7 years, and it's an awesome software. I then bought a Kindle PaperWhite 4 years ago or so, and it became even more important for my ebook management needs.

A while back there was an issue with USB sideloaded MOBI files and their covers, and that Calibre implemented a workaround for them. That is still working great.

Recently Amazon stated that they're discontinuing MOBI uploads via Send to Kindle, and start accepting EPUB files. The MOBI format was good in that it allowed the Kindle to show the cover thumbnails. The EPUB format, for the time being at least, doesn't - it seems it gets converted into AZW3, and then it doesn't show the cover thumbnail, only when the device is locked.

Connecting my Kindle to Calibre, matching the books in the device, and updating metadata doesn't address the missing cover (which was a long shot, but still worth trying

) so I'm here to ask:

- is there any other approach I can try?
- is this something that we believe Calibre could end up being a solution for, but following the same approach it follows for the sideloaded covers, or is it such a different process that we're out of luck here?

Bringing this up here as I imagine that come August when MOBI send-to-kindle support gets discontinued, we'll be left without a way to have books with thumbnail covers that we can sync across devices using Whispersync.

Thanks all.

jhowell · 05-12-2022, 09:56 AM

Except for the oldest Kindles, sending an EPUB via email results in a personal document (CDEContentType=PDOC) in KF8 (azw3) format. Kindle firmware since version 5.8.5 is coded to prevent showing a real cover thumbnail image in that case.

If you change metadata in the file on your Kindle so that it is no longer marked as being a personal document you can get a sideloaded cover thumbnail to display. However you will then lose the syncing of reading position and annotations since that metadata is what links to book to your Amazon account.

It is theoretically possible to change the firmware in a jailbroken Kindle to solve this problem, but it would take a lot of work to make that happen.

pjft · 05-12-2022, 10:49 AM

Oh. That's unfortunate.

Thanks for the heads up. One can hope that Amazon would fix that, but it's highly unlikely. Oh well.

DNSB · 05-12-2022, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjft

Thanks for the heads up. One can hope that Amazon would fix that, but it's highly unlikely. Oh well.

That functionality was removed quite a few firmware revisions back which seems to have been a deliberate decision. I suspect that Amazon—in their opinion—have fixed the issue.

jhowell · 05-12-2022, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

That functionality was removed quite a few firmware revisions back which seems to have been a deliberate decision. I suspect that Amazon—in their opinion—have fixed the issue.

I agree.

My only hope, and it is a slim one, is that Amazon will revisit the decision in light of the other recent changes that make the Kindle UI more closely match that of the apps.

mark_twist · 05-12-2022, 06:00 PM

I have the pulled 5.14.3 on my KPW5 and when I sideloaded at monday - I reconnected kindle back after some time by custom but the covers were there still. some hour ago I sideloaded one book, manually synced, rebooted kindle, and the cover is still there. No reconnect in the meantime.
Hard to tell if it means that amazon decided to fix it or that having pulled back version somehow causes bad sync in this way and error in wiping out the cover. (And oh yes, in series view the books won't open.. they do via searching...)

jhowell · 05-12-2022, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_twist

I have the pulled 5.14.3 on my KPW5 and when I sideloaded at monday - I reconnected kindle back after some time by custom but the covers were there still.

Cover thumbnails disappearing for books sideloaded using calibre is a different issue with a different cause.

huhlik · 10-30-2022, 07:55 AM

Hi, has there been any update on the cover issue? I know it's fixed in the latest firmware, but my KV cannot be update anymore. Do you think that Amazon will ever fix this for older devices?

JSWolf · 10-30-2022, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by huhlik

Hi, has there been any update on the cover issue? I know it's fixed in the latest firmware, but my KV cannot be update anymore. Do you think that Amazon will ever fix this for older devices?

Nope. Amazon would rather you buy a new Kindle.

rumplestiltskin · 11-15-2022, 01:57 PM

I have one ePub whose cover refused to show up on my Kindle Fire. Examining the cover in Calibre's Edit ePub screen revealed that it was a JPG. For some reason, I had thought images needed to be PNG rather than JPG or TIFF so I copied the image to the clipboard, pasted it into the Paint app, and saved it as a PNG. Then I imported it into the ePub, deleted the original JPG, and saved the ePub. I then re-sent it to my Kindle account and, after opening and closing the ePub on the Fire, the cover image appeared properly.

Of course, I was totally wrong about the image format as Amazon's web instructions show TIFF and JPG but -don't- show PNG. Yet the ePub with the PNG cover image displayed its cover properly.

Go figure. Guess you keep hammering until the nail is fully seated.

05-12-2022, 07:40 AM	#1
pjft Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2020 Device: Kindle PW4	Calibre as workaround for missing covers with Send to Kindle EPUB files? I started this on Reddit before finding out via the Calibre docs that there was a better forum for this - so apologies for that. I've been using Calibre for the last 7 years, and it's an awesome software. I then bought a Kindle PaperWhite 4 years ago or so, and it became even more important for my ebook management needs. A while back there was an issue with USB sideloaded MOBI files and their covers, and that Calibre implemented a workaround for them. That is still working great. Recently Amazon stated that they're discontinuing MOBI uploads via Send to Kindle, and start accepting EPUB files. The MOBI format was good in that it allowed the Kindle to show the cover thumbnails. The EPUB format, for the time being at least, doesn't - it seems it gets converted into AZW3, and then it doesn't show the cover thumbnail, only when the device is locked. Connecting my Kindle to Calibre, matching the books in the device, and updating metadata doesn't address the missing cover (which was a long shot, but still worth trying ) so I'm here to ask: - is there any other approach I can try? - is this something that we believe Calibre could end up being a solution for, but following the same approach it follows for the sideloaded covers, or is it such a different process that we're out of luck here? Bringing this up here as I imagine that come August when MOBI send-to-kindle support gets discontinued, we'll be left without a way to have books with thumbnail covers that we can sync across devices using Whispersync. Thanks all.

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05-12-2022, 09:56 AM	#2
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,496 Karma: 84420419 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Device: Kindles	Except for the oldest Kindles, sending an EPUB via email results in a personal document (CDEContentType=PDOC) in KF8 (azw3) format. Kindle firmware since version 5.8.5 is coded to prevent showing a real cover thumbnail image in that case. If you change metadata in the file on your Kindle so that it is no longer marked as being a personal document you can get a sideloaded cover thumbnail to display. However you will then lose the syncing of reading position and annotations since that metadata is what links to book to your Amazon account. It is theoretically possible to change the firmware in a jailbroken Kindle to solve this problem, but it would take a lot of work to make that happen.

05-12-2022, 10:49 AM	#3
pjft Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2020 Device: Kindle PW4	Oh. That's unfortunate. Thanks for the heads up. One can hope that Amazon would fix that, but it's highly unlikely. Oh well.

05-12-2022, 06:00 PM	#6
mark_twist Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2020 Device: Kindle PW5S	I have the pulled 5.14.3 on my KPW5 and when I sideloaded at monday - I reconnected kindle back after some time by custom but the covers were there still. some hour ago I sideloaded one book, manually synced, rebooted kindle, and the cover is still there. No reconnect in the meantime. Hard to tell if it means that amazon decided to fix it or that having pulled back version somehow causes bad sync in this way and error in wiping out the cover. (And oh yes, in series view the books won't open.. they do via searching...)

10-30-2022, 07:55 AM	#8
huhlik Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2022 Device: Kindle Voyage	Hi, has there been any update on the cover issue? I know it's fixed in the latest firmware, but my KV cannot be update anymore. Do you think that Amazon will ever fix this for older devices?

11-15-2022, 01:57 PM	#10
rumplestiltskin Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 1282284 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: West of the Pecos Device: FireHD8, iPad	I have one ePub whose cover refused to show up on my Kindle Fire. Examining the cover in Calibre's Edit ePub screen revealed that it was a JPG. For some reason, I had thought images needed to be PNG rather than JPG or TIFF so I copied the image to the clipboard, pasted it into the Paint app, and saved it as a PNG. Then I imported it into the ePub, deleted the original JPG, and saved the ePub. I then re-sent it to my Kindle account and, after opening and closing the ePub on the Fire, the cover image appeared properly. Of course, I was totally wrong about the image format as Amazon's web instructions show TIFF and JPG but -don't- show PNG. Yet the ePub with the PNG cover image displayed its cover properly. Go figure. Guess you keep hammering until the nail is fully seated.