Calibre getting page numbers wrong in conversion to epub.

[WendyH]

Forgive me if this has already been posted, I had a quick look but couldn't see anything. I have been using Calibre for about six months, I absolutely love it!

Since I installed it on my new laptop a few weeks ago, everything that I have converted to epub only shows three page numbers. I can turn all the pages, but the number doesn't move past 2, and it only says there are three pages. I have tried several files, including rar and pdf files and every one of them says there are only three pages.

If I convert it to a mobi file it only shows that there are 2 pages!

When I open the original pdf file in Calibre it has the correct number of pages, but the epub version only shows 3, and the mobi version only shows 2, although I can scroll through all the pages it is just the page numbers that are wrong.

Both my old and my new laptop are running Windows 7 64-bit, and it was working fine on my old one. I have upgraded to Calibre 0.8.17 tonight and it is still the same. Can anyone help please?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by WendyH

Since I installed it on my new laptop a few weeks ago, everything that I have converted to epub only shows three page numbers. I can turn all the pages, but the number doesn't move past 2, and it only says there are three pages.

Is the book complete?
What are you viewing it on?
Where do you expect to see page numbers?

[WendyH]

Yes, the book is complete, I can see every page, I can turn to every page, but the page numbers only go up to 3, or 2 depending on the format. I put the epub file on my Sony Reader and it only showed three page numbers on the display at the bottom where the page numbers show up. Every other book I have converted on my old laptop shows the correct number of pages, and the number changes whenever the page is turned.

I opened up the epub in Calibre to see if the problem was with the Sony Reader software or Calibre, and Calibre also shows only 3 page numbers. The number just shows 2.0 / 2 (in the top left hand corner of Calibre) with converted mobi files and 2.0 / 3 with converted epub files. Files that I converted on my old laptop show the correct page numbering. It's weird.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by WendyH

Files that I converted on my old laptop show the correct page numbering. It's weird.

You are seeing this on all new conversions or just this one book?

I have no idea why you are experiencing this, I am running 0.8.17 and don't see this problem. Hopefully someone else will have an idea.

[WendyH]

I am seeing it on all new conversions. As I said, it was doing it on 8.16 as well, not just since I upgraded. It started on my new laptop, and everything I have converted on it has been wrong.

Anything done on my old laptop prior to this was fine.

Thanks for trying to help!

[kovidgoyal]

What software are you seeing these page numbers in? I'm guessing your PDF files are made up mostly of images (page scans of of the text). Page numbers are calculated from textual content. For a book made up mostly of images, they will be very small.

[WendyH]

I am seeing them in the Sony Reader software. I hadn't thought about it but you are right, they are scanned pages. The pdfs are required readings for my university degree and although the reader can read them as pdfs I usually convert them to epub. They are scanned journal articles. I put them on my Sony Reader so I can take them with me.

I can understand what you are saying, but when the original pdf file has the correct page numbering and the page number changes with each page turn, why does it not keep the same page numbering when it is converted to an epub file?

Does Calibre recalculate the number of pages?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by WendyH

I can understand what you are saying, but when the original pdf file has the correct page numbering and the page number changes with each page turn, why does it not keep the same page numbering when it is converted to an epub file?

Does Calibre recalculate the number of pages?

The original PDF is a fixed, page layout print format and thus can have page numbers based on a fixed page. There is little correlation between PDF page numbers and converted epub books.

Calibre and every other ePub reader uses various methods to create page numbers, most all base the calculations on the amount of text based words it finds, since your epub is image based there are very few words to give an accurate page number value.

[WendyH]

OK, thanks very much for explaining it! Now I understand it, I can see what you are saying. There is nothing wrong with Calibre, so I am very relieved. I will just ignore the page numbering when I am using these files.

[Manichean]

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