Best way to remove DRM from AZW3 while preserving original formatting?

[AZImmortal]

I just recently started using Calibre to archive my Kindle books, and I wanted to know if there was a "best" way to remove the DRM from the AZW3 books while keeping the book as close as possible to the original formatting. I read elsewhere in this forum that doing AZW3 to AZW3 conversion is not a good idea.

Edit: I guess I should ask if the simple act of importing the books while the DeDRM plugin is installed is enough to strip the DRM from the resulting imported AZW3 files?

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by AZImmortal

Edit: I guess I should ask if the simple act of importing the books while the DeDRM plugin is installed is enough to strip the DRM from the resulting imported AZW3 files?

Yes it is.

[AZImmortal]

Thanks for confirming. I have a follow-up question. I have a Kindle Keyboard, and I was wondering which target device I should be choosing in Calibre among the available choices:

Kindle Basic (all models)
Kindle DX
Kindle Fire and Fire HD
Kindle PaperWhite
Kindle Voyage/Oasis

[theducks]

Originally Posted by AZImmortal

Thanks for confirming. I have a follow-up question. I have a Kindle Keyboard, and I was wondering which target device I should be choosing in Calibre among the available choices:

Kindle Basic (all models)
Kindle DX
Kindle Fire and Fire HD
Kindle PaperWhite
Kindle Voyage/Oasis

Basic

[AZImmortal]

Originally Posted by theducks

Basic

Wouldn't choosing Basic limit me to mobi even though my device can support KF8?

[moredrowsy]

Just because you choose Kindle basic doesn't mean calibre will limit you to mobi. You can still send azw3 via usb, if your device supports it. The target device option is there, I think, for conversion.

If you plan to send your ebooks using email, you're still limited to mobi since amazon controls the format it accepts, not calibre. Amazon only accepts mobi via email and no other formats; they discard azw3 and other formats in email transfers. So if you're really hung up on azw3, you have to use usb direct transfer.

Anyways, there really isn't much noticeable improvement using from mobi to azw3, at least in terms of reading experience, imo.

[AnemicOak]

I always choose a generic tablet as I don't want Calibre downsizing my images for conversions. You can select what gets sent to a device by configuring the device when it's attached IIRC.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by moredrowsy

If you plan to send your ebooks using email, you're still limited to mobi since amazon controls the format it accepts, not calibre. Amazon only accepts mobi via email and no other formats; they discard azw3 and other formats in email transfers. So if you're really hung up on azw3, you have to use usb direct transfer.

If you email a Master MOBI (what calibre calls "MOBI file type: both") it will include both the old MOBI format and the newer AZW3 format in a single file. It will be split up by Amazon and only one or the other format will be actually delivered, whichever format is best supported by that device.

Personally, I prefer to use Amazon's tool, kindlegen, instead of calibre to produce Master MOBIs. It makes fewer changes to the original source file. Also sometimes calibre converted files are rejected by Amazon for unknown reasons.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I always choose a generic tablet as I don't want Calibre downsizing my images for conversions.

I second this. Kindles are able to pan and zoom images so that you can see more detail if something is unclear. You lose this capability if you allow calibre to reduce the resolution of images in your books.

[AZImmortal]

Originally Posted by jhowell

If you email a Master MOBI (what calibre calls "MOBI file type: both") it will include both the old MOBI format and the newer AZW3 format in a single file. It will be split up by Amazon and only one or the other format will be actually delivered, whichever format is best supported by that device.

Personally, I prefer to use Amazon's tool, kindlegen, instead of calibre to produce Master MOBIs. It makes fewer changes to the original source file. Also sometimes calibre converted files are rejected by Amazon for unknown reasons.



I second this. Kindles are able to pan and zoom images so that you can see more detail if something is unclear. You lose this capability if you allow calibre to reduce the resolution of images in your books.

That's interesting, I had never heard of kindlegen until now. Are Kindles able to open Master MOBIs that still have both formats contained inside the file (like if I were to put the file directly onto the Kindle via USB)? Also, am I correct in assuming that kindlegen only creates Master MOBIs (no option to output a single format)?

In regards to Amazon rejecting Calibre-converted files, do the files have problems being read by Kindles if placed there via USB?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by AZImmortal

Are Kindles able to open Master MOBIs that still have both formats contained inside the file (like if I were to put the file directly onto the Kindle via USB)?

Yes.

Originally Posted by AZImmortal

In regards to Amazon rejecting Calibre-converted files, do the files have problems being read by Kindles if placed there via USB?

No.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by AZImmortal

Also, am I correct in assuming that kindlegen only creates Master MOBIs (no option to output a single format)?

There are several undocumented options. One may do this, but I am unsure.

A useful undocumented option is -dont_append_source. Unless this option is used the source EPUB will be copied into the master MOBI, causing it to be larger than needed.