Changing only the cover on a mobi file?

[neonbible]

I want to change the cover of a mobi ebook I have, how do I do that without converting anything else? Converting with Calibre may make changes, such as font and layout.

[Pookeysgirl]

As long as the book is not DRM protected, you should be able to change the book cover using the Edit Metadata option in Calibre. You don't have to convert the book itself.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

As long as the book is not DRM protected, you should be able to change the book cover using the Edit Metadata option in Calibre. You don't have to convert the book itself.

Not true. When you change the cover on a Mobi book in Calibre you have to do a "Mobi to Mobi" conversion to make the cover "stick" to the book. If you don't do this, the new cover is what will show up in your Calibre library, but if you save the book, or send it to your device, it'll still have the original cover.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not true. When you change the cover on a Mobi book in Calibre you have to do a "Mobi to Mobi" conversion to make the cover "stick" to the book. If you don't do this, the new cover is what will show up in your Calibre library, but if you save the book, or send it to your device, it'll still have the original cover.

It's worked for me in the past, did they change something? I used to just change the cover and put it on my Kindle. Always Penguin books. But I admit I haven't done that in a long time. Now I always do the conversion, since I have everything set to look how I want it.

Sorry for giving bad info!

To the OP: What's wrong with the way the book looks when doing the conversion? Maybe you just need to tweak the settings a bit so it looks like you want?

[HarryT]

It may be me that's wrong! I only say what I did because I've never had any luck in making a changed cover "stick" unless I then do a Mobi to Mobi conversion .

[Saturday]

I've found that you don't have to do a mobi to mobi conversion if you use Calibre's Send to Device option after editing the metadata. If you copy it over manually then the cover change doesn't stick without a mobi to mobi conversion.

That's the way it's always worked for me, at least, though I'm not technically adept enough to know why it works that way.

Originally Posted by Saturday

I've found that you don't have to do a mobi to mobi conversion if you use Calibre's Send to Device option after editing the metadata. If you copy it over manually then the cover change doesn't stick without a mobi to mobi conversion.

That's the way it's always worked for me, at least, though I'm not technically adept enough to know why it works that way.

Yes - if you use Calibre's "Send to Device", it sends over not just the ebook file, but makes a folder, and copies over a few other things including a cover image. This isn't part of the ebook file. In fact, you can use this to change the cover, title, and/or author of a book with DRM, since Calibre isn't changing the ebook file.

[Ripplinger]

What if you use the Mobi Unpack plugin, and change the image file there for the cover... is there an easy way to then repack the files back into a mobi? I know this can be done using the "Tweak Book" option in Calibre, it will rebuild the epub, but haven't messed around with mobi files too much at all.

[pdurrant]

There was an option to do this in the MobiPerl tools, but I was never very happy with it. The only totally safe way is to unpack and then repack using kindlegen.

I did once look into making such a tool in python. Perhaps I should take another look at it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Saturday

I've found that you don't have to do a mobi to mobi conversion if you use Calibre's Send to Device option after editing the metadata. If you copy it over manually then the cover change doesn't stick without a mobi to mobi conversion.

That's the way it's always worked for me, at least, though I'm not technically adept enough to know why it works that way.

This is what I do too only I use Save to Disk instead.
You can then drop the mobi back into Calibre with the updated cover to overwrite the old one if you want. No conversion needed.

Originally Posted by Blossom

This is what I do too only I use Save to Disk instead.
You can then drop the mobi back into Calibre with the updated cover to overwrite the old one if you want. No conversation needed.

Shame, I was looking forward to a chat, following your conversion !

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by purplepancake

Shame, I was looking forward to a chat, following your conversion !

Stupid Auto Correct! Sorry I meant Conversion. I will still coming off Anesthesia from surgery when I posted that from Tapatalk.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

There was an option to do this in the MobiPerl tools, but I was never very happy with it. The only totally safe way is to unpack and then repack using kindlegen.

But now there's a new way! see my post later in this thread.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Stupid Auto Correct! Sorry I meant Conversion. I will still coming off Anesthesia from surgery when I posted that from Tapatalk.

I hope you're doing well after surgery, Blossom.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

I hope you're doing well after surgery, Blossom.

Thanks. I'm getting there. Still waiting for the news on the biopsy they took from my stomach. The other procedure already came back Normal.

They gave me Propofol so It took days for it to wear off for me. One minute I was told to roll on my left side and the next I am being woke up by a stranger in a room I didn't recognize. (The recovery room)

I've never had anything but a local block before so it was a experience all new to me. Ran a fever afterwards for the rest of the night. It zap what strength I had. The worse was the Prep, Clear Liquids for two days and Lots of Magnesium Citrate and Miralax...etc. I will never drink Gatorade again!

So today is the first day I've been awake for more than 5 hours at a time and I finally got to read on my Kindle today after 5 days I was having withdrawals!