Glo An ebook processing flow that can improve your experience of reading PDF on kobo glo

[ghero]

What I will introduce is just a high level (abstract) procedure (without change the actual layout of each pdf pages), different people might achieve each step in different detailed ways. Also, it will be a little bit challenge to achieve what I will about to say (require to learn about a few new softwares), so it is rather a challenge, and it is not intended for non techie readers.

A key point:
Reading a cbr/cbz is much better than reading pdf on kobo glo. Because when you read as a pdf, there will always be an annoying toolbar at the bottom of the page, that you cannot get rid of. But when you are reading a cbr/cbz, you can read it in a clean screen with no toolbars. Which means you can read it in a slightly larger size. You will lose nothing by converting pdf to cbr/cbz for glo, because glo does not support text reflow for pdf, you will have no text processing feature to lose, because there is no any such features (for pdf).

High level procedure:

1. convert the PDF file to a bunch of image files (one file per each page).
2. crop each image file (to get rid of blank spaces, to further enlarge the display of actual text).
3. compose the image files into a cbr/cbz file.

end of procedure.

Note on step 1: You will need to use a software to do this. The one I am using is "Ap PDF to Image". Also, pay special attention to dpi settings (for converted images). If you set the dpi too small, then the converted image will be too fuzzy that makes you harder to read the words from it. If you set it too large, then you will increase the file size, and increase the processing time for kobo.

Note on step 2: You will need a software to do this, a software that is specialized to process massive picture files. The one I am using is a Chinese software, and I don't think there is a english version for it. So you will have to find one on your own and learn to use it.

Note on step 3: This step is actually quite easy. A small background knowledge: a cbz file is just a zip file (of images), with just the filename extension changed from zip to cbz. Similarly a cbr file is just a rar file (of images), with just the filename extension changed from rar to cbr. Basically what I do is just use winrar (can be any compression software of your choice) to package the images into a zip file, and then change the extension from zip to cbz.

So basically that's about it.

[jusmee]

PDF's aren't all just a collection of images. In fact many/most contain a lot of proper text. A point missed by many.

[ghero]

Originally Posted by jusmee

PDF's aren't all just a collection of images. In fact many/most contain a lot of proper text. A point missed by many.

In the step 1, when you split a pdf in to images, the text will also become a part of images. Baiscally, step 1 is just like softwarely scan each page of pdf into image files.

And for kobo glo, since you cannot configure text options for pdf, so a "clear picture" of that text is at least as good as the actual text in the pdf.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

In the step 1, when you split a pdf in to images, the text will also become a part of images. Baiscally, step 1 is just like softwarely scan each page of pdf into image files.

And for kobo glo, since you cannot configure text options for pdf, so a "clear picture" of that text is at least as good as the actual text in the pdf.

Wow, talk about going totalling in the opposite direction. The key to making text readable is to reflow it, and if you can't do that as a PDF, you might as well convert it to epub or something that can. Making the text into unmanageable images is going the wrong way entirely IMNSHO

[ghero]

Originally Posted by jusmee

Wow, talk about going totalling in the opposite direction. The key to making text readable is to reflow it, and if you can't do that as a PDF, you might as well convert it to epub or something that can. Making the text into unmanageable images is going the wrong way entirely IMNSHO

Well, different methods has different effects. Formats for many pdfs does matter (for example, certain text books, including tables and charts, as well as heavy math symboled text books, ect.).

Also, there is a significant amount of of pdfs are just not reflowable, they might just be actual scanned pictures of pages.

So this method at least works for majority of pdfs.

[ghero]

Originally Posted by jusmee

... Making the text into unmanageable image ...

You are still missing the point that kobo glo does not manage text in pdf at all, all you can do with pdf in glo is maginify it, which is the same as what you do for image, which I have explained in the original post.

[stewacide]

Googling, I can find lots of tools to automatically turn Comic Archives into PDFs, but nothing for PDF to CBR/CBZ.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

You are still missing the point that kobo glo does not manage text in pdf at all, all you can do with pdf in glo is maginify it, which is the same as what you do for image, which I have explained in the original post.

No, you are missing the point that a text PDF can be converted to an epub which the Kobo handles nicely.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

So this method at least works for majority of pdfs.

The majority of my PDFs are text, NOT scanned images.

[ghero]

Originally Posted by jusmee

The majority of my PDFs are text, NOT scanned images.

The point is that format matters for many pdfs, in fact many plain text pdf you can find an epub version of it, which you dont have the bother to convert at all.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

The point is that format matters for many pdfs, in fact many plain text pdf you can find an epub version of it, which you dont have the bother to convert at all.

Old ground - don't intend to cover it again - read some other threads around here.

[ghero]

Originally Posted by jusmee

No, you are missing the point that a text PDF can be converted to an epub which the Kobo handles nicely.

The chances are, if a pdf can be nice placed into epub, there are too many ways to simply convert it, which there is no need to read a thread like this.

So eventhough kobo handles epub well, but epub does not handle pdf well in many cases, because format does matter for many pdf.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

The chances are, if a pdf can be nice placed into epub, there are too many ways to simply convert it, which there is no need to read a thread like this.

So eventhough kobo handles epub well, but epub does not handle pdf well in many cases, because format does matter for many pdf.

Oh for goodness sake...

[ghero]

jusmee, I don't know what you intention is, and I dont want to argue with you anymore. I just want to introduce a way to see a pdf more friendly without messing up the format. If you want the way, then take it, if not, leave it. I dont see any point of further fighting with this. I am getting tired of this and I will be stop answering you arguments.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by ghero

jusmee, I don't know what you intention is, and I dont want to argue with you anymore. I just want to introduce a way to see a pdf more friendly without messing up the format. If you want the way, then take it, if not, leave it. I dont see any point of further fighting with this. I am getting tired of this and I will be stop answering you arguments.

Fine, but I suggest you DO read some other threads about this very subject so you might understand why your method doesn't solve the main problem with PDFs on the Kobo.