Conversion Greyed Pages and Text

[ToujoursPurSang]

I'm a long time lurker on this corner for the internet but I now have a reason to join. I updated from Calibre 3.12 to 3.25 today. I was attempting to convert a pdf to mobi or AZW3 when the issue arose. When converting the page either turns grey or all of the text is "highlighted" in grey. I've tried converting a number of pdfs, including ones I've converted in the past and it's happening to them as well. I've even given converting to epub first and the text is grey as well. If possible I will attach two screen shots to this post.

I've never had an issue like this, I've used Calibre for years and after a few hours of searching and trying different things I've ended up here. I'd rather not have to roll back to to 3.12 if at all possible.I welcome any possible help I can get.

[kovidgoyal]

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=186697

[ToujoursPurSang]

Sorry I got super busy these last two days. I've tried converting again, this time using a fan fic so there's no copyright issue with the file. Just to be clear while I am using a fan fic in this instance, it has happened with other pdfs as well. I'm hoping this is what you wanted.

Spoiler:

Convert book 1 of 1 (Buried Secrets, Buried Lies)
Conversion options changed from defaults:
verbose: 2
cover: u'C:\\Users\\USER~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\calibre _f9opmq\\vzfh9j.jpeg'
output_profile: 'kindle_pw'
read_metadata_from_opf: u'C:\\Users\\USER~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\calibre _f9opmq\\gkqbty.opf'
Resolved conversion options
calibre version: 3.25.0
{'asciiize': False,
'author_sort': None,
'authors': None,
'base_font_size': 0.0,
'book_producer': None,
'change_justification': u'original',
'chapter': u"//*[((name()='h1' or name()='h2') and re:test(., '\\s*((chapter|book|section|part)\\s+)|((prolog|pr ologue|epilogue)(\\s+|$))', 'i')) or @class = 'chapter']",
'chapter_mark': u'pagebreak',
'comments': None,
'cover': u'C:\\Users\\USER~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\calibre _f9opmq\\vzfh9j.jpeg',
'debug_pipeline': None,
'dehyphenate': True,
'delete_blank_paragraphs': True,
'disable_font_rescaling': False,
'dont_compress': False,
'duplicate_links_in_toc': False,
'embed_all_fonts': False,
'embed_font_family': None,
'enable_heuristics': False,
'expand_css': False,
'extra_css': None,
'extract_to': None,
'filter_css': u'',
'fix_indents': True,
'font_size_mapping': None,
'format_scene_breaks': True,
'html_unwrap_factor': 0.4,
'input_encoding': None,
'input_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.InputProfile object at 0x0000000003B8CB38>,
'insert_blank_line': False,
'insert_blank_line_size': 0.5,
'insert_metadata': False,
'isbn': None,
'italicize_common_cases': True,
'keep_ligatures': False,
'language': None,
'level1_toc': None,
'level2_toc': None,
'level3_toc': None,
'line_height': 0.0,
'linearize_tables': False,
'margin_bottom': 5.0,
'margin_left': 5.0,
'margin_right': 5.0,
'margin_top': 5.0,
'markup_chapter_headings': True,
'max_toc_links': 50,
'minimum_line_height': 120.0,
'mobi_file_type': u'old',
'mobi_ignore_margins': False,
'mobi_keep_original_images': False,
'mobi_toc_at_start': False,
'new_pdf_engine': False,
'no_chapters_in_toc': False,
'no_images': False,
'no_inline_navbars': True,
'no_inline_toc': False,
'output_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.KindlePaperWhiteOutp ut object at 0x0000000003BD6240>,
'page_breaks_before': u"//*[name()='h1' or name()='h2']",
'personal_doc': u'[PDOC]',
'prefer_author_sort': False,
'prefer_metadata_cover': False,
'pretty_print': False,
'pubdate': None,
'publisher': None,
'rating': None,
'read_metadata_from_opf': u'C:\\Users\\USER~1\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\calibre _f9opmq\\gkqbty.opf',
'remove_fake_margins': True,
'remove_first_image': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing_indent_size': 1.5,
'renumber_headings': True,
'replace_scene_breaks': u'',
'search_replace': '[]',
'series': None,
'series_index': None,
'share_not_sync': False,
'smarten_punctuation': False,
'sr1_replace': None,
'sr1_search': None,
'sr2_replace': None,
'sr2_search': None,
'sr3_replace': None,
'sr3_search': None,
'start_reading_at': None,
'subset_embedded_fonts': False,
'tags': None,
'timestamp': None,
'title': None,
'title_sort': None,
'toc_filter': None,
'toc_threshold': 6,
'toc_title': None,
'transform_css_rules': '[]',
'unsmarten_punctuation': False,
'unwrap_factor': 0.45,
'unwrap_lines': True,
'use_auto_toc': False,
'verbose': 2}
InputFormatPlugin: PDF Input running
on C:\Users\USER~1\AppData\Local\Temp\calibre_f9opmq\ msh1se.pdf
Converting file to html...
pdftohtml log:
Page-1
Page-2
Page-3
Page-4
Page-5
Page-6
Page-7
Page-8
Page-9
Page-10
Page-11
Page-12
Page-13
Page-14
Page-15
Page-16
Page-17
Page-18
Page-19
Page-20
Page-21
Page-22
Page-23
Page-24
Page-25
Page-26
Page-27
Page-28
Page-29
Page-30
Page-31
Page-32
Page-33
Page-34
Page-35
Page-36
link to page 41 Page-37
Page-38
Page-39
Page-40
Page-41
Page-42
Retrieving document metadata...
Generating manifest...
Rendering manifest...
Parsing all content...
Parsing index.html ...
Initial parse failed, using more forgiving parsers
Parsing index.html as HTML
Reading TOC from NCX...
Merging user specified metadata...
Detecting structure...
Flattening CSS and remapping font sizes...
Source base font size is 12.00000pt
Removing fake margins...
Cleaning up manifest...
Trimming unused files from manifest...
Creating MOBI Output...
Serializing resources...
Creating MOBI 6 output
Generating in-line TOC...
Applying case-transforming CSS...
Parsing manglecase.css ...
Parsing tocstyle.css ...
Rasterizing SVG images...
Converting XHTML to Mobipocket markup...
Serializing markup content...
Compressing markup content...
Generating MOBI index for a book
MOBI output written to C:\Users\USER~1\AppData\Local\Temp\calibre_f9opmq\ fvfob3.mobi

[kovidgoyal]

It's actually coming from pdftohtml, the tool calibre uses for the initial conversion. You can override it with the extra css setting in the look & feel section of the calibre conversion dialog. Something like:

body {
   background-color: white !important;
}

I'll look into convincing pdftohtml to stop doing that when I have a moment.

[kovidgoyal]

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...39ecd8a8b18277

[ToujoursPurSang]

So my lack of computer skills is showing. I tried using the code you provided and it didn't seem to do anything when I plugged it it. I even tried it as one line instead of three and nothing. I also have to confess my ignorance again with the github link, I can't seem to figure out what I'm supposed to do with it.

I did find my own workaround for the grey text and pages today. I just ticked colours in the Filter Style Information box. It seems to have fixed the problem for me.

Thank you for all of your help!

[BetterRed]

@ToujoursPurSang - Kovid's post with the Github link is to inform us he's made a change to overcome the pdftohtml problem, it will be in the next release.

BR

[Spenjoyere1948]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@ToujoursPurSang - Kovid's post with the Github link is to inform us he's made a change to overcome the pdftohtml problem, it will be in the next release.

BR

im facing the same issue and code Kovid posted didn't fix the problem.

any idea on when the next release is coming?

thank you for your contributions <3

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Spenjoyere1948

im facing the same issue and code Kovid posted didn't fix the problem.

any idea on when the next release is coming?

Not really, I'd guess within a couple of weeks (on a Friday) - see this.

BR

[ToujoursPurSang]

@BetterRed Thank you for explaining what the github link was about.

@Spenjoyere1948 Assuming you're having the same problem I'm having I'd suggest ticking colours in the Filter Style Information box. I don't really understand what it's supposed to do normally but in this case it fixed the grey "highlights" and grey pages. (I only noticed the grey pages in EPUB format though.)

[Tom93]

I did a quick test of older versions and found that version 3.23.0 does not have this issue, but 3.24.0 does, so the problem seems to have been introduced in 3.24.0.

You can get version 3.23.0 from https://download.calibre-ebook.com/3.23.0

I only tried one single small PDF for each test so this isn't a thorough check.

Update: 3.26.1 appears to fix this.

[Genarch]

The gray background is there, but the real problem is that the Text in the Epub conversion is outside of the paragraph:

<p class="calibre2" style="margin:0pt; border:0pt; height:0pt">*</p>
recall. Sometimes, at night, she heard them
<p class="calibre2" style="margin:0pt; border:0pt; height:0pt">*</p>
* * "Ready ?"<p class="calibre2" style="margin:0pt; border:0pt; height:0pt">*</p>

This makes editing really difficult.

The CSS styles that came with the conversion:

.calibre {
background-color: #A0A0A0;
display: block;
font-size: 1em;
padding-left: 0;
padding-right: 0;
margin: 0 5pt
}
.calibre1 {
font-weight: bold
}
.calibre2 {
display: block
}
.calibre3 {
font-style: italic
}
.calibre4 {
color: gray;
display: block;
height: 2px;
margin: 0.5em auto;
border: currentColor inset 1px
}

[RHCPNG]

unfortunately this is still not resolved in 3.25.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by RHCPNG

unfortunately this is still not resolved in 3.25.

3.25 was released on June 1, Kovid made the change on June 4, ergo: the change will be in the 3.26 release.

BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by RHCPNG

unfortunately this is still not resolved in 3.25.

If you were to click on the post where Kovid announced the fix you would see the version of calibre the fix will be released is calibre 3.26.0 (see attached).