Converting fixed-layout AZW3

[tomsem]

One of the quirks of fixed-layout (I guess KF8?) is that you cannot select and highlight text. I'd like to convert it to PDF or fixed-layout ePub 3 FXL.

Cracking open the AZW3 one sees an .xhtml for each page, each with a 910x1300 pixel image file, looks like resolution is set at 300PPI. Most pages have text overlaid with absolute positioning. In landscape, illustrations can spread across two pages seamlessly.

The same thing is possible with ePub, but the ePub converter doesn't seem to understand how to create ePub3 FXL from these source files. The image files spread over more than one page rather than being confined to one. I don't see any settings to control this. Are there any?

I was finally able to get PDF to look almost the same as it displays in the Kindle app by setting custom dimensions equal to the print version (7x10 inches, which is same aspect ratio as 910x1300) and setting margins to zero.

However, there were margins to trim, the headings are too small and not centered as in the source, and subheadings are too large, and a little lower. I tweaked the CSS subhead size (from 25px to 22px) and that fixed all of those. And in Acrobat, I was able to crop the margins so facing pages now displays the illustration spreads correctly.

Still it is kind of amazing that it converted to PDF as well as it did.

The book in question is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Cre...dp/B08BZY3L83/

[kovidgoyal]

calibre does not support fixed layout books. So what you get will vary.

[tomsem]

Thanks. PDF is probably a better container for this in any case. Fortunately I don't plan on doing this very often.