[Old Thread] Problem reading converted EPUB & PDB on Barnes & Noble eReader

[webfolk]

I want to make sure my book looks OK on different ereaders. Using Calibre, I converted an html file (originally created in Word 2008 for Mac) to EPUB. Since I don't have a Nook, I'm using the Barnes and Noble eReader downloaded to my MacBook Pro OS 10.5.8. When I look at the file, the lines of text are shifted & indented strangely. The shorter lines look like they might be centered. Why is this happening and what can I do about it? The EPUB file looks fine on other readers on my Mac.

Also, when I convert either the HTML or the EPUB files to PDB and view that in the B&N eReader or in Calibre, formatting is lost: indentation, line spacing, bold & italicized characters, font size variations. The cover and one GIF image are also missing. In troubleshooting, I've downloaded a PDB book from B&N and all of these items are present. Where does the problem lie?

Thanks for any help you can give. I appreciate it.

[user_none]

Originally Posted by webfolk

Since I don't have a Nook, I'm using the Barnes and Noble eReader downloaded to my MacBook Pro OS 10.5.8. When I look at the file, the lines of text are shifted & indented strangely. ... The EPUB file looks fine on other readers on my Mac.

The B&N Reader desktop software will not give you an accurate indication of how an ebook will display on the Nook. Every viewer, be it a program on your computer or a dedicated reading device will interpret the EPUB spec slightly differently. Even devices using Adobe's reader platform can have slight differences in how they display the same file. Meaning an ebook can look fine on one device or in one application but wrong in another.

My recommendation to avoid display issues: you will want to use something like Sigil and reduce the formatting to the bare minimum. Some readers do strange things with complex formatting.

Originally Posted by webfolk

Also, when I convert either the HTML or the EPUB files to PDB and view that in the B&N eReader or in Calibre, formatting is lost: ... Where does the problem lie?

You need to set the PDB type in the conversion settings to eReader. It defaults to PalmDoc because that format has the most compatibility across devices. However, PalmDoc does not support formatting or images.

[Larken]

I don't use nor do I care for the Barnes and Noble reader for desktops or tablets. However, I can say that if I am looking for content to sideload onto my Nook, my preferred format is HTML. I have found that if it looks good in HTML, it will look good on my Nook Simple Touch.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Larken

I have found that if it looks good in HTML, it will look good on my Nook Simple Touch.

Moderator Notice
Please do not reopen a year old thread for no discernible reason. If you have an actual question I would advise you to ask it in a new thread.