Interesting Discovery

romad · Yesterday, 11:14 PM

I've been downloading Kindle books and importing them into Calibre for years. I'd then convert them to ePub format. Since Amazon switched from Mobi to ePub, I figured I'd try using the Kindle Unpack plugin and it does work fine. However, I found a major difference between doing a CONVERSION vs UNPACKING to get an ePub I can use. ePubs from both methods can be read just fine but there is a type size problem. In Converted books on my eReader application (MapleRead SE), I can resize the type without a problem but Unpacked books, while the application shows the type size can be changed, it actually never changes. I don't know why the type size can't be changed because of something in Calibre and Kindle Unpack not working properly or if there is something in the Unpacked ePub that blocks the resizing in the application. So it looks like I have to go back to the long way of converting.

DNSB · Yesterday, 11:32 PM

That would be something in the CSS stylesheet setting a fixed font size. Personally, I tend to edit almost all ebooks before they get out of my Intake library so fixed font sizes get bit bucketed at that point.

theducks · Yesterday, 11:49 PM

I would guess the CSS is calling an absolute size: in, cm, px ...

em is a relative size, so it scales

tomsem · Today, 12:29 AM

I've not had many issues with converting AZW3 to ePub with calibre. Exception is for fixed layout (images + text) books, then KindleUnpack does better (calibre does not support).

For image only books (comics, manga) neither does a good job (does not render properly even though it passes epubcheck etc.). The CSS is dead simple but I haven't yet figured out what would need to be different for it to work.

Instead I've been using Kindle Create to generate KFX (with ToC, which for some reason manga/comics lack) and KFX input to convert to ePub/PDF/CBZ, and everything seems happy with that ePub (even though the HTML/CSS is far from 'simple').

Yesterday, 11:14 PM	#1
romad U.S. Air Force, Retired Posts: 205 Karma: 5212 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Prescott, AZ Device: iPad Mini 5 & Mini 6	Interesting Discovery I've been downloading Kindle books and importing them into Calibre for years. I'd then convert them to ePub format. Since Amazon switched from Mobi to ePub, I figured I'd try using the Kindle Unpack plugin and it does work fine. However, I found a major difference between doing a CONVERSION vs UNPACKING to get an ePub I can use. ePubs from both methods can be read just fine but there is a type size problem. In Converted books on my eReader application (MapleRead SE), I can resize the type without a problem but Unpacked books, while the application shows the type size can be changed, it actually never changes. I don't know why the type size can't be changed because of something in Calibre and Kindle Unpack not working properly or if there is something in the Unpacked ePub that blocks the resizing in the application. So it looks like I have to go back to the long way of converting.

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Yesterday, 11:32 PM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 38,944 Karma: 153006038 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	That would be something in the CSS stylesheet setting a fixed font size. Personally, I tend to edit almost all ebooks before they get out of my Intake library so fixed font sizes get bit bucketed at that point.

Yesterday, 11:49 PM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,280 Karma: 57979022 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I would guess the CSS is calling an absolute size: in, cm, px ... em is a relative size, so it scales

Today, 12:29 AM	#4
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,635 Karma: 26963509 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I've not had many issues with converting AZW3 to ePub with calibre. Exception is for fixed layout (images + text) books, then KindleUnpack does better (calibre does not support). For image only books (comics, manga) neither does a good job (does not render properly even though it passes epubcheck etc.). The CSS is dead simple but I haven't yet figured out what would need to be different for it to work. Instead I've been using Kindle Create to generate KFX (with ToC, which for some reason manga/comics lack) and KFX input to convert to ePub/PDF/CBZ, and everything seems happy with that ePub (even though the HTML/CSS is far from 'simple').

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