More on viewing pdfs

dso371 · 02-08-2008, 07:10 PM

I have been trying to make a readable file out of a scanned image pdf downloaded from archive.org.

First I used Mobipocket Creator to extract the (200+) scanned images to a folder, as png files, and sent it to the Cybook. After disconnecting, I kid you not, the Cybook went crazy, flashing on and off at the start up screen! I thought I'd broken it. I reset it several times, no luck. So I reconnected, deleted the folder of png files, and everything was fine and back to normal. I did this twice so as to verify that the folder of pngs was the problem. Boy, the Cybook hated it.

The I used Creator to build the folder of pngs into an ebook (xml + other files). I previewed it in the Reader, and what a load of junk! Every second png seemed to have been imported OK, but every other one was just garbled text in ugly screen font! Again, I did this twice to verify.

So, back to square one. I don't know how to easily and quickly turn a pdf image file into a readable ebook.

And as for the Mobi software - OK, it's not as though Bookeen are directly responsible for it, but they are recommending it. Be warned, it doesn't always do what it promises.

As for BookDesinger, I found the interface very unintuitive and unfriendly, and it seemed all it could do was the same as Mobi - extract a bunch of png files into a folder. I'm not going to subject my Cybook to that again!

You know what? If I have the money I'll buy the Archos 705 (big screen) and read image pdfs on that, in colour!

Cheers all, and still a fan of the Cybook,
David

HarryT · 02-09-2008, 04:45 AM

PDF was never intended to be an eBook format. It makes an absolutely dreadful eBook format and really should be avoided like the plague. All the problems viewing it on small-screen devices are down to the horrendous limitations of the format, not those of the device.

IceHand · 02-09-2008, 06:56 AM

I made a script to do that task for me, but I'm afraid it's Linux only. If you have access to a Linux box you can try it.

The script will look for PDFs in the current directory, create an "CYBOOK Converted PDF" folder, optimise the PDFs and put all of the optimised PDFs in the created folder. You'll need to have Ghostscript, ImageMagick, libtiff and GIMP installed. The "batch-unsharp-mask-4.scm" file goes into GIMPs scripts folder.

DDHarriman · 02-09-2008, 07:13 AM

dso371

You are perfectly right, I have tested yesterday with a small (20 pages) PDF in image format, with pages a little bigger then the size of the Cybook screen and they showed as white pages when I tried to read them.

It looks as if the Cybook does not like images much, and PDF image files at all at this moment - one can always hope that future versions of the PDF reader in the Cybook will be much better dealing with this situation.

To get something readable now, several things are involved.

First, one as to convert the image PDF’s into text PDF’s.
To do that a OCR program as to be used. Omnipage Pro and Finereader Pro (this one costs in my country around 1/3 less) are the software kings and can OCR PDF’s directly.
Then a text (txt, word) file is created, it then must be “proof read” - this is what takes more time and costs more money in building a digital library environment, and I really must stress it’s the biggest cost involved - to correct OCR recognizing and formatting errors.
Finaly it’s the building the final eBook.

If you have Adobe Acrobat there is a quick and dirty way - use the internal OCR from it.
I advise the use of version 8 as it’s OCR is generations better and more accurate then the one in older versions of Acrobat.
So OCR the PDF’s you have in Acrobat choosing the option for “formatted text and graphics” in PDF Output Style.
Then import the obtained PDF file in Mobipocket Creator, who will create a Mobipocket eBook (prc file) not perfect but quite readable.
This procedure does not give you the problems with the correct size for the screen of the Cybook one as with PDF files.

I hope this is of some help.

Best regards,

dso371 · 02-09-2008, 11:05 AM

Thanks, I appreciate the help, but it's all a little too much for me to bother with. I guess I'll just have to hope for a firmware update that addresses the pdf image issue. Fingers crossed.

David

DaleDe · 02-09-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dso371

You know what? If I have the money I'll buy the Archos 705 (big screen) and read image pdfs on that, in colour!

Cheers all, and still a fan of the Cybook,
David

You can buy a 704 from their web site for a lot less and the PDF viewer and browser is included in the price.

Dale

dso371 · 02-09-2008, 03:52 PM

Many thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

You can buy a 704 from their web site for a lot less and the PDF viewer and browser is included in the price.

Dale

DutchBoy · 03-11-2008, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDHarriman

<...>You are perfectly right, I have tested yesterday with a small (20 pages) PDF in image format, with pages a little bigger then the size of the Cybook screen and they showed as white pages when I tried to read them.

It looks as if the Cybook does not like images much, and PDF image files at all at this moment - one can always hope that future versions of the PDF reader in the Cybook will be much better dealing with this situation.<...>

WHAT!? It was my plan for easy conversion of *any* reading material I have to convert to images; -- image files or in PDF form. I ordered my Cybook last week but didn't receive it yet. So am I in for a bad surprise?

Is it in the meantime, with new firmware version 538, already possible to use fullscreen images as files or in PDFs? The images I create are by no means large -- using .png format mostly around 50 kB, under 100 kB for sure (images sized exactly 600x800 for the Cybook; I figure the OP is not using scanned images at 300dpi or something like that?).

[Software I use for creation: Zan Image Printer, NConvert, PDFCreator (or other recommended PDF creator?)]

Krystian Galaj · 03-11-2008, 08:15 PM

I read quite a few mangas from the Net on Cybook - mostly in jpeg format, up to 1MB per image. Works fine, in resolution high enough.

I believe converting to PDFs would give you more problems, but would be easier to read, until folders are implemented in firmware.

I'm not sure if it supports PNG, but you should be ok with jpeg, visual loss caused by compression is practically invisible on e-ink screen.

02-08-2008, 07:10 PM	#1
dso371 Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 13 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen 3	More on viewing pdfs I have been trying to make a readable file out of a scanned image pdf downloaded from archive.org. First I used Mobipocket Creator to extract the (200+) scanned images to a folder, as png files, and sent it to the Cybook. After disconnecting, I kid you not, the Cybook went crazy, flashing on and off at the start up screen! I thought I'd broken it. I reset it several times, no luck. So I reconnected, deleted the folder of png files, and everything was fine and back to normal. I did this twice so as to verify that the folder of pngs was the problem. Boy, the Cybook hated it. The I used Creator to build the folder of pngs into an ebook (xml + other files). I previewed it in the Reader, and what a load of junk! Every second png seemed to have been imported OK, but every other one was just garbled text in ugly screen font! Again, I did this twice to verify. So, back to square one. I don't know how to easily and quickly turn a pdf image file into a readable ebook. And as for the Mobi software - OK, it's not as though Bookeen are directly responsible for it, but they are recommending it. Be warned, it doesn't always do what it promises. As for BookDesinger, I found the interface very unintuitive and unfriendly, and it seemed all it could do was the same as Mobi - extract a bunch of png files into a folder. I'm not going to subject my Cybook to that again! You know what? If I have the money I'll buy the Archos 705 (big screen) and read image pdfs on that, in colour! Cheers all, and still a fan of the Cybook, David

02-09-2008, 11:05 AM	#5
dso371 Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 13 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen 3	Thanks, but... Thanks, I appreciate the help, but it's all a little too much for me to bother with. I guess I'll just have to hope for a firmware update that addresses the pdf image issue. Fingers crossed. David

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02-09-2008, 04:45 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	PDF was never intended to be an eBook format. It makes an absolutely dreadful eBook format and really should be avoided like the plague. All the problems viewing it on small-screen devices are down to the horrendous limitations of the format, not those of the device.

02-09-2008, 07:13 AM	#4
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	dso371 You are perfectly right, I have tested yesterday with a small (20 pages) PDF in image format, with pages a little bigger then the size of the Cybook screen and they showed as white pages when I tried to read them. It looks as if the Cybook does not like images much, and PDF image files at all at this moment - one can always hope that future versions of the PDF reader in the Cybook will be much better dealing with this situation. To get something readable now, several things are involved. First, one as to convert the image PDF’s into text PDF’s. To do that a OCR program as to be used. Omnipage Pro and Finereader Pro (this one costs in my country around 1/3 less) are the software kings and can OCR PDF’s directly. Then a text (txt, word) file is created, it then must be “proof read” - this is what takes more time and costs more money in building a digital library environment, and I really must stress it’s the biggest cost involved - to correct OCR recognizing and formatting errors. Finaly it’s the building the final eBook. If you have Adobe Acrobat there is a quick and dirty way - use the internal OCR from it. I advise the use of version 8 as it’s OCR is generations better and more accurate then the one in older versions of Acrobat. So OCR the PDF’s you have in Acrobat choosing the option for “formatted text and graphics” in PDF Output Style. Then import the obtained PDF file in Mobipocket Creator, who will create a Mobipocket eBook (prc file) not perfect but quite readable. This procedure does not give you the problems with the correct size for the screen of the Cybook one as with PDF files. I hope this is of some help. Best regards,

03-11-2008, 08:15 PM	#9
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	I read quite a few mangas from the Net on Cybook - mostly in jpeg format, up to 1MB per image. Works fine, in resolution high enough. I believe converting to PDFs would give you more problems, but would be easier to read, until folders are implemented in firmware. I'm not sure if it supports PNG, but you should be ok with jpeg, visual loss caused by compression is practically invisible on e-ink screen.

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