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Author Topic: An Introduction to Calibre  (Read 101669 times)

Offline jessadia

An Introduction to Calibre
« on: April 16, 2012, 09:10 AM »
I recently came to a conclusion that maybe the reason members are requesting PDF (or various eBook formats) instead of converting themselves with Calibre is because they might not know how to use Calibre, so I have decided to make a tutorial to all things Calibre. In this post I will teach you, step-by-step, the basics to Calibre- and a few added bonuses. I will not be posting any DRM Removal techniques or tips so if that is what you are looking for, read no further....

You may be asking: What is Calibre?

To answer your question, Calibre is a free downloadable program used to convert eBooks from one format to another. It supports 15 different input/output formats (click spoiler for a full list) and can do a multitude of various other tasks, such as: change font sizes, allow you to upload or change covers, smarten punctuation, remove DRM through plugins (will not be talking about further), upload books direct to eReaders via wifi, and can even be used as an eReader for your PC.

Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.

The first thing you want to do if you do not have Calibre is download it. You can download it here You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login- free. Calibre will prompt you automatically when an update is available, if you choose not to update at that time but wish to do so later you can check along the bottom bar- this shows your current version and whether or not an update is available.


How to convert using Calibre:

To convert, simply click the "Add Books" icon on the top left- this will open a "select books" window. Locate the book/books-8406 you wish to upload (you can select more than one by holding CTRL + clicking on each book), then click "open".

Next highlight the book you would like to convert (again, can hold CTRL + click multiple books for quicker converting if you have more than one book you'd like to convert). You can either click the "convert ebooks" icon along the top bar or right click and scroll down- select convert individually, a new window will open for converting. Take a moment to become familiar with this window:

Notice that along the left bar there is a list of icons:
Metadata- this is where the basic information for the ebook is located, such as author name, book title, cover image, publisher info, tags, and description.
Look&Feel- here you can adjust font sizes, remove or add spacing between paragraphs, and smarten punctuation
Heuristic Processing- this is for the more 'advanced' user: here you can look for and fix common patterns in the ebook (such as remove the dreaded: converted by ambertext, etc lines)
Page Setup- with this you can adjust the pages to better suit your specific eReader, along with adjusting margins
Structure Detection- used to remove 'fake' margins, insert page breaks, detect chapters or even add the metadata (tags/description) into the beginning of the book
Table of Contents- here you can set up or delete Table of Contents in your ebook
Search and Replace- again, this is for 'advanced' users: used to search and replace 'regular expressions' throughout the ebook (you could search for expressions like: UN-CORRECTED EPROOF, NOT FOR SALE and replace with blank text)
format Output- used to further adjust your output ebook format: allows you to select no default cover, not split page breaks, etc
debug- advanced users: allows you to place a debug output info into a specified folder

If all you want to do is convert from one format to another, simply select to convert the ebook, choose your output format from the drop down menu on the upper right hand side and, on the Metadata page, click OK. Back on the calibre home screen you will notice a bar in the bottom right hand processing your request, when finished right click the ebook, select save to disk and choose an option then enter a destination (it will once again process and then open a new window where the book is saved). *You can select to save both formats (input & output) or simply the output. If you have your eReader attached to your PC you can also send the converted copy directly there by selecting 'send to' and then your device.


To Add/Change a Book Cover:

Select to convert the book, on the Metadata page you will notice a large box in the middle of the screen (this shows the current cover)- if you like the cover change nothing, if you would like to insert your own cover there is a long white box beneath the picture entitled Change cover image- click the icon at the end, select a cover image and click ok.


To Change Text Size:

Select to convert ebook, click the Look&Feel icon (paint bucket), the third line down will say Font size key- click the icon at the end of the white bar to open the new window. Scroll to near the bottom and under Output Document you will notice a base font size- use the arrows to adjust the font size. PDF is traditionally an 8pt font, when converting to PDF for easier to read font select between 10-12 pt depending on preference (size used by most eReaders) select ok.


Calibre DRM Help:

 If you need help with or have questions about DRM Removal please visit this thread You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

If you have any questions or anything to add, please feel free to post. I do not encourage discussion about DRM Removal and will delete all posts immediately referring to it.





GoodReads Sync Plugin mini-tutorial
*Credit to Geckogirl



There is a plugin for calibre( not by calibre) called goodreads sync that allows you to connect your good reads account with your calibre 

I work out of Windows 7 so my instructions are based on that, older versions of Windows are pretty much the same, but some of the locations may be different. for Mac users the instructions are basically the same, just not sure where everything is located.

1. open a web browser page, click internet options ( under the tools tab) choose programs tab, and make sure internet explorer is checked as you default web browser. close all open web pages.

2. Open calibre, in the bottom right it will tell you if there is an update for your calibre. 
If there is, update before continuing.

Close Calibre,  and go to this link

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choose your platform, choose download, choose run

the newest version will install ( this will not harm or change anything in your calibre library)

when finished reboot your pc

2. Open calibre, choose preferences, choose plugins ( green puzzle piece) choose get new plugins ( yellow puzzle piece). choose drop down not installed. choose goodreads sync and install ( there is another plugin called goodreads just ignore it) you will be asked where you want it ( menu bar, menu bar when device is connected etc) I choose secondary menu bar so it shows up whether my ereader is connected or not.

** it might tell you this plugin is a security risk and ask you if you still want to restart it, just click yes, i have run it through my norton and it is virus free, it only says security risk because info is being sent online between your pc and a web page.

3. restart calibre

4. you should see the goodreads icon, click on it and choose customize plugin, it will ask you for a user name, it does not matter what this user name is, i used my goodreads user name. this will bring you to a new window.

5 in the upper right corner choose authorized plugin ( Please make sure you do not have an open web browser) This should bring up a goodreads web page that asks you to allow or deny. choose allow.

Thats it, you can now sync books back and forth. goodreads does have a limit so it is suggested no more than 50 books at a time, and it might still ask you to do less.

***

click a book, click link to goodreads, if it doesnt come up click search goodreads( i've only seen issues with authors whose names are initials. for example C. T. Adams won't come up, goodreads lists it as C.T. adams with no space between. ) you can copy and paste the web addy into the box on calibre and it will sync. click ok to go to next book or be done linking

click goodreads icon, click on add to shelf choose one shelf, or choose multiple shelves by holding down the ctrl key for example own, to read or own, favorite depending on what shelves you have set up on goodreads.



Some helpful links:

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« Last Edit: May 14, 2012, 06:10 PM by Frenchtoast97 »
 
The following users thanked this post: Loopy, ereaderuser, ellawareye1, boomersusie, ladyvos, scoleo730, Brenda

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Offline boomersusie

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #61 on: May 17, 2013, 07:18 PM »
No, still didn't work
 

Offline GG drypen!

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #62 on: May 17, 2013, 07:34 PM »
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No, still didn't work

Do you have the plug in called kindle unpack?
 

Offline boomersusie

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #63 on: May 17, 2013, 07:43 PM »
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Do you have the plug in called kindle unpack?

What type of plugin would it be under?
 

Offline boomersusie

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #64 on: May 17, 2013, 08:00 PM »
OK, I downloaded kindle unpack and applied it.  put the book back on Calibre an tried it again and still no luck
 

Offline GG drypen!

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #65 on: May 17, 2013, 08:02 PM »
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OK, I downloaded kindle unpack and applied it.  put the book back on Calibre an tried it again and still no luck

Ok lol, but did you open the html file in word?
 

Offline boomersusie

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #66 on: May 17, 2013, 08:07 PM »
ok, I'm going to try it as html
« Last Edit: May 17, 2013, 08:10 PM by boomersusie »
 

Offline boomersusie

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #67 on: May 17, 2013, 08:13 PM »
Whew!  Got it, finally!  Thanks for the hints! :-*
 

Offline GG drypen!

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #68 on: May 17, 2013, 08:48 PM »
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Whew!  Got it, finally!  Thanks for the hints! :-*

YAY! Sorry I had to log out for a bit. Glad it worked.
 

Offline roxiegin

converting kindle books
« Reply #69 on: July 17, 2013, 10:13 PM »
help please was converting a group of kindle books and most converted fine but about 10 didn't . any ideas thanks .
 
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Offline ninjumper

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #70 on: July 17, 2013, 10:26 PM »
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help please was converting a group of kindle books and most converted fine but about 10 didn't . any ideas thanks .
can you put the error you received while converting them.
 

Offline roxiegin

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #71 on: July 17, 2013, 10:32 PM »
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can you put the error you received while converting them.

it just says this book is locked by DRM,
 yet it converted the other kindle books
 
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Offline ninjumper

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #72 on: July 17, 2013, 10:41 PM »
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it just says this book is locked by DRM,
 yet it converted the other kindle books
did you bought those books?.
if yes, then only you'll be able to convert them.
but you'll need to put drm tools plugin in your calibre.
if you haven't bought them themselves, it would be impossible.
 

Offline roxiegin

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #73 on: July 17, 2013, 10:53 PM »
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did you bought those books?.
if yes, then only you'll be able to convert them.
but you'll need to put drm tools plugin in your calibre.
if you haven't bought them themselves, it would be impossible.
I bought them and have  plugins installed 
 
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Offline ninjumper

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #74 on: July 17, 2013, 10:58 PM »
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I bought them and have  plugins installed
okay, so where did you bought them from.
amazon or some other ebook online retailer?
 

Offline ninjumper

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #75 on: July 17, 2013, 11:05 PM »
OH!
and do you have update calibre and Drm tools.
Drm tool for calibre is v6.07
and calibre is 0.9.39.

And i think you can copy paste there Pids in drm kindle book
 
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Offline roxiegin

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #76 on: July 18, 2013, 08:50 AM »
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okay, so where did you bought them from.
amazon or some other ebook online retailer?
amazon
 

Offline ninjumper

Re: converting kindle books
« Reply #77 on: July 18, 2013, 08:57 AM »
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amazon
Still having trouble after updating of calibre and drm tools ?
Try posting it here.
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« Last Edit: July 18, 2013, 09:01 AM by ninjumper »
 
The following users thanked this post: nina8, Gus

Offline kiki90

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #78 on: January 15, 2018, 08:58 AM »
Hi,

I just wanted to ask if there is a way to organize my books in Calibre in different categories - for example romance, DIY, hobbies, psychology? TIA
 

Offline GG drypen!

Re: An Introduction to Calibre
« Reply #79 on: January 16, 2018, 09:10 PM »
Yeah, you can use tags and make a virtual library for each genre.

Easiest way to do that is to do the search using the tag you want first. 1st pic.

Then click on virtual library and choose current search. 2nd pic.

Sorry, mine is so small. I was already in a library when I screen shot it.


You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Hi,

I just wanted to ask if there is a way to organize my books in Calibre in different categories - for example romance, DIY, hobbies, psychology? TIA
 
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