Calibre and online sites can convert from PDF to Epub usually lose most of the format. I tried PDFElements, with similarly poor results.

Is there any service/app that actually works and converts a PDF to Epub in a way that resembles closely the original?

cc @[email protected]

  • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de
    37·
    11 months ago

    I thought that was the point? PDF usually stores the position of every letter so that pages appear the same when printed, but it is wasteful and does not scale between screen sizes. So EPUB stores just formatted text, which can be rendered at any font size or screen width.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      11 months ago

      You can have fixed content as well, but it needs to be flagged in the document- for example, for illustrated books, or cover, title, and cpr pages.

      Op needs to talk with whoever is doing the conversion and tell them what they want. But it’ll probably drive the cost way up- especially if it was automated (and it probably was/is)

    • alvaro@social.graves.clOP
      0·
      11 months ago

      @[email protected] when you try to read a pdf on a smaller e-ink reader, everything is reduced and almost ineligible. You want to preserve the main features (boxes, italics) but being able to have a fluid format

      • ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de
        2·
        11 months ago

        @[email protected] Well, that’s what I figured. You technically can preserve formatting on EPUB but why would you? It’s not what the format is for, and most readers can support either. If yours doesn’t, look for apps or a software update.