PDF files are comfortable enough to read on the computer and are perfect for tablet consultation, while they return a reading experience that is almost always bad on eBook readers, especially those with e-ink displays and no touch support.
To improve the situation, you can try converting them to ePub: an operation which – although it does not always guarantee results of exceptional quality – allows you to make the text of the PDFs more flexible, therefore freely resizable on eBook readers and “light” to load for the device . However, everything depends on the quality of the starting document, whether it contains real text or only scanned images (in which case not much can be done).
Now, however, let’s not get lost in chatter and let’s see how to transform PDF into EPUB thanks to some programs, online services and apps for smartphones and tablets which in almost all cases can be found and used for free. Your hopes of getting good quality ePub files from PDF documents are solely from them!
Index
- How to convert PDF to ePub: PC and Mac
- How to convert PDF to ePub: online
- To ePub
- Other solutions to convert PDF to ePub: online
- How to convert PDF to ePub: Android and iPhone/iPad
- Ebook Converter (Android)
- Shortcuts (iOS/iPadOS)
How to convert PDF to ePub: PC and Mac
If you want to transform PDF to ePub acting as a computer, you can resort to the use of Caliber . It is free and open source software for managing books in electronic format, which allows you to read them directly on your computer, catalog them, transfer them to eBook readers and – what interests you most at this juncture – easily convert them from a to the other. It is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux.
To download Caliber, connect to the relevant Internet site , click on the logo of the operating system installed on your computer and select the Download Caliber link on the page that opens.
Once the download is complete, if you are using Windows , open the executable file obtained and, in the window displayed on the desktop, select the item I accept the terms in the License Agreement , then press the Install button and complete the setup by clicking on the Yes and Finish .
If, on the other hand, you want to transform PDF into ePub Mac and therefore you are using macOS , open the DMG package that contains Caliber and drag the program icon into the Applications folder of your computer. Then, start the software by right-clicking on its icon , selecting the Open item from the menu that appears and pressing the Open button in the window that appears, in order to get around the limitations imposed by Apple on developer software non-certified (operation that must be performed only on the first run).
At this point, regardless of the operating system running, wait for the Caliber window to be visible on the screen, then follow the initial software setup procedure, setting the language in which to use Caliber, selecting the computer folder in to save the books and to specify the model of eBook reader or tablet you have.
Now, click on the Add books button located at the top left and select the PDF files on your computer that you want to convert to ePub. Alternatively, you can drag and drop PDFs directly into Caliber’s window.
Wait, therefore, for the import procedure to be completed and select the PDFs in the Caliber library on which you want to intervene, holding down the Ctrl key ( on Windows) or the cmd key (on macOS) on the keyboard and clicking on what interests you. After doing this, press the Convert Books button in the top toolbar.
In the new window shown, select the EPUB item from the Output format drop-down menu at the top right and, if you deem it necessary, specify or correct the book’s metadata using the appropriate fields located on the right.
If you need to generate an ePub file intended for an eBook reader other than the one indicated in the configuration phase (e.g. if you specified that you have a Kindle , but now you want to transform PDF into ePub for Kobo ), click on the Page settings section in the menu sidebar and choose the right device from the Output Customization box .
To make further customizations (e.g. division at page breaks, cover, etc.) you can do it by selecting the word Output EPUB always present in the Caliber side menu.
When finished, click the OK button and wait for the conversion to start and finalize. You can follow the progress of the operation using the Jobs menu located at the bottom right.
Once the transformation process is finished, close the operation summary window, right-click on the eBook in the Caliber library and select the Open containing folder option from the context menu. In the next window you will then find the ePub file which was originally in PDF. Et voila!
How to convert PDF to ePub: online
You don’t want or you can’t download and install new programs on your computer and, consequently, you would like me to explain to you how to transform PDF into ePub by acting online ? No sooner said than done! Below, in fact, you will find all those reported that in my opinion represent the best online services in the category. Put them to the test now! They work from any browser and operating system.
To ePub
A great online service that you can take advantage of to turn PDF to ePub is To ePub . It is very simple to use, totally free of charge and requires no registration. As the name implies, it allows you to transform digital books into ePub files, but also into MOBI, AZW3 and other formats usually used for eBooks.
To use To ePub, go to the relative home page and select the EPUB option from the menu located in the centre, then press the Upload files button and select the PDFs on your computer on which you want to intervene or drag them directly into the corresponding browser window of the Drag your files here entry .
Then wait for the files to be loaded, then the automatic conversion will start, at the end of which you can choose to download the ePub individually by clicking on the Download button on the cover of each of them or all together by pressing the DOWNLOAD ALL button located at the bottom .
Other solutions to convert PDF to ePub: online
Are you looking for other solutions by which you can transform PDF to ePub by acting from the browser window? Then turn to those that I have decided to include in the following list.
- ZamZar– this is a universal converter, thanks to which it is possible not only to intervene on the formats in question, but also on many others. It supports batch mode, it’s free and you don’t need to register to use it, but there is a 50 MB upload limit. To get around it and to unlock other extra features you need to subscribe to one of the paid plans (with prices starting at $18 per month).
- Convertio– is a specific web service for converting eBooks. You can upload files up to 100 MB in size. It does not require registration, but to unlock all the features you need to create an account and subscribe to a paid plan (with costs starting at $9.99 per month).
- DocsPal– is another online service that can be used to convert PDF to ePub via the web and for free. It does not require registration and you can upload up to 5 files simultaneously with a maximum total weight of 50 MB.
How to convert PDF to ePub: Android and iPhone/iPad
If you prefer to act from smartphones and tablets, then from Android and from iPhone and iPad , you can transform PDF into ePub using some special apps, the ones you find listed below.
Ebook Converter (Android)
If you’re using Android, to convert PDF to ePub on the go I suggest you use Ebook Converter . This is an app that allows you to convert between all major eBook formats. It also offers special options to customize the output document and it’s free. However, keep in mind that by making in-app purchases (at the basic cost of 1.06 euros) you can remove advertisements and unlock additional functions.
To download and install Ebook Converter on your device, access the relevant section of the Play Store and press the Install button (you can also go to alternative stores ). Then, start the app by selecting the relative icon that you find on the home screen and/or in the drawer.
Now that you are viewing the Ebook Converter main screen, press the (+) button at the bottom right in the File tab , touch the folder icon in the menu that opens and grant any permissions required.
Subsequently, indicate the position where the PDF is located, select it and tap the Insert button located at the bottom.
At this point, select the Conversion tab, expand the Convert to drop-down menu and set the EPUB option , then adjust the other options as you think is most appropriate (output profile, metadata, etc.) and tap the button Convert located at the top.
Wait for the transformation process to start and complete, following it from the Result tab , and then you can access the PDF transformed into ePub by going to the /storage/emulated/0/ConverterAndroid folder. If you need to, you can change the default path for saving the converted files by first pressing the Change destination directory button attached to the Conversion tab .
Shortcuts (iOS/iPadOS)
If you have an iPhone or an iPad , to transform PDF into ePub I suggest you turn to the Apple Commands app. It is already pre-installed on iOS/iPadOS (but if removed it can be downloaded again and free of charge from the relative section of the App Store ) and allows you to create and install ready-to-use scripts for carrying out various operations, therefore also for carry out the procedure described in this tutorial.
To succeed in your intent with Commands, you can take advantage of the script called Ebook Converter . To install it on your iPhone or iPad , visit this web page directly from mobile and, on the Commands screen that you see appear, press the Configure shortcut and Add shortcut keys . After doing this, you will find the newly added shortcut in the My Shortcuts tab of Commands.
To proceed with the file conversion, go to the location on your device where the reference PDF is stored or open the app where it is saved, press the share button (the one with the square and the arrow ) and select the Ebook Converter item from the proposed menu, therefore the epub format from the further opened menu.
Subsequently, grant any required permissions and wait for the conversion procedure to be started and completed. Finally, specify in which location or in which app to save the resulting ePub file as output. Simpler than that?
