Create PDF Easily
For me, the easiest way to create PDF file is to install add-in driver or driver printer such as doPDF, CutePDF etc which I tried in the past. They are totally free. Of course, there are available software for the specific purpose of creating PDF files. Remember that its always been my goal to convert files easily using freewares.
Before PDF, I prefer using MS Word as the initial document for many reasons, easy editing, layout, formatting etc. I believe I mentioned that many times already. The following is a list of like softwares below, check it out what’s best for you. Take note that these are PDF converters and not PDF reader… simply choose the installed printer driver as your printer to convert the document to PDF.
doPDF (1.6 MB) is a free PDF converter that works for 32 bit and 64 bit Windows Operating System. Doesn’t require GhostScript or runtime environments like the .NET Framework. Open a document (with Microsoft Word, WordPad, NotePad or any other software), choose Print and select doPDF. No tagged or watermark PDF output.
CutePDF also a free PDF converter that works for Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista (x32/x64). The printer driver converts the document into a PDF file. It requires to install the GPL GhostScript (18.5 MB for version 8.64). I installed both the Writer (1.54 MB) and Converter (5.01 MB) to use it. Choose CutePDF Writer as your printer. No tagged or watermark PDF output.
Bullzip PDF Printer (4.0 MB) is a virtual driver compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/XP x64/2003/2003 x64/Vista/Vista x64/2008/Windows 7 (beta build 7000). The printer driver requires GhostScript Lite (8.8 MB) but doesn’t need to download separately, it will also be installed. Its a freeware with limitations, which means that it is FREE for personal and commercial use up to 10 users only. Choose BullZip PDF Writer to convert your document to PDF.
Originally, I started this list with 10 printer driver softwares. I removed commercial softwares, also those free softwares with tagged PDF or with advertisement of their product on the PDF output file. I also removed a freeware, I used in the past because it was installing a different name and not free anymore. Please read further information/compatibility on the links provided above, I am not liable for any damage it may cause you. On the other hand, I will still search for more like freewares and add them here.
Reformat MS Word DOC
Some of the ebook conversion articles I made in the past mentioned editing a MS Word DOC file before proceeding to another conversion. In this case, MS Word will serve as the “bridge” for another conversion. The reason is because most ebook converters can convert a DOC file directly. I use MS Word as the “bridge file” in converting repligo to other ebook formats. I also use this procedure to convert PDF to LIT, without purchasing commercial ebook converters.
The image shown below is a copied text from a PDF file pasted to MS Word blank document. Most often than not, you will have the same result. Of course we cannot convert it at this point and needs to reformat.
Choppy lines is obvious breaking the lines in unexpected places, this is because the original file had encoding (if its from html before PDF), paragraph and/or line breaks. That’s why it doesn’t come out looking exactly as the copied file.
The show/hide button of MS Word is a great tool to see the markings of breaks, it is located on your toolbar. When this button is clicked, you will see the symbol to every line breaks. It is easier to see exactly where you need to edit.
Manual removing of line breaks needs a lot of patience and time especially if you’ll be editing a big ebook file size. That would mean go to the symbol and delete… a repetitive process.
The easier way is to click edit from your toolbar, then choose replace. A pop-up window will show.
Find what: ^p or click special and choose paragraph mark
Replace with: ^s or click special and choose nonbreaking space
Then click Find Next button, when target line reach, click Replace button. Continue doing this until you reach the end of the document.
For other desired formatting depends on your file, choose and click from the special button in the Find and Replace window. If you plan to convert the DOC file to PRC afterwards, you might find Prepare MS Word DOC useful.
PDF Or RGO?
Its a known fact that PDF is the best document for PC. It is also possible to view PDF file on our cellphones and other handheld devices. There are many adobe reader or pdf reader available for mobile phones. The perfect quality of PDF file on PC is the same on a cellphone but you have to scroll or navigate around to view a single PDF document page. Take note that a PDF with lots of images can be viewed depends on mobile phones RAM (random access memory) size, older mobile phones could have a problem of “close application”.
PDF files are optimized for large screens of a PC monitor. The better the quality of a pdf file, the larger the file size. BUT it is the best source file on ebook conversion to other ebook format. Even if its NOT mobile friendly.
Repligo readers caters not for PC alone but to other handheld devices such as PALM, Nokia (S60 1st and 2nd edition), Blackberry, Android Smartphone etc. Repligo has smaller file size but with the same quality of a pdf file. Based on my experience (on Nokia phones), image can be seen only if you will view the whole page, the image is small and impossible to see the details of the image. But on PC, repligo file has the same quality as PDF except for smaller file size.
Would you install both PDF and Repligo viewers on your PC? On your handheld device? I have both of them on PC and mobile. Lets face it, PDF reader is a important on every PC. I’m using Repligo reader for PC to test my converted ebooks before transferring them on my mobile. No, I don’t read RGO files on my PC.
eBook Source File?!
Others call them as input files. The file that you have that you need to be converted into another ebook format. Please take note that I’m referring to ebooks for mobile as the output files or converted files in this topic.
When it comes to ebook conversion for handheld device just the same also needs attention on ebook preparation of source file before conversion. I don’t want to sound complicated but remember that we are reading our ebooks in small LCD screen, they should be optimized as such. That also depends on what ebook format we want it to be converted.
Going back to source file, in what format are the best source files? PDF? MS Word DOC? TXT?
PDF – I have to admit that this is the best ebook source file for most converted file for its perfection. Although there are available PDF reader for handheld devices and some read them directly on their device, I’m not comfortable navigating around my cursor to view the entire page. With PDF’s perfection, there are some limitations for mobile ebooks… there are PDFs that cannot be converted. A perfect example is Bob Ong eBooks. I also encountered a poorly converted PDF file that however I tweak the file, remains useless. hmmn… I should make a post about that. I still prefer PDF as source file for my favorite repligo reader, the output is the same as PDF on PC but optimized for small screens of handheld devices. No more editing, just click, click and click, you have your perfect RGO ebook.
DOC – This is the best source file if your ebook comes from other formats (or it could be from a “chain of conversion“). When it is originally in other format, its impossible that you don’t need to edit the file. Still if its DOC file, you could modify the file, remove some unnecessary lines, pages, line breaks, page breaks, etc.. You could edit DOC file depends on the output format you want to convert it. This is the best source format for Mobipocket PRC creation especially if it has TOC (Table of Contents).
TXT – I’m fond of using this as my source file for Aportis PRC ebook. I’m proud to say that its the most convenient way of converting my txt files to PRC (Aportis, not Mobipocket) during my first year of mobile ebook reading. I need the computer primarily for editing the txt file only, ebook conversion tool was installed on my phone as well as the reader. You can even convert your SMS to eBook directly on your mobile.
Convert RGO To PDF
This is just one of the several cases that the person involved need to convert repligo files to PDF. In this case, it is clear that Repligo Windows (repligo reader for PC) was already installed to PC. The problem is how to convert RGO to PDF.
I downloaded some ebooks and some of them are in .rgo format. I have downloaded the repligo viewer software already but that only lets me view the file i want to be able to convert these .rgo files to pdf. How do I do that? Is there any software out there that I can use to do it?
Let me mention that there are many repligo fanatics out there that had made their ebooks converted into repligo and shared them to other eBookworms, some have shared them to forums, blogs, websites and other resources. But its also a fact that the developer also stop releasing updated versions since 2004. I’m talking about Repligo for Symbian 60 and they didn’t release versions for latest Nokia mobile phones.
Why converting it to PDF? You could read Why PDF is the commonly asked ebook format, an old post but worthy on this topic. I just want to add that most ebook conversion softwares accepts PDF as source file.
Going back, do you know that the easiest repligo conversion is making it PDF? Its a “one step conversion” process, no editing involved otherwise you want to edit the repligo file before converting it PDF. You could use any PDF maker that serves as add-in to your Microsoft Office such as doPDF, CutePDF, TinyPDF to name a few. Don’t worry, they are freewares and safe. If you already installed Repligo Windows, just click “File”, “Print” the choose your desired PDF Maker or add-in.
Don’t forget to compare the repligo source file and the PDF output file because this procedure is not 100% perfect. I’ve tried converting some of my RGO file to PDF, one failed to be converted fully because of big file size, repligo file is 184 pages and converted PDF is only 84 pages. Another RGO file with 79 pages was converted successfully.
I guess its better to purchase a PDF maker software than using freewares, there no guarantee though because I haven’t tried on this case. However, for smaller RGO files, they were successfully converted. Its worth a try, its easy.
For unsuccessful conversion, you can use again your freeware PDF maker “add-in” software. But we have to add few steps. Open your repligo file on repligo viewer, edit, select all and paste it to MS Word blank document. You will be needing a lot of patience on editing the new DOC file, you have to omit all the unnecessary line breaks and will consume you time. Again, patience. Then print it as PDF.
