How to Convert EPUB to PDF

What the PDF keeps from the ebook

The chapters come through in reading order. Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables and images are kept, so a textbook or a manual stays usable.

Complex ebook styling is simplified. Decorative fonts and custom layouts give way to a clean, consistent page. For most novels and nonfiction that is an improvement for printing, because the text sits evenly on every page.

Links between chapters and footnotes may not work in the PDF the way they do in an e-reader. The text of each note is still there, so nothing is lost when you print. If you want chapter links in the sidebar, add them afterward with the PDF Bookmarks Editor, one bookmark per chapter.

Choosing the page size and font size

An EPUB has no fixed pages. It reflows to fit the screen. A PDF does, so you decide the page size when you convert.

Pick the size you will print on, or a smaller one for reading on a tablet. A larger font size means fewer words per page and more pages, which is easier on the eyes on a small screen. A smaller font keeps the page count down for printing.

If the result is not right, convert again with different settings. It takes seconds and the file stays on your computer.

Why some EPUB files will not convert

Many ebooks bought from online stores or borrowed from libraries are locked with DRM. The converter cannot open DRM-protected ebooks, and it does not try to get around the lock.

DRM-free EPUBs convert fine. Public domain books are a common example, along with titles sold without copy protection. If a file fails to open, check whether the seller or library applied DRM.

The file must also be a real .epub. Ebooks in other formats need converting to EPUB first with the software that came with them.

Print an ebook as a booklet

Once the ebook is a PDF, you can print it as a folded booklet that reads like a small book. Run the PDF through PDF Booklet, print double-sided and fold the stack in half. The guide on how to print a PDF as a booklet walks through the printer settings.

A long novel makes a thick booklet that is hard to fold. Split it into sections of a few chapters with Split PDF and print each one as its own booklet.

How to convert a PDF to EPUB

The reverse works too. PDF to EPUB turns the text of a PDF into a reflowable ebook for an e-reader, with headings detected from larger text. Images and exact layout are not kept, so it suits text-heavy documents best.

If the new PDF from an ebook is large because of its images, Compress PDF can shrink it before you send it on. For the ebook itself, go back to the EPUB converter any time with new settings.