Kindle PDF Conversion: How to Convert PDFs for the Amazon Kindle

The ability to natively read PDF files is one of the more important and useful features that the Kindles 1 and 2 lacked. In the Kindle DX, Amazon finally addressed this issue. But what of the 1st and 2nd generations of the Kindle? The problem of course, remains. Load a PDF file into your device and nothing turns up. There are two answers to this. The first involves sending an email to Amazon with the file as an attachment and asking them to convert the PDF into a file readable by the Kindle. The second is a do-it-yourself Kindle PDF conversion.

One thing you should know about the Kindle is that while it does not recognize PDF files, it can read PRC files. So what we’re essentially doing here is to convert the original documents into files that are recognized by the device. If you’re using a PC, the Mobipocket Creator is one of the programs that you can use for the conversion process, while if you’re Mac user, you can use Stanza. The end result is the same.

The conversion process that you would need to go through using the Mobipocket Creator is a relatively simple one. Just open the program, select the import file option, then browse your PC and click on the PDF file you wish to have converted. Then select the HTML created and click on the build button. Depending on the file size, the build process can be done quickly enough, and in the end you get the file format that you need. Errors may come up during the conversion process but you can just ignore these. The file you get may be readable on the Kindle but it’s not a perfect copy and some elements may be lacking like a table of contents.

The process is even simpler in Stanza. You simply pick the file, then choose export book as option. Amazon Kindle is one of the options listed.

You should note that these file conversions are not always perfect. As stated earlier, you will not get a table of contents standard with the conversion. The program comes with the option to create one, however. If your PDF is large or you need it to be properly organized, it might be worth your time to build a table of contents yourself. You may also experience some clunky conversion sectors, but they shouldn’t make the document illegible. If everything goes smoothly, you should end up with a viewable Kindle PDF document.

There is always the option of e-mailing your documents in to have them converted, but it can be expensive over time and takes a while for the document to get back to you. If you’re more interested in doing it yourself, these are just two programs that have the ability to convert the files. There may be other programs, even better programs, but you will have to do some searching to find the one you like the most. If you are just looking for a Kindle PDF conversion, these programs make it easy enough for anyone to handle.