Weeny Free ePub to PDF Converter Review: Features, Pros & Cons


Overview: What to expect from Weeny Free ePub to PDF Converter

Weeny Free ePub to PDF Converter focuses on straightforward conversion: it reads ePub containers, extracts text and images, and produces a static PDF. It does well with plain text and basic formatting (headings, paragraphs, inline images), but complex layouts—multi-column pages, interactive elements, custom fonts embedded in ePub, or advanced CSS—may not transfer perfectly. Your goal is to make the ePub structure as “PDF-friendly” as possible and then use the converter settings to minimize changes.


Preparation: Improve the ePub before conversion

Best results often come from small edits to the ePub before conversion:

  • Backup the original ePub.
  • If you can edit the ePub (using Calibre, Sigil, or an HTML editor), do this:
    • Standardize heading tags (h1, h2, h3) and avoid unconventional CSS selectors.
    • Remove or simplify complex CSS (floating elements, absolute positioning, multi-column rules).
    • Ensure images are properly referenced and use common formats (JPEG, PNG). Resize very large images to reasonable dimensions (e.g., max 1200–1600 px width) to avoid scaling artifacts.
    • Replace web fonts with system fonts (Georgia, Times New Roman, Arial) or ensure font sizes are specified in points or reasonable pixels.
    • Fix orphaned or stray HTML elements and close tags; malformed markup can break conversion.
  • If the ePub contains DRM, remove it by lawful means before converting (note: follow copyright laws).

Weeny’s interface is minimal. Below are practical settings and steps to select or emulate the best options available in the app. If your version lacks some options, follow the preparatory steps above to compensate.

  • Output Page Size

    • Recommended: A4 (210 × 297 mm) for most text-heavy eBooks or Letter (8.5 × 11 in) for U.S.-centric documents.
    • Why: Choosing a standard page size prevents automatic scaling that can reflow or wrap text unpredictably.
  • Orientation

    • Recommended: Portrait for novels, essays, and single-column content; Landscape only for wide tables/diagrams.
    • Why: Preserves paragraph flow and natural page breaks.
  • Margins

    • Recommended: Moderate margins (e.g., 20–25 mm / 0.75–1 in).
    • Why: Prevents text from getting too close to page edges, reducing clipping and reflow.
  • Font embedding / Substitution

    • If the converter offers font options, choose to embed fonts or select commonly available fonts (Times New Roman, Georgia, Arial).
    • Why: Embedding preserves typography; otherwise the converter substitutes fonts which can change line breaks and pagination.
  • Image Handling

    • If there’s an option for image quality, choose high for images that must remain sharp; choose medium to reduce file size if many images.
    • Maintain original aspect ratio and avoid forcing images to full-page width unless intended.
  • Preserve Layout / Keep HTML/CSS

    • If there is a “preserve original layout” or “retain CSS” toggle, enable it.
    • Why: Keeps headings, spacing, and inline styling closer to the original.
  • Table and Text Flow

    • There might not be specific table settings. To preserve tables:
      • In the ePub, convert complex tables to images if layout continuity is critical.
      • Use simple tables built with standard HTML tags to improve conversion reliability.
  • Hyphenation and Justification

    • If available, disable automatic hyphenation and prefer left-aligned text for smaller fonts to avoid awkward breaks.
    • Why: Hyphenation changes can shift many line breaks, affecting pagination.
  • Page Break Controls

    • Some ePubs use page-break-before/after CSS. Preserve or add CSS page-break rules for chapters:
      • Example: ensure chapter start elements use page-break-before: always; in the ePub stylesheet.
    • Why: Guarantees chapters start on new PDF pages.

  1. Inspect the ePub in an editor (Calibre or Sigil).
  2. Standardize CSS: remove floats, fixed positioning, and multi-column rules; ensure headings use h1/h2/h3.
  3. Resize and optimize images to reasonable dimensions and common formats.
  4. Add page-break CSS for chapter/chunk boundaries where you want them.
  5. Open Weeny Free ePub to PDF Converter.
  6. Select the prepared ePub file.
  7. Choose Output Page Size (A4 or Letter) and Portrait orientation.
  8. Set margins to moderate values (20–25 mm).
  9. Enable any “preserve layout” / “retain CSS” / “embed fonts” options available.
  10. Set image quality to High for image-heavy books; Medium for mostly text.
  11. Run conversion.
  12. Inspect the PDF; if problems appear, iterate by adjusting the ePub’s CSS or switching fonts.

Troubleshooting common issues

  • Text reflow or different pagination:

    • Cause: font substitution or page size mismatch.
    • Fix: embed fonts or choose a standard font; lock page size/margins.
  • Images blurry or pixelated:

    • Cause: upscaling a low-resolution image or over-compressing.
    • Fix: replace with higher-resolution images or increase image-quality setting.
  • Headings or spacing inconsistent:

    • Cause: complex CSS ignored.
    • Fix: simplify heading styles to default h1/h2/h3 and use minimal inline styling.
  • Tables break across pages awkwardly:

    • Fix: convert complex tables to images or split tables into smaller ones; add CSS rules to avoid breaking rows.
  • Footnotes and internal links lost:

    • Cause: converter didn’t preserve internal anchors.
    • Fix: ensure anchor tags are well-formed in the ePub; if links still fail, consider a different converter or post-process the PDF.

When to use a different tool

If the ePub has advanced layout needs (multi-column magazines, interactive elements, heavy typography, complex tables), consider more capable tools:

  • Calibre (conversion with more fine-grained options and ePub editing).
  • Sigil (ePub editor to fix markup and CSS before conversion).
  • Adobe InDesign (for professional layout and export to PDF).
  • Online converters with advanced CSS support or commercial apps with explicit font embedding.

Quick checklist (for consistent results)

  • [ ] Backup original ePub.
  • [ ] Standardize headings and simplify CSS.
  • [ ] Resize/optimize images.
  • [ ] Add page-break rules for chapters.
  • [ ] Choose A4/Letter and Portrait.
  • [ ] Set moderate margins (20–25 mm).
  • [ ] Enable embed fonts / preserve layout if available.
  • [ ] Set image quality appropriate to content.
  • [ ] Inspect PDF and iterate.

By preparing the ePub and choosing these conservative converter settings, you’ll preserve the majority of layout and formatting when using Weeny Free ePub to PDF Converter. If a conversion still fails to match expectations, minor edits to the ePub (simplified CSS, image adjustments, font choices) usually solve the remaining issues.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *