Manga on Kindle Touch

[Dilbert]

I just got my new Kindle the other day. I love it! I bought a touch since I didn't want a keyboard, but I actually do write notes fairly often, and doing it with a touch screen is easier than using that directional toggle.

Anyway, I know that on previous versions of Kindles, you can use programs like Mangle to make a "comic book" file type and view it. In all the directions though, you're required to hit Alt-Z to open it. The Kindle Touch does not have an alt key, therefore I cannot hit Alt-Z.

So now I'm looking for other ways to successfully turn a folder full of GIF images of a manga into something I can read on my Kindle. I read a way to do something with Photoshop, but I haven't had the free time to try playing with PS yet.

Anyone else own a touch that is into manga, or is more knowledgeable than myself? How can I get manga onto my touch?

[abishur]

I was having this same problem and was very disappointed to discover that amazon has intentionally removed this useful feature! You now have to use their personal document service, I'd post a link, but apparently I can't until I've posted a few times. The downside to their service is that it can only do a max a 50 MBs and 25 attached files, so not very useful for our manga!

But I found two alternative solutions. The first is convert the pictures to one large PDF file. Unless you just so happen to have Adobe Professional, it's not a very useful option, but the Kindle Touch can natively do PDF files.

The second (and much better) solution is to download the e-book manager program calibre (just google calibre, it should be the top result called calibre e-book management). Zip the photos you want to turn into a book (for me, I did one volume per zip) then drag and drop that zip file into the calibre program. You can then tell the program to "convert" the book, it will take it from the zip and output into a format of your choosing. I went with mobi since I know the kindle can read that one.

IMHO, I like the look of the calibre conversion a little better. Going to PDF first kinda leaves the images in random places (usually left justified), but using calibre keeps everything nice and centered!

One last quick tip, I usually do a quick global rename to the pics I'm about to zip. If you don't it can order them strangely in the conversion process.

[Dilbert]

Wow abishur I had thought my post had disappeared into the nether, or that no one else liked manga and owned a touch. Thanks!

I did try the Amazon converting process, but instead of one manga issue, I had like 50 individual files I had to hit one at a time, and it was actually kinda hard to read, plus annoying that I was having to go in and out of the menu just to get to the next page.

I will certainly try out calibre. The website is http://calibre-ebook.com/ (for others wishing to try it). I'll post to let you know if I was successful. I'm using the first issue of Bleach just as a trial to see if it works.

---------- Post added 2011-11-29 at 08:43 PM ----------

OK I eventually got it to work! Here's the process that I went through:

Step 1.) I converted all the files to the correct size/shading/clarity/etc. using the guidelines on this page: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=103583

Step 2.) I created the actual comic book file (I couldn't figure out how to create it using calibre) using Mangle: http://foosoft.net/mangle/

Step 3.) I converted the cbz (comic book file) into a MOBI file using Calibre, then used Calibre to email the file to my kindle using my kindle's email address.

And now I have the perfectly readable manga on my kindle!

[abishur]

So I did some experimenting with it today. For some reason it was really butchering the order of my files! After a *lot* of trial and error I finally got the following process worked out.

1) Download calibre and mangle (foosoft dot net / mangle)

2) Use mangle to import all your jpegs for a volume

3) Order the jpegs correctly (it mangled the order too, but at least it let me reorganize them before I did anything

4) Export the jpegs into a cbz format

Now the cbz is technically a zip file that's just has the extension renamed, but if I put the files in directly it would screw up the order.

5) Once the cbz file is made, import the file into calibre

6) Convert the file to mobi

Finally! The pics are in the right order and can be opened by the kindle!

Make sure to play around with the settings on mangle (there's about 5 of them) to fit your desires! (oh and in calibre, if you look at the cbz input settings there's an option to split double pages in a right to left format (such that the kindle will display the page on the right hand side before the page on the left)

---------- Post added 2011-11-29 at 11:07 PM ----------

ha ha! Seems like we both discovered the same process! Congratulations! I don't know which version you got, but I got the special offers. This is off topic, but I managed to get rid of the existing offers and I'm trying to see what I can do to get my own custom offers (pictures) up there in it's place. I feel like I've seen about $25 worth of ads so far, so I feel pretty decent about getting rid of the :P

[cross69]

Sorry guys...

I am doubting about getting a kindle touch or the normal one... I would like to know if it's easy to zoom while reading manga with touchscreen, 6" is not much so i suppose we will need the use of zoom often...

I have been searching for videos about kindle touch but seems to be none about manga and it's readability.

Could you help me?

[Dilbert]

You cannot zoom on the Kindle Touch. If you have trouble reading the print after it is re-sized, you might want something bigger, maybe a Kindle DX or something that has a much larger screen. I've never heard of any of the kindles having a zoom feature.

The touch is not like a touch screen of a phone or a tablet, there is no multi-gesturing as far as I can tell. You can tap on an item to open it, you tap either the right side of the screen to turn the next page, left side to turn back, and top to bring down the menu. Those are about the only touches you can do.

As far as readability though, even at 6" I have no problem with 90% of the text. Occasionally the author will write very tiny handwriting between the cells, and those can be kinda blurry, plus the kanji can be a little hard to read (not that I can read kanji), but it doesn't detract from my ability to read the overall manga.

[cross69]

In the kindle 3 you can zoom using Q key, but before you need to set actual size to "true"...

I'm just reading this from a different forum so i am not sure. I can't give you give you a link as forum does not allow...

Just google ireaderreview (dot) com and inside that page look for manga. There is a topic called Kindle 3 Manga Photos.

Everything is explained there. Thanks for replying mate.

[abishur]

I just wanted to confirm Dilbert's response, I have my Kindle Touch in front of me and it cannot zoom in on pics, but as he said it doesn't appear to be an issue as the text is still very readable.

[Demonakat]

Cross: I would recommend getting a Nook. They're very useful, the Nook Color might as well be a tablet. My cousin has one, you can upload pictures, videos, and books to it. The new Nook Tablet IS a tablet, and you can do all of that with it.
Personally, I'm going to get an Ipad. They might be more expensive, but they are incredibly useful and have their own e-reader application. If I don't like their e-reader application, I could always just download the Nook App. (I have one on my android phone, it's incredibly useful.)

[cross69]

Problem with tablet is that is a tablet. My eyes get tired fast, so i wanted some device like kindle with electronic ink... Seems that i need to get a kindle 3 or a DX... Probably none of them...

Plan on using it at work (PDFs) and also to practice japanese reading manga, so a zoom tool or a big screen is fundamental...

I talked with amazon customer service and they told me that zoom is possible in kindle touch... lol, she spent like 20 min to say that is possible in kindle touch, but gave no more info... And now you guys confirm that is not possible in touch... I actually believe you, probably they forgot about that...

[Dilbert]

My reason for getting e-ink instead of a color touch is that I wanted a device that could outlast power outages. You get days of use (weeks of standby) with e-ink devices, and LCD devices such as the nook color just blow through their batter in no time flat.

[Demonakat]

I had the original Nook before it was broken, the e-ink is very useful. But if you're actually reading on these things for a long period of time. They don't last days. They last about 12 hours before you have to charge. Maybe the newer kindles with e-ink capabilities have longer battery life, but if you're looking for battery life, I don't know.

When I had my Nook though, I mean I had it on for 12 hours straight reading some books. So, maybe it was because of that. But then, e-ink will only work during the daytime and not during night time, because there's no back light. It's like paper. That's where the lcd devices win out, you could turn out the lights in your room and just lay down with it. Honestly, it all depends on what you're looking for. But, if you're looking for a manga deal, the regualr Nook with r-ink won't work, the picture application on it was very... bleh. I could barely get it to work, but that's first generation problems.

I'm still planning on just getting an iPad and use that for my tablet with the bookshelf on it. I can upload all of the .epubs i want, because iPads and Nooks are .epub format. That's another thing I don't like about kindle, they use .mobi, it's not hard to get ahold of the books, but you can't transfer it between something like your phone, iPad, Nook, or send it to a friend that has a Nook or an iPad/iPod Touch/Iphone or just a regular Droid with the Nook App.

[stompZ]

I was under the impression the battery life was a bit longer.

[Demonakat]

they're going to claim a very long battery life. if you leave it just sitting there on, with the screensaver on, it'll last 3 or 4 days without needing to recharge. but if you're actually using it? 8-12 hours tops. but again, first generation vs something 2 years later. so, who knows?

[Dilbert]

I don't know about your experiences Demonakat, and there are factors that affect battery life (wifi on, 3g on, etc.) but I've gotten more than 12 hours out of my kindle touch.

[Demonakat]

i didn't use the wifi, i just used my Nook. When did Kindle Touch come out? Batteries are always different in devices, and within a year, a battery might have an extra hour worth of time on it, it's all a matter of what you buy.
I did love my Nook though, i usually went 2 or 3 days without recharging it. Maybe I was remembering wrong about how long the life lasted.. maybe it was closer to 16-18 hours? I can't remember, but I think it was around 12 hours of full using it.

[abishur]

I know this is off topic, but I think I promised I has promised to post once I figured out how to get custom screen savers on there (it's not as easy as with the kindle 3 with keyboard). I followed this post... crap well I'm still not allowed to post links yet. That's really inconvient let's try it this way mobileread. com /forums/showthread. php?t=151537 and now not only is my device unlocked (meaning hopefully I can eventually just use a straight jpeg viewer to read comics instead of having to convert them first) but I also can use my own custom screen savers.