Show HN: eInk optimized manga with Kindle Comic Converter (+Kobo/ReMarkable)

1 month ago 3

Kindle Comic Converter optimizes comics and manga for eink readers like Kindle, Kobo, ReMarkable, and more. Pages display in fullscreen without margins, with proper fixed layout support. Its main feature is various optional image processing steps to look good on eink screens, which have different requirements than normal LCD screens. It also does filesize optimization by downscaling to your specific device's screen resolution, which can improve performance on underpowered ereaders. Supported input formats include folders/CBZ/CBR/PDF of JPG/PNG files and more. Supported output formats include virtual panel view MOBI/AZW3, EPUB, KEPUB, and CBZ.

YouTube tutorial (please subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR2Fhcm9658

KCC is not Amazon's Kindle Comic Creator nor is in any way endorsed by Amazon. Amazon's tool is for comic publishers and involves a lot of manual effort, while KCC is for comic/manga readers. KC2 in no way is a replacement for KCC so you can be quite confident we are going to carry on developing our little monster ;-)

Issues / new features / donations

If you have general questions about usage, feedback etc. please post it here. If you have some technical problems using KCC please file an issue here. If you can fix an open issue, fork & make a pull request.

If you find KCC valuable you can consider donating to the authors:

Ciro Mattia Gonano (founder, active 2012-2014):
Paweł Jastrzębski (active 2013-2019):
Alex Xu (active 2023-Present)

Free code signing on Windows provided by SignPath.io, certificate by SignPath Foundation

https://github.com/ciromattia/kcc/releases

Click on Assets of the latest release.

You probably want either

KCC_*.*.*.exe (Windows)
kcc_macos_arm_*.*.*.dmg (recent Mac with Apple Silicon M1 chip or later)
kcc_macos_i386_*.*.*.dmg (older Mac with Intel chip)

The c2e and c2p versions are command line tools for power users.

On Windows 11, you may need to run in compatibility mode for an older Windows version.

On Mac, right click open to get past the security warning.

For flatpak, Docker, and AppImage versions, refer to the wiki: https://github.com/ciromattia/kcc/wiki/Installation

Windows 7 support
Combine files/chapters
Flatpak mobi conversion stuck
Image too dark?
- The default gamma correction of 1.8 makes the image darker, and is useful for faded/gray artwork/text. Disable by setting gamma = 1.0
Better PDF support (Humble Bundle, Fanatical, etc)
Cannot connect Kindle Scribe or 2024+ Kindle to macOS
- Use official MTP Amazon USB File Transfer app (no login required). Works much better than previously recommended Android File Transfer. Cannot run simutaneously with other transfer apps.

You'll need to install various tools to access important but optional features. Close and re-open KCC to get KCC to detect them.

On Windows and macOS, install Kindle Previewer and kindlegen will be autodetected from it.

If you have issues detecting it, get stuck on the MOBI conversion step, or use Linux AppImage or Flatpak, refer to the wiki: https://github.com/ciromattia/kcc/wiki/Installation#kindlegen

This is optional but will make conversions much faster.

This is required for certain files and advanced features.

KCC will ask you to install if needed.

Refer to the wiki to install: https://github.com/ciromattia/kcc/wiki/Installation#7-zip

KCC can understand and convert, at the moment, the following input types:

Folders containing: PNG, JPG, GIF or WebP files
CBZ, ZIP (With 7z executable)
CBR, RAR (With 7z executable)
CB7, 7Z (With 7z executable)
PDF (Only extracting JPG images)

Should be pretty self-explanatory. All options have detailed information in tooltips. After completed conversion, you should find ready file alongside the original input file (same directory).

Please check our wiki for more details.

CLI version of KCC is intended for power users. It allows using options that might not be compatible and decrease the quality of output. CLI version has reduced dependencies, on Debian based distributions this commands should install all needed dependencies:

sudo apt-get install python3 p7zip-full python3-pil python3-psutil python3-slugify

'K1': ("Kindle 1", (600, 670), Palette4, 1.8), 'K11': ("Kindle 11", (1072, 1448), Palette16, 1.8), 'K2': ("Kindle 2", (600, 670), Palette15, 1.8), 'K34': ("Kindle Keyboard/Touch", (600, 800), Palette16, 1.8), 'K578': ("Kindle", (600, 800), Palette16, 1.8), 'KDX': ("Kindle DX/DXG", (824, 1000), Palette16, 1.8), 'KPW': ("Kindle Paperwhite 1/2", (758, 1024), Palette16, 1.8), 'KV': ("Kindle Paperwhite 3/4/Voyage/Oasis", (1072, 1448), Palette16, 1.8), 'KPW5': ("Kindle Paperwhite 5/Signature Edition", (1236, 1648), Palette16, 1.8), 'KO': ("Kindle Oasis 2/3/Paperwhite 12/Colorsoft 12", (1264, 1680), Palette16, 1.8), 'KS': ("Kindle Scribe", (1860, 2480), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoMT': ("Kobo Mini/Touch", (600, 800), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoG': ("Kobo Glo", (768, 1024), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoGHD': ("Kobo Glo HD", (1072, 1448), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoA': ("Kobo Aura", (758, 1024), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoAHD': ("Kobo Aura HD", (1080, 1440), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoAH2O': ("Kobo Aura H2O", (1080, 1430), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoAO': ("Kobo Aura ONE", (1404, 1872), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoN': ("Kobo Nia", (758, 1024), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoC': ("Kobo Clara HD/Kobo Clara 2E", (1072, 1448), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoCC': ("Kobo Clara Colour", (1072, 1448), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoL': ("Kobo Libra H2O/Kobo Libra 2", (1264, 1680), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoLC': ("Kobo Libra Colour", (1264, 1680), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoF': ("Kobo Forma", (1440, 1920), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoS': ("Kobo Sage", (1440, 1920), Palette16, 1.8), 'KoE': ("Kobo Elipsa", (1404, 1872), Palette16, 1.8), 'Rmk1': ("reMarkable 1", (1404, 1872), Palette16, 1.8), 'Rmk2': ("reMarkable 2", (1404, 1872), Palette16, 1.8), 'RmkPP': ("reMarkable Paper Pro", (1620, 2160), Palette16, 1.8), 'OTHER': ("Other", (0, 0), Palette16, 1.8),

Standalone kcc-c2e.py usage:

usage: kcc-c2e [options] [input] MANDATORY: input Full path to comic folder or file(s) to be processed. MAIN: -p PROFILE, --profile PROFILE Device profile (Available options: K1, K2, K34, K578, KDX, KPW, KPW5, KV, KO, K11, KS, KoMT, KoG, KoGHD, KoA, KoAHD, KoAH2O, KoAO, KoN, KoC, KoCC, KoL, KoLC, KoF, KoS, KoE) [Default=KV] -m, --manga-style Manga style (right-to-left reading and splitting) -q, --hq Try to increase the quality of magnification -2, --two-panel Display two not four panels in Panel View mode -w, --webtoon Webtoon processing mode --ts TARGETSIZE, --targetsize TARGETSIZE the maximal size of output file in MB. [Default=100MB for webtoon and 400MB for others] PROCESSING: -n, --noprocessing Do not modify image and ignore any profil or processing option -u, --upscale Resize images smaller than device's resolution -s, --stretch Stretch images to device's resolution -r SPLITTER, --splitter SPLITTER Double page parsing mode. 0: Split 1: Rotate 2: Both [Default=0] -g GAMMA, --gamma GAMMA Apply gamma correction to linearize the image [Default=Auto] -c CROPPING, --cropping CROPPING Set cropping mode. 0: Disabled 1: Margins 2: Margins + page numbers [Default=2] --cp CROPPINGP, --croppingpower CROPPINGP Set cropping power [Default=1.0] --preservemargin After calculating crop, "back up" a specified percentage amount [Default=0] --cm CROPPINGM, --croppingminimum CROPPINGM Set cropping minimum area ratio [Default=0.0] --ipc INTERPANELCROP, --interpanelcrop INTERPANELCROP Crop empty sections. 0: Disabled 1: Horizontally 2: Both [Default=0] --blackborders Disable autodetection and force black borders --whiteborders Disable autodetection and force white borders --forcecolor Don't convert images to grayscale --forcepng Create PNG files instead JPEG --mozjpeg Create JPEG files using mozJpeg --maximizestrips Turn 1x4 strips to 2x2 strips -d, --delete Delete source file(s) or a directory. It's not recoverable. OUTPUT SETTINGS: -o OUTPUT, --output OUTPUT Output generated file to specified directory or file -t TITLE, --title TITLE Comic title [Default=filename or directory name] -a AUTHOR, --author AUTHOR Author name [Default=KCC] -f FORMAT, --format FORMAT Output format (Available options: Auto, MOBI, EPUB, CBZ, KFX, MOBI+EPUB) [Default=Auto] --nokepub If format is EPUB, output file with '.epub' extension rather than '.kepub.epub' -b BATCHSPLIT, --batchsplit BATCHSPLIT Split output into multiple files. 0: Don't split 1: Automatic mode 2: Consider every subdirectory as separate volume [Default=0] --spreadshift Shift first page to opposite side in landscape for two page spread alignment --norotate Do not rotate double page spreads in spread splitter option. --reducerainbow Reduce rainbow effect on color eink by slightly blurring images CUSTOM PROFILE: --customwidth CUSTOMWIDTH Replace screen width provided by device profile --customheight CUSTOMHEIGHT Replace screen height provided by device profile OTHER: -h, --help Show this help message and exit

Standalone kcc-c2p.py usage:

usage: kcc-c2p [options] [input] MANDATORY: input Full path to comic folder(s) to be processed. Separate multiple inputs with spaces. MAIN: -y HEIGHT, --height HEIGHT Height of the target device screen -i, --in-place Overwrite source directory -m, --merge Combine every directory into a single image before splitting OTHER: -d, --debug Create debug file for every split image -h, --help Show this help message and exit

This section is for developers who want to contribute to KCC or power users who want to run the latest code without waiting for an official release.

Easiest to use GitHub Desktop to clone the KCC repo. From GitHub Desktop, click on Repository in the toolbar, then Command Prompt (Windows)/Terminal (Mac) to open a window in the KCC repo.

Depending on your system Python may be called either python or python3. We use virtual environments (venv) to manage dependencies.

If you want to edit the code, a good code editor is VS Code.

If you want to edit the .ui files, use Qt Creator, included in Qt for desktop development. Then use the gen_ui_files scripts to autogenerate the python UI.

An example PR adding a new checkbox is here: #785

Do not use git merge to merge master from upstream, use the "Sync fork" button on your fork on GitHub in your branch to avoid weird looking merges in pull requests.

Windows install from source

One time setup and running for the first time:

python -m venv venv venv\Scripts\activate.bat pip install -r requirements.txt python kcc.py

Every time you close Command Prompt, you will need to re-activate the virtual environment and re-run:

venv\Scripts\activate.bat python kcc.py

You can build a .exe of KCC like the downloads we offer with

python setup.py build_binary

macOS install from source

One time setup and running for the first time:

python3 -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate pip install -r requirements.txt python kcc.py

Every time you close Terminal, you will need to reactivate the virtual environment and re-run:

source venv/bin/activate python kcc.py

You can build a .app of KCC like the downloads we offer with

python setup.py build_binary

KCC is made by

This script born as a cross-platform alternative to KindleComicParser by Dc5e (published here).

The app relies and includes the following scripts:

DualMetaFix script by K. Hendricks. Released with GPL-3 License.
image.py class from Alex Yatskov's Mangle with subsequent proDOOMman's and Birua's patches.
Icon is by Nikolay Verin (http://ncrow.deviantart.com/) and released under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 License.