kcc/README.md

# KCC

`KCC` (a.k.a. `KindleComicConverter`) is a Python app to convert comic files or folders to ePub or Panel View Mobipocket.  
It was initally developed for Kindle but as of version 2.2 it outputs valid ePub 2.0 so _**despite its name, KCC is
actually a comic 2 epub converter that every ereader owner can happily use**_.  
It also optimizes comic images by:
- enhancing contrast
- cutting page numbering
- cropping white borders
- resizing larger images to device's native resolution
- quantizing images to device's palette

## BINARY RELEASES
You can find the latest released binary at the following links:  
- OS X: [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16806101/KindleComicConverter_osx_2.5.zip](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16806101/KindleComicConverter_osx_2.5.zip)
- Win64: [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16806101/KindleComicConverter_win-amd64_2.5.zip](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/16806101/KindleComicConverter_win-amd64_2.5.zip)
- Win32: [http://pawelj.vulturis.eu/Shared/KindleComicConverter_win-x86_2.5.zip](http://pawelj.vulturis.eu/Shared/KindleComicConverter_win-x86_2.5.zip) *(thanks to [AcidWeb](https://github.com/AcidWeb))*
- Linux: just download sourcecode and launch `python kcc.py` *(provided you have Python and Pillow installed)*

## INPUT FORMATS
`kcc` can understand and convert, at the moment, the following file types:  
- CBZ, ZIP
- CBR, RAR *(with `unrar` executable)*
- folders
- PDF *(extracting only contained JPG images)*

~~For now the script does not understand folder depth, so it will work on flat folders/archives only.~~
As of v. 1.50, KCC supports subfolders!

## OPTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- `kindlegen` in /usr/local/bin/ *(for .mobi generation)*
- [unrar](http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm) *(for CBR support)*

### for compiling/running from source:
- Python 2.7+ (included in MacOS and Linux, follow the [official documentation](http://www.python.org/getit/windows/) to install on Windows)
- [Pillow](http://pypi.python.org/pypi/Pillow/) for comic optimizations like split double pages, resize to optimal resolution, improve contrast and palette, etc.
  Please refer to official documentation for installing into your system.

## USAGE

### GUI

Should be pretty self-explanatory, just keep in mind that it's still in development ;)
While working it seems frozen, I'll try to fix the aesthetics later.
Conversion being done, you should find an .epub and a .mobi files alongside the original input file (same directory)

### Standalone `comic2ebook.py` usage:

```
comic2ebook.py [options] comic_file|comic_folder
  Options:
    --version             show program's version number and exit
    -h, --help            show this help message and exit
    -p PROFILE, --profile=PROFILE
                          Device profile (choose one among K1, K2, K3, K4, KDX,
                          KDXG or KHD) [default=KHD]
    -t TITLE, --title=TITLE
                          Comic title [default=filename]
    -m, --manga-style     Split pages 'manga style' (right-to-left reading)
                          [default=False]
    -v, --verbose         Verbose output [default=False]
    --no-image-processing
                          Do not apply image preprocessing (page splitting and
                          optimizations) [default=True]
    --upscale-images      Resize images smaller than device's resolution
                          [default=False]
    --stretch-images      Stretch images to device's resolution [default=False]
    --black-borders       Use black borders (instead of white ones) when not
                          stretching and ratio is not like the device's one
                          [default=False]
    --no-cut-page-numbers
                          Do not try to cut page numbering on images
                          [default=True]
```

The script takes care of creating an *.epub* from your archive/folder, then:  
1. Run `Kindlegen` on the generated *.epub*. Depending on how many images you have, this may take awhile. Once completed, the `.mobi` file should be in the directory.  
2. (optionally) remove the SRCS record to reduce the `.mobi` filesize in half. You can use [Kindlestrip](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96903).  
3. Copy the `.mobi` file to your Kindle!

## CREDITS
This script born as a cross-platform alternative to `KindleComicParser` by **Dc5e** (published in [this mobileread forum thread](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192783))

The app relies and includes the following scripts/binaries:

 - `KindleStrip` script © 2010-2012 by **Paul Durrant** and released in public domain
([mobileread forum thread](http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96903))
 - `rarfile.py` script &copy; 2005-2011 **Marko Kreen** <markokr@gmail.com>, released with ISC License
 - the icon is by **Nikolay Verin** ([http://ncrow.deviantart.com/](http://ncrow.deviantart.com/)) and released under [CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/) License
 - `image.py` class from **Alex Yatskov**'s [Mangle](http://foosoft.net/mangle/) with subsequent [proDOOMman](https://github.com/proDOOMman/Mangle)'s and [Birua](https://github.com/Birua/Mangle)'s patches

Also, for .mobi generation you need to have `kindlegen` v2.7 (with KF8 support) which is downloadable from Amazon website
and installed in a directory reachable by your PATH (e.g. `/usr/local/bin/` or `C:\Windows\`)


## CHANGELOG
  - 1.00: Initial version
  - 1.10: Added support for CBZ/CBR files in comic2ebook.py
  - 1.11: Added support for CBZ/CBR files in KindleComicConverter
  - 1.20: Comic optimizations! Split pages not target-oriented (landscape with portrait target or portrait
   with landscape target), add palette and other image optimizations from Mangle.  
   WARNING: PIL is required for all image mangling!
  - 1.30: Fixed an issue in OPF generation for device resolution  
   Reworked options system (call with -h option to get the inline help)
  - 1.40: Added some options for controlling image optimization  
        Further optimization (ImageOps, page numbering cut, autocontrast)
  - 1.41: Fixed a serious bug on resizing when img ratio was bigger than device one
  - 1.50: Added subfolder support for multiple chapters.
  - 2.0: GUI! AppleScript is gone and Tk is used to provide cross-platform GUI support.
  - 2.1: Added basic error reporting
  - 2.2: Added (valid!) ePub 2.0 output  
        Rename .zip files to .cbz to avoid overwriting
  - 2.3: Fixed win32 ePub generation, folder handling, filenames with spaces and subfolders
  - 2.4: Use temporary directory as workdir (fixes converting from external volumes and zipfiles renaming)  
        Fixed "add folders" from GUI.
  - 2.5: Added --black-borders option to set added borders black when page's ratio is not the device's one (#11).
        Fixes epub containing zipped itself (#10).


## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2012-2013 Ciro Mattia Gonano. See LICENSE.txt for further details.