So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best hidden Calibre features.
Download:Calibre on Windows, Mac, and Linux
1.
Merge and Split EPUB Ebooks
Some books come in multiple installments.
Similarly, some books are exceptionally long; encyclopedias again spring to mind.
The solution is to use two Calibre plugins calledEpubSplitandEpubMerge.
Combined, they let you collate multiple books or divide single books at your choosing.
Note:The plugins only work with ebooks in the EPUB format.
We’ll discuss how to convert books into different formats shortly.
Interested in more helpful tools?
Take a look at theseawesome Calibre plugins for ebook lovers.
Get Your Favorite Magazines on Your E-Reader
Online magazine subscriptions can be confusing.
Well, Calibre makes this possible.
To get started, choose theFetch Newstab at the top of the app’s home screen.
In the left-hand panel, you’ll see a list of languages.
punch your dialect of choice to see what’s available.
Find the title you want to read and—if required—slide in your paywall login credentials.
Next, in the right-hand panel, mark the checkbox next toSchedule for downloadand hitDownload Now.
Lastly, you oughta force Calibre to send your newly downloaded magazine issues to your e-reader.
Go toPreferences > Behaviorand mark the checkbox next toAutomatically send downloaded news to ebook reader.
Note:For automatic downloading to work, Calibre needs to be running on your gear.
For more, check outhow to get news updates on your Kindle with Calibre.
Instead, why not turn your Calibre app into a content server?
By doing so, you’re free to make your entire Calibre library available on all your devices.
you’ve got the option to even upload new content to your Calibre library from those devices.
The process is remarkably straightforward.
In Calibre’s menu bar, go toConnect/share > Start content server.
your machine might prompt you to allow the app through its firewall.
Next, hit theConnect/sharetab for a second time.
You’ll see your machine’s local IP address followed by the port number.
Make a note of them.
You should see all your Calibre books appear on your screen.
Convert Ebooks Into Different Formats
Sadly, the world of ebook file formats is a bit of a mess.
In theory, the standard format is the open-source EPUB.
Instead, they rely on the proprietary AZW format.
Suffice to say, you need a way toconvert ebooks into different formats.
Thankfully, Calibre delivers.
Note:you could alsoautomatically convert new ebooks when you import them into your libraryfor the first time.
We covered the process in detail when we explainedhow to remove the DRM on every ebook you own.
So we recommend reading that article for the full scoop.
Automatically Download Ebook Metadata
Like any media library, you should probably keep the metadata organized.
But who has the time to enter all that information manually?
Calibre offers a little-used feature that lets you scan for your books' metadata automatically.
It can even find the correct book covers.
To scan for metadata, right-press the book in question and go toEdit Metadata > Download metadata and covers.
A new box will pop up on your screen.
you’re gonna wanna selectDownload both.
When the scan is finished, you’ll see a notification appear.
Click onReview downloaded metadataand make any tweaks as appropriate.
Firstly, you should probably download and install Dropbox on your system.
Next, head to Calibre and move your library to the shared Dropbox folder on your machine.
Lastly, drag-and-drop your ebooks from their current location into the Dropbox folder.
Do You Need More Books to Read?
But building a library doesn’t necessarily involve spending money.
