[texhax] Need help to generate e-book

Michael Barr barr at math.mcgill.ca
Sat Aug 11 15:22:54 CEST 2012


I am trying to generate a file appropriate for loading on an e-book. 
There is some front matter but the main body consists in using pdfpages to 
load a book that I scanned into a pdf file.  The main thing I want to so 
is get rid of the margins, since margins are not needed (and, more 
importantly, not wanted) in an e-book.  The pdfpages manual has this 
paragraph:

Especially the ‘trim’ and ‘clip’ options of \includegraphics are quite 
useful, if only parts of a page should be inserted. (Maybe to cut off the 
header and footer of the inserted pages.) Just use the ‘trim’ and ‘clip’ 
options as if they were options of \includepdf. They will be passed to 
\includegraphics internally.

The manual for the graphics package says nothing about a "trim" or "clip" 
options.  What it has is:

\includegraphics *[hllx,llyi][hurx,uryi]{hfilei} Include a graphics file. 
If * is present, then the graphic is ‘clipped’ to the size specified. If * 
is omitted, then any part of the graphic that is outside the specified 
‘bounding box’ will over- print the surrounding text.

The pdfpages manual says that any extra parameters will be passed on to 
the \includegraphics macro.  With no samples of how to do this, I tried:

\includepdf[pages=-]{freydpages.pdf}*[3.5in,5.5in][1.5in,1.5in]

but as far as I can tell, it has no effect.  I did try playing with the 
geometry parameters, but if reduce them below:

\usepackage[papersize={4.0in,6.0in},top=0in,bottom=0in,
left=0in,right=0in]{geometry}

the only effect is to shrink the text, which is obviously not the effect I 
am trying to achieve, but I cannot reduce the margins below about 1/2 
inch.

What I am trying to do, obviously, is to make the text as large as 
possible to fit into an e-reader page.  I don't actually own an e-reader 
(I am waiting for the market to shake out) but a friend has a Kobo that 
turns a pdf file sideways, but still has it in rather small size, 
difficult to read with my 75 year old eyes.

Is there a way to do what I want?

Michael

  -- 
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in
moral philosophy--the search for a superior moral justification
for selfishness.  --J.K. Galbraith


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