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Although the PDF format is certainly not designed to handle entire books, the wide compatibility it offers can sometimes make it useful to convert AZW3 to PDF. Conversely, if you want to read large PDF documents on your Kindle device, they will work better after being converted from PDF to AZW3.
Rather than using the existing EPUB format, books purchased from Amazon are packaged using its standard AZW format, or sometimes as a MOBI file (predecessor to AZW3). Unfortunately, this internal format is not universally accepted by other devices and programs, which means you may need to convert your books to different file formats.
Key points to remember:
- Caliber is the best way to convert files from AZW3 to PDF and vice versa because you won’t have to worry about file size limits.
- If the AZW3 file you are trying to convert was purchased from Amazon, it may have DRM (digital rights management) associated with it. If so, you will need to remove the DRM before you can convert the file to another format.
- Besides the ability to remove DRM, the steps for converting eBook files between formats with Caliber are the same regardless of source and output.
This guide will show you how to convert your e-book files from AZW3 to PDF, and vice versa. There are many websites you can use to do this, but most have file size restrictions and are cumbersome to use if you need to convert multiple titles. For this reason, we’ll be using Calibre, a freeware that lets you convert and manage e-books.
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AZW3 is Amazon’s proprietary e-book file format designed to be compatible with all of its Kindle e-reading devices.
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It is not necessary to convert your eBooks for no reason, but you may need to because of compatibility. For example, Kindle devices are not compatible with EPUB files, while other e-reader software like Adobe Digital Editions do not support Amazon’s proprietary AZW3 or MOBI software.
How to Convert an eBook File from AZW3 to PDF
For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume that the AZW3 file you’re trying to convert isn’t associated with any Amazon DRM scheme. If so, check out our guide on how to remove DRM from Kindle books.
- Download and install Caliber
Go to the Caliber download page, To download the installation file and follow the software installation steps.
- Add your AZW3 e-book file to Caliber
To add your book to Caliber, click the button in the top left corner that is labeled “add books” or simply drop files directly in the application window.
- Select the book and convert
Make sure you have selected the book you want to convert and click the button that says “convert books”.
- Configure conversion settings
Put it on PDF output format and edit any metadata or advanced settings you want. If all you want is to convert the file directly, you can just press OK” after selecting the output format.
How to convert PDF file to AZW3
Using Calibre, the PDF to AZW3 conversion process is very similar. Simply follow the steps abovebut this time select “AZW3” in the output format field. When converting in this direction, you also don’t have to worry about bypassing DRM.
Caliber can convert books between most e-book and document formats.
Final Thoughts: AZW3 to PDF Conversion
This is the end of our AZW3 to PDF conversion guide. There are tons of eBook converter websites online, but using a program like Caliber makes the conversion process much smoother and unlocks a host of additional features.
What did you think of our AZW3 to PDF conversion guide? Do you feel like you have a better understanding of eBook formats and how to convert Amazon eBooks to other formats? Have you tried converting AZW3 to PDF? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for the reading.
