E-books are flexible on screens, but sometimes paper, or a fixed page, is what people need. A grandparent with low vision might prefer a large-print printout. A teacher might want the same pages in front of every student. A book club might want shared page numbers for discussion. The EPUB to PDF converter creates a clean PDF from any DRM-free EPUB, and a few simple choices make a big difference to how useful it is. This guide walks through them.
The two key settings
Page size
- A4 is the standard paper size in most countries, including across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
- US Letter is standard in the United States and Canada.
Choose the size of the paper you will print on. If the PDF is only for screens, either works.
Text size
Text size ranges from 9 to 16 points:
- 9 to 10 points: compact, fewer pages; fine for confident readers and for saving paper.
- 11 points (default): a comfortable, book-like size.
- 12 to 13 points: easier for longer reading sessions and for younger readers.
- 14 to 16 points: large print, suitable for many readers with low vision.
Before converting, you see an estimated page count, which helps you balance readability against the number of pages to print.
What the PDF includes
- A title page with the book's title and author.
- Chapters in reading order, each starting on a new page.
- Bookmarks for each chapter, so readers can jump between them in any PDF app.
- Images placed where they appear in the book, scaled to fit the page.
- Page numbers at the bottom of each page.
The book is typeset in clean, highly readable fonts rather than the publisher's original design, so it looks consistent and prints well.
Large print for low vision
For readers with low vision, text size is only part of the picture. A few extra tips:
- Choose 14 to 16 points, and print a test page to confirm it is comfortable.
- Print on matte, off-white paper to reduce glare.
- Use good lighting, ideally a bright lamp positioned to avoid shadows.
- Consider a tablet, where the PDF can be zoomed further if needed, or an EPUB reading app with even larger text.
- Offer audio too. EPUB to Audio can turn the same book into narration for days when reading is tiring.
Classroom handouts
- Use 12 points on A4 or Letter for comfortable reading and room for annotation.
- Print only the chapters you need, using the PDF bookmarks to find their pages.
- Print double-sided to save paper.
- Share the PDF digitally as well, so students with different needs can enlarge it.
Book clubs
Different e-reader apps paginate differently, which makes "turn to page 87" impossible. A shared PDF solves this. Agree on one PDF for the group, created at 11 points on the paper size most members use, and everyone can refer to the same page numbers.
Things to be aware of
- DRM-protected books cannot be converted. Use DRM-free editions from publishers, independent authors or public domain libraries.
- Layout is simplified. Complex designs, sidebars and elaborate tables become straightforward text.
- Some scripts are limited. Latin, Greek and Cyrillic display correctly. Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters may not display, and right-to-left scripts such as Arabic and Hebrew are laid out left to right. The result page warns you if this applies.
- Page numbers are new. They will not match a printed edition of the same book.
A worked example: a large-print gift
A woman converts her mother's favourite DRM-free novel at 16 points on A4. The estimated page count is high, so she prints it double-sided at a local print shop and has it spiral-bound. Her mother can read comfortably without a magnifier, and the spiral binding lies flat on a table.
A worked example: a reading group for teenagers
A librarian runs a teen reading group with a public domain novel. She creates a PDF at 12 points on A4, shares it digitally, and prints a few copies for members who prefer paper. Discussions refer to shared page numbers, and students who need larger text simply zoom in on their tablets.
A worked example: a community newsletter archive
A community group has its old newsletters as EPUB files. They convert them to PDF at 11 points for an archive folder, so anyone can read and print them without an e-reader app.
Printing tips
- Print a single test page before printing a whole book.
- Check margins in your printer settings; "fit to page" can shrink text slightly.
- Use double-sided printing for long documents.
- Consider binding for books: spiral binding lies flat, which helps readers with limited hand strength.
Questions people ask
What text size counts as large print? Many large-print guidelines suggest at least 16 points. Comfort varies, so test with the reader.
Can I choose a different font? The converter uses its own clean, readable fonts for consistency.
Will images print well? Images are scaled to fit the page; their quality depends on the images in the original book.
Can I convert back to EPUB? Yes, with PDF to EPUB, although keeping the original EPUB is better.
In short
EPUB to PDF turns flexible e-books into fixed, printable pages. Choose the paper size you will print on, pick a text size that suits your readers, from compact to large print, and use bookmarks and page numbers to navigate. It is a simple way to make books accessible on paper, in classrooms, and for anyone who reads best with a fixed page.