How to convert a PDF file for your Kindle

Recently, a friend sent me a preview of a book he was about to publish and asked me to read it. Glad I did – but unfortunately, the copy he sent was formatted as a PDF file. And as most of us know, reading PDFs on a smartphone or even an e-book reader is a recipe for eyestrain.

I squinted my eyes at my screen for three days, annoyingly, until someone reminded me that you can email a PDF file to your Amazon account, and it will convert the file to Amazon’s .Mobi format, making the document much easier to read on a phone or computer. Ignite.

Worked like a charm. The resulting document has a few quirks (no indentations to indicate paragraphs and the occasional weird symbols), but more easier to read. If you find yourself facing the same issue, here is how to convert a PDF file so that it can be easily read using Kindle or Kindle app.

First, you need to create two points of information: you need your specific Kindle email address (to which you will send the file) and make sure that the personal email address to which you will send the file is correct. Verified by Amazon.

On your laptop or desktop computer:

• Go to the Preferences tab on Amazon Manage Your Content and Devices page
• Scroll down and click on “Personal Document Settings”.
• Scroll down to “Send to Kindle Email Settings”. This will show the email addresses of the Kindle-enabled devices you have.

• On the same page, go to “Confirmed Personal Document Email List”. This will show you all the email addresses you can send to. If you can’t see your current email address, you can add a new one using a link at the bottom of the list.

You can also find your Kindle email address in your mobile Kindle app:

• Go to the home page and tap “More” in the lower right corner
• Select “Application Settings”
• Your Kindle address will be under “Send to Kindle Email Address”.

Once these are created it’s easy to send a PDF document to your Kindle or device with the Kindle app:

• Compose an email (using your verified email account) and attach your PDF file
• Type “Convert” in the subject line
• Address it to the Kindle address of the device you want to send to. (Note that if you have multiple Kindle devices, each will have a different address.)

It may take a few moments for the file to appear on your Kindle or Kindle-enabled device, but soon you will be able to bookmark your PDF file, add notes, change the font and font size, etc. You must have the Kindle version. Even with the glitches that will inevitably occur (most conversions aren’t perfect), you’ll have a much more readable document.