With the release of the Kindle DX, Amazon finally gave an  answer for the Kindle PDF queries that flooded the internet. With the Kindle 2, there is no native PDF file support.  Try to load a PDF and you get nothing.  Amazon's first solution was to offer file conversion for a minimal fee. You simply send them your PDF and they will convert it to run on your Kindle.  However, this led to many people wondering why they should pay to have every PDF converted. There had to be a way to do it yourself. Turns out that there is  a way, but it still isn't perfect.

First, you have to understand what files the Kindle will recognize. While PDF is not one of them, it does recognize PRC files. There are programs out there such as Mobipocket Creator for the PC and Stanza for the Mac that will allow you to convert PDFs into PRC files that the Kindle can recognize. Whichever you  have to use, the process is essentially the same and you will still end up with the same file type.

The PC program Mobipocker Creator is a fairly uncomplicated process. You just open the program and find the Import File option. Pick the PDF that you want to convert from the list. The program will create an HTML file for you and all that is left is to click the Build option. Depending upon the size of the file, the conversion time may vary, but you will eventually end up with a PRC file. If you get errors along the way, you can just ignore them since there is no good way to fix them. The file will be legible, but it isn't perfect as you lose a few features of the PDF file.

If you are on a Mac, Stanza makes the process even easier. Simply find your file in the database and choose the Export Book As option. You will see that Amazon Kindle is one of the conversion choices.

While these files work just fine, they are not completely perfect conversions. You will lose the table of contents when you convert with Mobipocket Creator. Fortunately, the program has the ability to create one if you put in a little more time and effort. While it may not be necessary for all files, some are large and need to be organized, making the table of contents vital. There might also be some areas that have some strange issues from the conversion, but the file should remain legible. If everything works properly, you will get a Kindle PDF conversion that works on your e-reader.

There is always the option of e-mailing your documents in to have them converted, but it can be expensive over time and takes a while for the document to get  back to you. If you're more interested in doing it yourself, these are just two programs that have the ability to convert the files. There may be other  programs, even better programs, but you will have to do some searching to find the one you like the most. If you are just looking for a Kindle PDF conversion, these programs make it easy enough  for anyone to handle.