What happens when you convert PDB to PDF
- The PDB is converted by Calibre, the widely used open-source e-book manager, on our conversion server.
- The book is laid out on A4 pages with margins of about 1.9 cm, keeping the chapters, headings, images and table of contents the book has. E-books have no fixed pages, so the page breaks are new.
- Books bought from a store usually carry DRM, which no honest converter removes. DRM-free PDB files convert normally.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert PDB to PDF online
- Press "Choose PDB files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to PDF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each PDF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your PDB and the PDF by then.
Why convert PDB to PDF?
PDB files usually come from e-books for Palm handhelds and old eReader purchases. People convert them to PDF because a PDF looks the same on every device and is what forms, portals and printers ask for.
In short, PDB is good at what it was made for, and PDF is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. PDB opens in Calibre; current phones and e-readers need an app, while PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer.
How to convert PDB to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your PDB files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the PDB files from Finder onto the drop zone and the PDF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose PDB files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted PDF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose PDB files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The PDF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for PDB to PDF
There are no settings: Calibre keeps the book's own styling, chapters and table of contents where the target can hold them.
DRM-protected books cannot be converted. Books from Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks and most independent authors are DRM-free.
PDB vs PDF: the differences
| PDB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Palm database e-book | Portable Document Format |
| Type | e-book | document |
| Created by | Palm | Adobe |
| First released | 1996 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | n/a | No |
| Animation | n/a | No |
| Vector or raster | n/a | Vector |
| Colour | n/a | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| What it holds | the text of a book in one of several Palm reader formats, such as PalmDoc or eReader | any colour, pages can mix text, vectors and images |
| In a browser | opens in Calibre; current phones and e-readers need an app | opens in every browser's built-in viewer |
| Common uses | e-books for Palm handhelds and old eReader purchases | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files |
| MIME type | application/vnd.palm | application/pdf |
About PDB and PDF files
What is a PDB file?
PDB is the Palm OS database format, which several e-book readers on Palm handhelds used: PalmDoc, eReader, Plucker and others. The extension alone does not say which, so a PDB may open in one app and not another. Calibre reads the common kinds.
What is a PDF file?
A PDF fixes the layout of every page so it looks the same on any device. Converting a PDF to an image renders each page to pixels; converting an image to PDF wraps it as a page.
PDB to PDF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Most of a large book is its pictures; a copy with smaller images will convert.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The book will not convert. Books bought from a store usually have DRM, which encrypts them; no legitimate converter removes it.
Convert PDB to PDF from the command line
This page uses Calibre. Installed on your computer, its ebook-convert command does the same conversion:
ebook-convert input.pdb output.pdfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PDB to PDF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting PDB to PDF?
The text, images, headings and table of contents are kept. A PDF has fixed pages, so the book no longer reflows to fit a small screen.
Why is the PDF a different size from the PDB?
A PDF embeds its fonts and lays every page out in advance, so it is usually larger than the PDB.
Are my PDB files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful PDB to PDF conversion needs Calibre, the open-source e-book manager, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the PDF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several PDB files to PDF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a PDF file?
PDF opens in every browser's built-in viewer. PDF is common for documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files.
Is this PDB to PDF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert PDB to PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the PDF is saved to your Downloads folder.