Almost all reading devices accept PDF format. Since Kindle books are DRM protected, if you want to convert Kindle to PDF, using regular document converters would be useless. You will need some special tools to decrypt them and then convert the DRM-free files to PDF.
Amazon has always attached importance to the copyright protection of eBooks that it sells. By the end of 2018, Amazon Kindle adopted a new DRM technology for KFX format on Kindle firmware 5.10.2 & Kindle for PC/Mac v1.25 or above. That would be a little tricky. But don’t worry, there are still ways to convert Kindle to PDF.
For Windows users, you can choose one of the solutions (solution one will be more convenient). For Mac 10.15 (or above) users, we strongly recommend you to use “solution two”. The explanation is written in that part.
Solution One: Convert DRM’ed Kindle eBooks to PDF in One Tool
This is the simplest solution to convert Kindle eBooks to PDF: find a tool that can detect the books in your Kindle device/Kindle content folder, and then do the decryption & conversion job together. Epubor Ultimate is well worth your consideration. It is independently developed，which is powerful in Kindle DRM decryption, and really easy to operate. The supported output formats are PDF, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, and TXT.
Download this Kindle to PDF converter, and let’s have a closer look at the steps about converting Kindle books to PDF.
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Step 1. Download the Proper Version of Kindle for PC/Mac
As we have written in the preface, there’s no tool in the world that has the ability to convert the Kindle books generated by Kindle for PC/Mac 1.25 or above – for the moment at least. The only choice is to install a proper Kindle desktop version for your Windows/Mac. We have uploaded the packages to our website. It is safe for download.
Download Kindle for PC version 1.24
Download Kindle for Mac version 1.23
Step 2. Use Kindle for PC/Mac to Save Books on Computer
Launch Kindle for PC/Mac. Right-click on the wanted book and click on “Download”. The book will be saved on the local path (as a .azw file).
- Windows: C:\Users\user name\Documents\My Kindle Content
- Mac: ~/Documents/My Kindle Content
You don’t have to check the content folder because the Kindle to PDF converter will scan the default path automatically.
Step 3. Use the Kindle to PDF Converter to Decrypt & Convert
Launch the application. When you click on the “Kindle” tab, it will detect the downloaded Kindle books list with auto-scan, so this saves your time finding the books and importing. What you have to do is to drag all the books to the right pane and click on “Convert to PDF”.
For those users who have a Kindle with a firmware software version less than 5.10.2, you have one more way to use this program because new DRM technology has not yet been adopted.
1. Connect Kindle with your computer using a USB data cable.
2. The “eReader” tab will recognize your Kindle. Drag the books for decryption and then click on “Convert to PDF”.
Solution Two: Extract DRM-free eBook Files from Kindle Cloud Reader
Starting with macOS Catalina (version 10.15), Kindle for Mac will force you to upgrade to V1.25 or above, which generates the eBook file with .kcr extension (a new form of KFX file). No tool can deal with this kind of file. The only choice is to use KCR Converter to extract DRM-free eBook files from Kindle Cloud Reader, and then convert them to PDF. If your Kindle firmware is less than v5.10.2, you can still use “solution one”, but Amazon might push a new firmware version to you one day. In general, using KCR Converter is the best choice for Mac 10.15 users.
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Step 1. Download and Pin Books in Kindle Cloud Reader
Use Chrome to visit your country’s Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader (US: read.amazon.com), click on “Enable Offline”, and then right-click on a book to download & pin.
P.S. If it shows “Unable to Enable Offline Support”, please install Kindle Cloud Reader Chrome extension and try again.
Step 2. Decrypt the eBooks with KCR Converter
Launch KCR Converter, select the books and then click on “Convert to epub”.
Step 3. Convert Kindle EPUB Files to PDF
Click on “Open output path” (the folder icon) to check the DRM-free EPUB files, and then find some an eBook converter such as Calibre to convert books to PDF, because KCR Converter doesn’t have the “Convert to PDF” option.
Tips
- The trial version of Epubor Ultimate has one limitation – only converts 20% of each book. It needs you to purchase a license to get a full book converted. The free trial is mainly used to test if the protected book can be successfully decrypted & converted. I read from their site saying that if you desire to try the full version before purchase, you can contact the Epubor support team to ask for a temporary license.
- The trial version of KCR Converter can convert three complete books.
