CONVERT LIT → PDB (LIT to PDB)
Fast, secure LIT to PDB conversion. No registration required.
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Ghostscript + QPDFHOW TO CONVERT LIT → PDB
Start the job
Upload a LIT; we read metadata, cover image and table of contents from the source container.
Rewrite as PDB
The content is flowed into the PDB format with appropriate CSS, images re-encoded at recommended dimensions.
Save the ebook
Download the PDB. Side-load to your device or drop into your reader library.
Setup: LIT is Microsoft Reader's legacy ebook format, discontinued since 2012. Goal: an interchangeable PDB. A PDB converted from a LIT is a new ebook container with the same content inside. The text body survives losslessly; formatting survives as closely as the PDB container supports it; cover images are re-embedded at the target's recommended dimensions. Worth knowing: LIT is Microsoft Reader's legacy ebook format, discontinued since 2012. Meanwhile PDB is an ebook-family format used for digital reading on e-readers and reading apps.
Why convert LIT to PDB
Library applications (Calibre, Apple Books, Kindle library) prefer a single format for indexing. Converting mixed LIT/PDB collections to one canonical PDB makes search, filter and sync work reliably.
LIT vs PDB — Technical specifications
Side-by-side comparison of the technical details.
LIT
- MIME type
- application/x-ms-reader
- Extension
- .lit
- Container
- CHM-like (LZX-compressed OEBPS)
- DRM
- Microsoft Reader activation (servers offline since 2012)
- Status
- Retired
- MIME Type
- application/x-ms-reader
- Category
- eBooks
- Full Name
- Microsoft LIT
- Conversion Engine
- CALIBRE
PDB
- Extension
- .pdb
- MIME Type
- application/x-palm-database
- Category
- eBooks
- Full Name
- PalmDOC eBook
- Conversion Engine
- CALIBRE
- MIME types
- application/vnd.palm (Palm), chemical/x-pdb (biochemistry)
- Palm structure
- Header + record list + record data
- Related formats
- PalmDOC, Mobipocket MOBI, AZW
- Namespace clash
- Biochemistry Protein Data Bank is a different format entirely
| Specification | LIT | PDB |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | application/x-ms-reader | — |
| Extension | .lit | .pdb |
| Container | CHM-like (LZX-compressed OEBPS) | — |
| DRM | Microsoft Reader activation (servers offline since 2012) | — |
| Status | Retired | — |
| MIME Type | application/x-ms-reader | application/x-palm-database |
| Category | eBooks | eBooks |
| Full Name | Microsoft LIT | PalmDOC eBook |
| Conversion Engine | CALIBRE | CALIBRE |
| MIME types | — | application/vnd.palm (Palm), chemical/x-pdb (biochemistry) |
| Palm structure | — | Header + record list + record data |
| Related formats | — | PalmDOC, Mobipocket MOBI, AZW |
| Namespace clash | — | Biochemistry Protein Data Bank is a different format entirely |
LIT vs PDB — Strengths and limitations
What each format does best, and where it falls short.
LIT Strengths
- Good rendering quality via ClearType in its era.
- Efficient compression via LZX.
- Small file sizes for text-heavy books.
Limitations
- DRM activation servers are permanently offline — DRM-protected purchases are dead weight.
- Proprietary format with no vendor successor.
- Zero modern reader support (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android).
PDB Strengths
- Compact record-based structure for low-RAM devices.
- Basis of PalmDOC, Mobipocket, eReader, and Kindle AZW formats.
- Well-documented.
- Simple to parse — stable for 30 years.
Limitations
- Ecosystem collapsed with Palm's hardware business.
- Name collides with biochemistry's Protein Data Bank PDB.
- Modern ebook tooling prefers EPUB, AZW3, or direct formats.
Quality & Compatibility
DRM-protected LIT files cannot be converted — KaijuConverter respects publisher encryption and returns an error rather than stripping protection. Unprotected or self-published LIT ebooks convert without restriction.
Tips for Best Results
- Use structure detection (TOC > chapters) to regenerate a clean table of contents in the PDB if the LIT has none.
- Embedded fonts bloat file size — consider dropping them in Advanced if your reader uses its own typography anyway.
- For serialised fiction, keep cover art consistent across episodes by re-using one PDB cover rather than auto-generating per LIT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The free tier accepts files up to 25 MB without registration, email capture or watermarks; paid plans go up to 2 GB. Paid plans raise the size cap, enable batch conversions and provide a REST API for automation, but nothing on the free tier is quality-limited — the output is exactly the same as on any paid plan.
Yes, provided the LIT itself has a well-formed ToC. Calibre reads the navigation structure and writes an equivalent ToC into the PDB. If the source lacks a ToC we can generate one from heading levels in Advanced → structure detection.
Uploads run over HTTPS, files are processed in isolated containers, and both the source LIT and the PDB output are auto-deleted within two hours. No account is required, file contents are never logged, and KaijuConverter does not use uploads for AI training. The paid plan adds a signable data-processing agreement for regulated workflows.
No. KaijuConverter does not strip digital rights management. DRM-free LIT files — anything you authored yourself, public-domain classics, files from DRM-free retailers — convert without any restriction.
Most files finish in well under a minute. Small images and documents are typically ready in a few seconds; large video or audio files scale roughly with duration. Upload speed from your network is usually the dominant factor, not server time.
Yes. The cover is extracted from the LIT and re-embedded in the PDB at device-appropriate dimensions. You can also override it in Advanced by uploading a custom cover image alongside the book file.
Microsoft LIT
Source formatLIT is a legacy Microsoft Reader eBook format, now obsolete.
PalmDOC eBook
Target formatPDB (Palm Database) is a generic database format from the Palm OS era that was widely used for ebooks on Palm handheld devices. PalmDOC and Mobipocket both use PDB as their underlying container for storing text-based ebook content.
Common Use Cases
Share across platforms
Send PDB files to anyone without worrying about whether they have the right software for LIT.
Embed in documents
Drop PDB output into Word, Google Docs, PowerPoint, Notion or a website without conversion warnings.
Optimize size
PDB often produces smaller files than LIT for web, email and storage.
Archive & future-proof
Store in a widely-supported format that will still open on future operating systems without legacy plugins.
LIT vs PDB — Typical file sizes
Approximate file sizes for common scenarios.
- Novel (text only) 200 KB - 1 MB
- Illustrated book 2-10 MB
- PalmDOC ebook (text novel) 200 KB - 2 MB
- PalmOS app data store 10 KB - 500 KB
- Protein Data Bank file (biochemistry) 50 KB - 5 MB
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Related comparisons
See these formats side by side to understand which fits your use case best.
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