How to Save & Archive Kindle Books as PDFs (2026 Guide)

When you buy a Kindle book, you're not buying a book — you're licensing it. Amazon's terms are clear: you don't own the content, you have permission to access it. That permission can be revoked. Accounts get banned, books get delisted, and your library can disappear.

This isn't theoretical. In 2009, Amazon remotely deleted copies of 1984 from customers' Kindles without warning. More recently, account bans from chargeback disputes or policy violations have wiped entire libraries overnight.

This guide covers how to archive and back up Kindle purchases as searchable PDFs on your Mac using automated screenshots. No DRM stripping, no command-line tools, no uploading your files to third-party servers. This is a Mac-only workflow — if you're on Windows or Linux, this particular approach won't work for you.

TL;DR: If your Kindle books matter to you, make a personal backup. Amazon can delist titles or revoke access. Screenshot automation is the most reliable method for DRM‑locked books, and it works for any purchase. Use Amazon's new EPUB/PDF download when it's available; otherwise, automate page captures and export to a searchable PDF.

The State of Kindle Archiving in 2026

The landscape has shifted significantly in the past year.

February 2025: Amazon removed "Download & Transfer via USB." This was the primary method for getting Kindle book files onto your computer. Calibre users relied on it heavily. With USB download gone, the main pipeline for DeDRM-based workflows broke for newly purchased books. (Good e-Reader, The eBook Reader)

January 2026: Amazon enabled DRM-free EPUB/PDF downloads. Starting January 20, 2026, readers can download EPUB and PDF files of DRM-free books from their "Manage Your Content and Devices" page. This sounds like great news — and it is, when it applies. The catch: only books where the publisher has opted out of DRM are available. The majority of the Kindle catalog, especially bestsellers and traditionally published titles, remains DRM-locked. Kindle Unlimited borrows are explicitly excluded. (TechCrunch, Good e-Reader)

Amazon's Terms of Service still state that Kindle books are licensed, not purchased. Your access depends on maintaining your account in good standing and Amazon continuing to offer the content.

Your Options: An Honest Comparison

There's no single "best" method — it depends on your technical comfort, legal preferences, and what you need the output for.

Calibre + DeDRM is the most popular method and produces the best output — native text, reflowable, small files. If you're technical, comfortable with the setup, and fine with the legal ambiguity of DRM removal, it's a strong choice. The downside: it requires older Kindle app versions, breaks when Amazon updates their DRM scheme, and the Feb 2025 USB download removal has complicated the pipeline significantly. The Calibre project has excellent documentation if you want to go this route.

Screenshot automation (what this guide covers) takes a different approach entirely. Instead of extracting the book file, you capture what's displayed on screen — page by page, automatically. There's no DRM stripping because you're not touching the DRM at all. The trade-off: output is images with an OCR text layer, not native text. Files are larger, and text isn't reflowable. But it works with any book, any format, any DRM, and the legal footing is straightforward.

Kindle Cloud Reader print-to-PDF is a free workaround. Open your book in Cloud Reader, use your browser's print function, and save as PDF. It works for short sections but doesn't handle full books well — there's typically a page limit, and the output quality varies.

Amazon's new EPUB/PDF download is the best option when available. Check if your specific books are eligible before trying other methods. Most won't be.

Step-by-Step: Archive a Kindle Book with Shotomatic

Shotomatic is a macOS app that automates screenshot capture. It takes a screenshot, presses a key (like the right arrow to turn a page), waits for the content to render, and repeats — hands-free.

Step 1: Open Your Book in Kindle for Mac

Open the Kindle for Mac app and navigate to the book you want to archive. For best results:

• Maximize the window to capture at the highest resolution
• Switch to single-page view (not two-page spread)
• Use light mode — OCR accuracy is significantly better with dark text on a light background
• Set your preferred font size — what you see on screen is exactly what gets captured

Dismiss any pop-ups, tooltips, or overlays before starting. Anything visible on screen will be captured.

Step 2: Launch Shotomatic and Select the Kindle Preset

Open Shotomatic and select the Kindle preset. This pre-configures:

• Interval: 500ms between captures — fast enough for text-only books
• Keypress: Right arrow key (turns to the next page)
• Capture mode: Full window

The interval controls how long Shotomatic waits between captures. 500ms works for most text-heavy books. If your book has images, complex layouts, or heavy formatting, the pages may need more time to render — bump the interval to 800ms or 1000ms.

Step 3: Select the Kindle Window

Use Shotomatic's window capture mode and select the Kindle window. This ensures consistent captures even if you accidentally click elsewhere on your screen.

Window capture is reliable — it automatically tracks the window position and captures the full content area.

Shotomatic will auto-focus the Kindle window when capturing begins.

Important: Avoid clicking elsewhere while the capture is running — if the Kindle window loses focus, keypress simulation (the right arrow to turn pages) won't reach the app.

Step 4: Start the Capture

Click Start. Shotomatic will:

1. Take a screenshot of the current page
2. Press the right arrow key to turn the page
3. Wait for the page to render
4. Repeat

Important: Shotomatic doesn't auto-detect the end of a book. You have two options: set an approximate page count (check the Kindle app's progress bar), or let it run and stop manually when done. If the capture runs past the last page, you'll get a few duplicate captures of the final page — just trim them after export.

Screenshots are saved incrementally. If the app crashes or you need to stop mid-capture, your progress is preserved. You can restart from where you left off.

A 300-page text book at 500ms intervals takes roughly 2.5 minutes.

Step 5: Export as Searchable PDF

Once capture is complete, click Export → PDF. Shotomatic uses OCR (optical character recognition) to add a searchable text layer over the page images.

The result is a PDF where you can:

• Search for any word or phrase
• Copy and paste text
• Use it with AI tools for summarization or research

Be honest about OCR: It works well for standard text in common fonts. Accuracy drops with footnotes, equations, non-Latin scripts, unusual fonts, and text in images. For research use, spot-check the text layer against the original.

File sizes: Screenshot-based PDFs are larger than native ebook files — a 300-page book runs roughly 200-400MB at Retina resolution. For context, a 100-book library would fit comfortably on any modern Mac. If you prefer smaller files, export as JPG instead of PDF.

Troubleshooting

Incomplete or partial page captures: The page didn't finish rendering before the next screenshot. Increase the interval to 800ms or 1000ms.

Kindle pop-ups or tooltips captured in screenshots: Dismiss all overlays before starting. If a tooltip appears mid-capture, stop, dismiss it, and restart from that page.

Duplicate pages at the end: Normal — the capture ran past the last page. Trim the extras after export.

App crash mid-capture: Screenshots are saved incrementally. Restart Shotomatic and begin a new capture from the page where you left off.

Dark mode producing poor OCR results: Switch Kindle to light mode. Dark text on light backgrounds produces dramatically better OCR accuracy.

Books with heavy images or diagrams: Increase the interval to 1000ms or more. Image-heavy pages take longer to render than text pages.

What About Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited books are borrowed, not purchased. When you return a book or cancel your subscription, it's gone from your library — no re-download, no access.

The same screenshot approach works for KU titles. Archive before you return the book. This is arguably the most urgent archiving use case, since you have no fallback access once the book is returned.

Tradeoffs to Know

Screenshot-based PDFs have real limitations compared to native ebook files:

• Not reflowable text. The PDF contains page images. Text won't reflow on smaller screens like a phone. However, this preserves the exact layout, fonts, and illustrations of the original book. Best viewed on a tablet, laptop, or desktop.
• OCR isn't perfect. The searchable text layer is an approximation. It handles standard prose well but struggles with footnotes, code blocks, equations, and non-Latin scripts.
• Larger file sizes. Screenshot-based PDFs are bigger than native ebook files. Modern Macs have plenty of storage for even large libraries, but it's worth knowing upfront.
• No table of contents or chapter navigation. The PDF is a flat sequence of page images. You can search, but there's no clickable TOC.
• Notes are not captured separately. Highlights are visible on-screen and will appear in your screenshots, but margin notes and annotations won't be interactive. If you need them in text form, export via Amazon's Kindle Notebook.

Is This Legal?

Screenshots of content you've purchased for personal backup are generally accepted under fair use (US) and personal copying exceptions (EU, UK, and others). Unlike DRM stripping tools, no technical protection measures are circumvented — you're capturing what's displayed on your screen.

That said, this is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction. If you have specific concerns, consult a lawyer.

One additional note: feeding copyrighted book content into AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) for anything beyond personal research has unsettled legal status. Use archived content for your own reference.

FAQ

Can I archive my entire Kindle library at once?

Not in one click. Each book needs to be captured individually. For a large library, prioritize: start with books you reference frequently, titles at risk of delisting, and Kindle Unlimited borrows you're about to return.

Does this work with Kindle Cloud Reader?

The screenshot approach works with any application displaying content on screen, including Kindle Cloud Reader in a browser. However, the Kindle desktop app generally provides better rendering quality and more consistent page-turn behavior.

What about Windows or Linux?

Shotomatic is Mac-only. The general concept — automated screenshots with page-turn keypresses — works on any platform, but you'd need a different automation tool. AutoHotkey on Windows or xdotool on Linux can achieve similar results with more setup.

How large are the output files?

A 300-page book captured at Retina resolution produces a roughly 200-400MB PDF — about the size of a short podcast episode. Even a large library of 100+ books fits comfortably on any modern Mac. JPG export produces smaller files if storage is a concern.

Is the OCR text perfectly accurate?

No. OCR works well for standard prose in common fonts — expect 95-99% accuracy for typical novels and non-fiction. Accuracy drops with footnotes, mathematical notation, code blocks, non-Latin scripts, and decorative fonts. Always spot-check if you plan to quote from the text layer.

What happens to my Kindle highlights and notes?

They're not captured in the screenshots. Export your highlights separately via Amazon's Kindle Notebook, which lets you view and copy all your annotations.

Does Amazon detect or block automated screenshots?

The Kindle desktop app doesn't monitor or block screenshot activity. You're using standard macOS screenshot functionality, not interacting with Amazon's servers or modifying the app.

What about comics, manga, or fixed-layout books?

These work particularly well with screenshot archiving since they're already image-based — the output is a faithful reproduction of the original. Increase the capture interval to 1000ms+ since image-heavy pages render slower. If you want smaller files, export as JPG or PNG instead of PDF.

Keep a Personal Backup

Your Kindle library represents real money and, for many people, years of accumulated reading. Keeping a personal backup protects against account issues, service changes, and content delistings.

Shotomatic has a free trial with limited captures, and paid plans for unlimited use. Everything runs locally on your Mac — no cloud dependency.

Download Shotomatic