Black background for cover image. Is it possible?

bfollowell · 03-30-2011, 08:25 AM

I'm trying to setup covers for my mobi files for my Kindle 3 and can't quite seem to get them to look the way that I want. I'm thinking what I'm doing is a limit to the mobi standard or to the Kindle or both.

I want have the cover image display on black background so that they show up better but I don't want to edit the image itself. I set the background color and it looks great in epub but, when I convert to mobi, the background color is lost, or at least isn't displayed properly.

Here's the code I've tried successfully in epub:

Code:

@page {padding: 0pt; margin:0pt}
            body { text-align: center; padding:0pt; margin: 0pt; }
            div { margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; background-color: #000007 }
  img.sgc-1 {height: 100%}
</style>
</head>
<body>
  <div><img alt="cover" class="sgc-1" src="../Images/cover.jpg" /></div>
</body>
</html>

I've tried putting the background color under the body section and the div section. Either works fine on the epub but neither works on the resulting mobi.

Does anyone have any ideas if this is possible and, if so, how I would go about it? 'cause what I'm tryin' just ain't a workin'

Thanks in advance.

- Byron

susan_cassidy · 03-30-2011, 01:39 PM

Mobi format does not do CSS, per se. I believe that tools have to convert the css and html into tags that mobi format supports (like old-fashioned HTML before CSS). I don't see anything like a background color in the supported tags list for Mobipocket (http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/articl...TagRef_OEB.htm). You might try making the image itself having a wide black border, and just use it that way.

bfollowell · 03-30-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

You might try making the image itself having a wide black border, and just use it that way.

Thanks for the suggestion but, like I said, I don't want to permanently edit the image to something so basic.

Thanks.

- Byron

susan_cassidy · 03-30-2011, 02:41 PM

If you add a black border so that it appears the same way that it would if on a black background (e.g. put the cover part on a layer that is all black, in a larger size, and center the layer with the cover image), in a new copy of the image (so you don't lose the original), there should be no practical difference in appearance.

DMSmillie · 03-30-2011, 02:58 PM

I'm afraid the Kindle doesn't support background colours, except for very limited support inside individual table cells, but since the Kindle only has very limited support for tables, using a table just to get a background colour is generally not a good idea.

susan_cassidy · 03-30-2011, 03:17 PM

No one mentioned tables. I was speaking about image editing. The original post was using CSS to set a background color in an img tag.

bfollowell · 03-30-2011, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

No one mentioned tables. I was speaking about image editing. The original post was using CSS to set a background color in an img tag.

Actually, no, I only mentioned that this was one way I'd tried. I asked if anyone knew of any other way that would work. Any options anyone wanted to throw out were more than welcome.

- Byron

susan_cassidy · 03-30-2011, 04:20 PM

OK, I guess I misunderstood. Modifying the image is the only way I know of that will work in .mobi.

DMSmillie · 03-30-2011, 04:33 PM

I was agreeing with you Susan. I only referred to tables in relation to my statement that the Kindle doesn't support background colours in the interest of accuracy, since in fact the Kindle does have limited support for background colour inside table cells, but then qualified that by suggesting it would be a bad idea to put something inside a table simply in order to get a contrasting background colour. That wasn't aimed at you - just a general comment, that's all.

bfollowell · 03-30-2011, 04:47 PM

Thanks guys. I think I'm going to just leave things as they are for now. At least I know not to waste anymore time trying to figure out something mobi can't do.

I appreciate your help.

- Byron

03-30-2011, 08:25 AM	#1
bfollowell Fanatic Posts: 541 Karma: 1152752 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Evansville, IN, USA Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5	Black background for cover image. Is it possible? I'm trying to setup covers for my mobi files for my Kindle 3 and can't quite seem to get them to look the way that I want. I'm thinking what I'm doing is a limit to the mobi standard or to the Kindle or both. I want have the cover image display on black background so that they show up better but I don't want to edit the image itself. I set the background color and it looks great in epub but, when I convert to mobi, the background color is lost, or at least isn't displayed properly. Here's the code I've tried successfully in epub: Code: @page {padding: 0pt; margin:0pt} body { text-align: center; padding:0pt; margin: 0pt; } div { margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; background-color: #000007 } img.sgc-1 {height: 100%} </style> </head> <body> <div><img alt="cover" class="sgc-1" src="../Images/cover.jpg" /></div> </body> </html> I've tried putting the background color under the body section and the div section. Either works fine on the epub but neither works on the resulting mobi. Does anyone have any ideas if this is possible and, if so, how I would go about it? 'cause what I'm tryin' just ain't a workin' Thanks in advance. - Byron

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03-30-2011, 01:39 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Mobi format does not do CSS, per se. I believe that tools have to convert the css and html into tags that mobi format supports (like old-fashioned HTML before CSS). I don't see anything like a background color in the supported tags list for Mobipocket (http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/articl...TagRef_OEB.htm). You might try making the image itself having a wide black border, and just use it that way.

03-30-2011, 02:41 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	If you add a black border so that it appears the same way that it would if on a black background (e.g. put the cover part on a layer that is all black, in a larger size, and center the layer with the cover image), in a new copy of the image (so you don't lose the original), there should be no practical difference in appearance.

03-30-2011, 02:58 PM	#5
DMSmillie Enquiring Mind Posts: 562 Karma: 42350 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle 3 (WiFi)	I'm afraid the Kindle doesn't support background colours, except for very limited support inside individual table cells, but since the Kindle only has very limited support for tables, using a table just to get a background colour is generally not a good idea.

03-30-2011, 03:17 PM	#6
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	No one mentioned tables. I was speaking about image editing. The original post was using CSS to set a background color in an img tag.

03-30-2011, 04:20 PM	#8
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	OK, I guess I misunderstood. Modifying the image is the only way I know of that will work in .mobi.

03-30-2011, 04:33 PM	#9
DMSmillie Enquiring Mind Posts: 562 Karma: 42350 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle 3 (WiFi)	I was agreeing with you Susan. I only referred to tables in relation to my statement that the Kindle doesn't support background colours in the interest of accuracy, since in fact the Kindle does have limited support for background colour inside table cells, but then qualified that by suggesting it would be a bad idea to put something inside a table simply in order to get a contrasting background colour. That wasn't aimed at you - just a general comment, that's all.

03-30-2011, 04:47 PM	#10
bfollowell Fanatic Posts: 541 Karma: 1152752 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Evansville, IN, USA Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook & Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5	Thanks guys. I think I'm going to just leave things as they are for now. At least I know not to waste anymore time trying to figure out something mobi can't do. I appreciate your help. - Byron