*VERY* detailed guide on changing default Reader fonts - Page 10

gwynevans · 05-17-2009, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by halidak

I flashed my reader back to original firmware 1.1.00.18040 (Since there is no official installer for 1.1.01.25200 I can not update to that, I guess. OR if anyone knows a way to get back to my original firmware (1.1.01.25200) that would be much appreciated.)

Theoretically, if you could find someone else with the .25200 firmware you could ask them to dump their firmware & reflash it on yours, but it's not worth it. What you can now do instead is to mod your own firmware via this thread

halidak · 05-17-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Theoretically, if you could find someone else with the .25200 firmware you could ask them to dump their firmware & reflash it on yours, but it's not worth it. What you can now do instead is to mod your own firmware via this thread

I agree wıth you; It seems it's not worth the effort. For now I have no complaints with the OLD firmaware. I think it's better to wait for Sony to publish an official installer. Thanks anyway.

dpierron · 05-18-2009, 11:51 AM

I think it's already been raised, but I wonder if it is possible to change not only the default fonts, but their default sizes, also...

I replaced the default serif font with PMN Caecilia, as recommended by Valloric (btw what a wonderful font ! Thanks for the tip), and I find that the default size looks bigger than with the default font.

But I think it's not possible, default size is not embedded in the font file, is it ?

Cheers,
David.

forkyfork · 05-26-2009, 08:50 AM

Wonderful guide. I too installed Caecilla and it is awesome!

One question, though. I like the Caecilla font because it reminds me of reading on the kindle. However, when I look at the kindle, there are bigger spaces in between the lines that make it easier to read than on the prs-505. Is there a way to change it, through the font software or some other way?

Valloric · 05-26-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpierron

But I think it's not possible, default size is not embedded in the font file, is it ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by forkyfork

However, when I look at the kindle, there are bigger spaces in between the lines that make it easier to read than on the prs-505. Is there a way to change it, through the font software or some other way?

Both of these depend on the book and not on the font. And I think you can adjust the default font size and line spacing with calibre, but you have to do it for every book.

horseflesh · 06-26-2009, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valloric

It has been asked before. I use the Roman version.

Does the Reader then "fake" the bold, italic, and bold-italic characters as needed? I guess it must, if we are only fiddling with one TTF file.

I found what seems to be a very nice looking free font, Liberation Serif.

http://www.dafont.com/liberation-serif.font

Looks like it was made by Red Hat Linux.

horseflesh · 06-26-2009, 02:05 AM

Oh, I noticed that the Font Creator trial that the PDF links to is up to version 6, which no longer supports saving the font file. I found a site that still has the older 5.6 installer--worked for me and my virus scanner didn't flip out.

http://www.vxdownload.com/Font-Creat...95b7b62904.htm

horseflesh · 06-26-2009, 02:43 AM

All done and I like how Liberation Serif looks so I thought I would share a screen shot. I have also attached the modified font file for use with PRSCustomizer. Thanks to Valloric for the guide!

dpierron · 06-26-2009, 04:02 AM

You're right, it looks great ! Thanks for the screenshot, it's very nice to see a font in action ...

Valloric · 06-26-2009, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horseflesh

Does the Reader then "fake" the bold, italic, and bold-italic characters as needed? I guess it must, if we are only fiddling with one TTF file.

Yes, the LRF files only actually use one font. The italic and the bold are "faked".

The EPUB files use the proper fonts though. It's an entirely different renderer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by horseflesh

Oh, I noticed that the Font Creator trial that the PDF links to is up to version 6, which no longer supports saving the font file.

Crap... this is going to be a problem. I'm going to have to update the guide. I should probably try to find an alternative to Font Creator. Does anyone have any ideas?

slantybard · 06-26-2009, 06:04 PM

Ok, I successfully installed caecilia std roman (55). Thank-you for the great walkthrough. I appreciate the effort everyone has put into setting this stuff up.

My issue is that I like to read using the "small" view. In this view I notice that the "darkness" of the font is not as nice as the medium and large views where the beauty of caecilia shows up. I was wondering if anyone has tried a bolder base font like caecilia 75 and whether that looks better in the smaller view? Or alternatively, has anyone replaced the dutch font with a sans-serif font for easier reading at the smaller sizes?

slantybard · 06-27-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slantybard

Ok, I successfully installed caecilia std roman (55). Thank-you for the great walkthrough. I appreciate the effort everyone has put into setting this stuff up.

My issue is that I like to read using the "small" view. In this view I notice that the "darkness" of the font is not as nice as the medium and large views where the beauty of caecilia shows up. I was wondering if anyone has tried a bolder base font like caecilia 75 and whether that looks better in the smaller view? Or alternatively, has anyone replaced the dutch font with a sans-serif font for easier reading at the smaller sizes?

OK, I tried to reflash the reader using prsc and vera (the non serif version) to see if that would be a better font for me. However, when I open up the books, the font does not seem to have changed - it is still a serif font. Makes me wonder if the font even changed from Dutch to Caecilia in the original flash. PRSC worked though in that all the other customizations are in place. Do you have to reflash back to sony's base firmware before you can use prsc again? Not quite sure where I am goofing up since all the other changes worked well...

Valloric · 06-27-2009, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slantybard

Do you have to reflash back to sony's base firmware before you can use prsc again?

Yes, you should.

joedevon · 06-28-2009, 08:16 PM

Has anyone tried reading up on the science of fonts when deciding which one to use? I know some firms did studies of online fonts and a lot went behind design of digital fonts. Microsoft's fonts were designed by a famed designer for the purpose of looking good on the screen. Let me grab a ref:

http://www.will-harris.com/typoscrn.htm

Quote:

Chuck Bigelow, the co-designer of the Lucida family of typefaces (with Kris Holmes)--suggests several ways to choose type that is easiest to read on-screen. First, he suggests considering sans serif faces for body text. "When printed, the serifs on typefaces are only a tiny percentage of the typeface's design. But on-screen, in order to display the serifs using the limited number of available pixels, they take up a much bigger proportion of the information than they do on a printed page. Serifs should be small things--but on screen they become big--no longer visual cues but noise--distracting chunks of interference."

Personally the font on that site does not special for me. It's readable but not better than average. But Verdana is always very easy & pleasing for me.

joedevon · 06-28-2009, 09:32 PM

BTW, just tried this out and it seems that now to Save As in FontCreator you need to buy a full version.

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05-18-2009, 11:51 AM	#138
dpierron calibre2opds guru Posts: 533 Karma: 8792 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Metz, France Device: iPhone, iPad, PRS-650	I think it's already been raised, but I wonder if it is possible to change not only the default fonts, but their default sizes, also... I replaced the default serif font with PMN Caecilia, as recommended by Valloric (btw what a wonderful font ! Thanks for the tip), and I find that the default size looks bigger than with the default font. But I think it's not possible, default size is not embedded in the font file, is it ? Cheers, David.

05-26-2009, 08:50 AM	#139
forkyfork Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 1664 Join Date: May 2009 Device: It's a long story ;)	Wonderful guide. I too installed Caecilla and it is awesome! One question, though. I like the Caecilla font because it reminds me of reading on the kindle. However, when I look at the kindle, there are bigger spaces in between the lines that make it easier to read than on the prs-505. Is there a way to change it, through the font software or some other way?

06-26-2009, 02:05 AM	#142
horseflesh Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-500	Oh, I noticed that the Font Creator trial that the PDF links to is up to version 6, which no longer supports saving the font file. I found a site that still has the older 5.6 installer--worked for me and my virus scanner didn't flip out. http://www.vxdownload.com/Font-Creat...95b7b62904.htm

06-26-2009, 04:02 AM	#144
dpierron calibre2opds guru Posts: 533 Karma: 8792 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Metz, France Device: iPhone, iPad, PRS-650	You're right, it looks great ! Thanks for the screenshot, it's very nice to see a font in action ...

06-26-2009, 06:04 PM	#146
slantybard my parent's oops... Posts: 463 Karma: 1477570 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Vx->Handera->Clie-> Axim->505->650->KPW/Aura ->iOS/L2	Ok, I successfully installed caecilia std roman (55). Thank-you for the great walkthrough. I appreciate the effort everyone has put into setting this stuff up. My issue is that I like to read using the "small" view. In this view I notice that the "darkness" of the font is not as nice as the medium and large views where the beauty of caecilia shows up. I was wondering if anyone has tried a bolder base font like caecilia 75 and whether that looks better in the smaller view? Or alternatively, has anyone replaced the dutch font with a sans-serif font for easier reading at the smaller sizes?

06-28-2009, 09:32 PM	#150
joedevon Enthusiast Posts: 46 Karma: 274 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: PRS-505	BTW, just tried this out and it seems that now to Save As in FontCreator you need to buy a full version.