Changing default font styles and sizes

[p3aul]

Using the command line to convert text to epub, using any2epub. Sometimes the title is to big to fit all on one line and I would like the font to be smaller. also sometimes I would like to change a font style. Is there a config file for this or a css and where would I find it?
Thanks,
Paul

[dpierron]

this would be the --override-css option ...

[p3aul]

Thanks for replying!
I looked in the Calibre folder and couldn't find a css file that was providing the default values. I also looked at the individule files in the epub package and although there were 3 css files in there, 0 had no font info, 1, was empty and 3 had some values for body, but no font specifications. I couldn't find any values for the title.

Just *where* is Calibre picking up these default values? They have to come from somewhere because the title is changed to a larger font and the body is given a times-roman style in the conversion before it is transferred to the 505.
If I use the the -override option, what would the layout of my own css file be? How would I name the elements?
Thanks,
Paul

[dpierron]

Hi Paul,

I don't know where Calibre stores its default values, I'd guess it's in a constant compiled in the program...

Anyway, using --override-css is quite simple, all you have to do is specify the path of your custom CSS file :

  
--override-css=OVERRIDE_CSS
                        Either the path to a CSS stylesheet or raw CSS. This
                        CSS will override any existing CSS declarations in the
                        source files.

As for what to put in this file, I can't tell ; it depends on the input file, the way Calibre generates the content (and therefore the name of the class specified for the titles elements) : you'll have to experiment.

As far as I know it should be something like :

h1 {
    font-size:0.9em;
   }

Of course, the element name (h1 in this example) can vary, it could be h2, h3 or whatever level choosen by Calibre, or even a custom element.
Also, the font-size value is yours to choose

Tell me if I can help you further !

Cheers,
David.

[p3aul]

Thanks David! I think I have it now! I use '#' for the title and '##' for the chapter headings for a text file. After Calibre converts the file to an interim html I bet the h1...hn heading styles would be pulled from custom style sheet. Should there be a blank space between the '=' and the filename? I'm off to experiment!



Paul

[p3aul]

Ok here are the results:

This was the command line command:
any2epub -override-css="test.css" nighthorseman.txt

It spun along happily, finally producing this output:
verride-css=test.css
I changed the .css ext to zip and opened it it was a standard epub file so I changed ext to epub and loaded it into Calibre viewer. No changes so the external css didn't work. here is my css:

h1 {
font-size: 18pt;
}
h2 {
font-size: 16pt;
font-name: "Monotype Corsiva";
}
body {
font-size: 12pt;
font-name: "Times New Roman";
}

That's the content of my css was I supposed to put anything other than that in the CSS file? Some sort of header maybe?
Thanks,
Paul

[dpierron]

If I understood your message correctly, you made the mistake of typing '-override-css' instead of '--override-css' (note the double dash). So, the any2epubprogram mistook your input for a '-o' (which means 'specify output file') and tried to produce the output file verride-css="test.css" which is a very weird name for a file

You shall try again, my young padawan

[p3aul]

OK Tried again! This time I got the syntax right. File compiled into a epub file.
Loaded the file into calibre viewer. Title was larger than than the chapter heading which was what I specified, but not the point value specified so I guess there was some scaling. Not a biggie, I have read that css font values should be specified in em's.

The other problem is that the font name was *not* as specified "Monotype Corsiva".

Opening up the epub file revealed that file "index_calibre_2.css included my bit of css. at the bottom of the file. Monotype Corsiva was there as the body font-name. Why didn't it pick it up? here is the file inline.


body {
margin-top: 0;
margin-bottom: 0;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0
}
body {
margin-left: 5pt;
margin-right: 5pt
}
a {
color: inherit;
text-decoration: inherit;
cursor: default
}
a[href] {
color: blue;
text-decoration: underline;
cursor: pointer
}
body {
text-align: justify
}
h1 {
font-size: 18pt
}
h2 {
font-size: 24pt;
font-name: "Arial"
}
body {
font-size: 12pt;
font-name: "Monotype Corsiva"
}
Thanks,
Paul

*UPDATE*

Ok Seems any2epub didn't like "Monotype Corsiva", it did just fine with "Courier New"! So I guess I have it now.
Thanks,
Paul

[kovidgoyal]

calibre doesn't (yet) support font embedding in EPUB. When it does the font will be picked up.

[p3aul]

Great kovid! meanwhile, will it embed fonts in lrf?
thanks,
Paul

[kovidgoyal]

It might, LRF font embedding is a little iffy. Not all embedde fonts work and sometimes emedding results in a the main font becoming bold

[p3aul]

Well I have found a work-around.
(1) Load the HTML into OO Writer, change the inline styles of h1, h2, and p to what I want them to be.

(2) Export the file as PDF. this embeds the fonts.

(3) Import the file into Calibre and transfer it to my 505. Of course the fonts are scaled but with trial and error they are sized the way I want them to be.

Pictures are still somewhat of a problem. When converted to pdf, thumbnails are inserted that serve as links to the images on the website. This wont do of course, because the PRS 505 has no web access. I think this is because the original HTML used links to the pictures. I would have to go through the HTML and make the links local. Maybe that would work
Paul

[p3aul]

This is from the calibre manual: "calibre embeds fonts in ebook files it creates."

So far I have only had success in embedded fonts with prf files. Will the above statement be correct if I convert from GUI instead of command line? Is the manual in error here?
Thanks,
Paul

[dpierron]

Well, AFAIK, the manual is in error : Calibre is able to automatically embed fonts only in LRF files (sometimes ; some other times it just doesn't work).

To embed fonts in ePub files, you'll have to do it manually (you can look in the files I posted here for guidance).

Kovid, did I miss something ?

[p3aul]

Thanks, dpierron, I think I'm getting somewhere now.

Well, I downloaded your font-test.zip and I'm a little confused. For example, Say I had three fonts, one each for h1, h2, and p. what would I put in each folder and where would the epub file go? Forgive an old man, I'm not as sharp as I used to be!
Thanks,
Paul