Formatting Poetry - A Problem

Patricia · 08-07-2007, 09:15 PM

I have been attempting to transcribe some more poetry using BD. But I’ve been having problems with the formatting. There are two problems:

1. When I centre a line, it looks fine in BD but appears looking like a subtitle when it’s on the reader.
2. Some lines in the poem are intentionally broken in the middle. So the line starts on the left, then there is a line-break and it continues on the right hand side.
I have been using indents to get this effect. I have also tried right justification. Both look fine on the BD file but do not appear when I make a sony reader file. I just keep getting left-justified lines.

Does anyone know what I am doing wrong and how I can correct it?
I would be extremely grateful for any advice.

Nate the great · 08-07-2007, 09:20 PM

Have you thought about outputing a PDF? I know PDFs are unpopular here, but this kind of problem is why they exist.

kovidgoyal · 08-07-2007, 09:28 PM

make an html file and use html2lrf. You can get right justification, custom line breaks what have you. See the demo file in the html2lrf thread.

JSWolf · 08-07-2007, 10:04 PM

I'd go with html2lrf. It's a better solution the a *GASP!* PDF.

Patricia · 08-08-2007, 04:06 PM

Is there no way to get a large indent or right justification in Book Designer then?

These show up on the BD file but don't appear on the reader.

I must confess that I'm a bit daunted by the prospect of html2lrf. All the threads seem to have people quoting strings of (to me) incomprehensible and scary code. I'm a lady academic, approaching middle age, and I have generally used the computer for lecture-writing etc, plus email and the occasional powerpoint presentation. Learning how to use BD was a very new thing. for me to do. Hence my apprehension.

kovidgoyal · 08-08-2007, 04:52 PM

Not too worry. Just use microsoft word to create the file. Save it as html (there is an option in word to save as "clean" html, that I cant remember, perhaps someone else will tell you what it is). Anyway, after saving as html, just run html2lrf on it and you should be good to go.

Patricia · 08-21-2007, 01:46 PM

I've managed a workaround solution, as my recent upload of T S Eliot's 'The Waste Land' shows.

JSWolf · 08-21-2007, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia

I have been attempting to transcribe some more poetry using BD. But I’ve been having problems with the formatting. There are two problems:

1. When I centre a line, it looks fine in BD but appears looking like a subtitle when it’s on the reader.

If you are not using Subtitles, just change how the subtitle style comes out and that will fix that problem.

RWood · 08-21-2007, 02:33 PM

BD is poor for poetry. I have experimented with html2lrf and I find the results superior for poetry to those I achieved in BD.

08-07-2007, 09:15 PM	#1
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Formatting Poetry - A Problem I have been attempting to transcribe some more poetry using BD. But I’ve been having problems with the formatting. There are two problems: 1. When I centre a line, it looks fine in BD but appears looking like a subtitle when it’s on the reader. 2. Some lines in the poem are intentionally broken in the middle. So the line starts on the left, then there is a line-break and it continues on the right hand side. I have been using indents to get this effect. I have also tried right justification. Both look fine on the BD file but do not appear when I make a sony reader file. I just keep getting left-justified lines. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong and how I can correct it? I would be extremely grateful for any advice. Last edited by Patricia; 08-07-2007 at 09:18 PM.

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08-07-2007, 09:20 PM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Have you thought about outputing a PDF? I know PDFs are unpopular here, but this kind of problem is why they exist.

08-07-2007, 09:28 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	make an html file and use html2lrf. You can get right justification, custom line breaks what have you. See the demo file in the html2lrf thread.

08-07-2007, 10:04 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,975 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I'd go with html2lrf. It's a better solution the a GASP! PDF.

08-08-2007, 04:06 PM	#5
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Is there no way to get a large indent or right justification in Book Designer then? These show up on the BD file but don't appear on the reader. I must confess that I'm a bit daunted by the prospect of html2lrf. All the threads seem to have people quoting strings of (to me) incomprehensible and scary code. I'm a lady academic, approaching middle age, and I have generally used the computer for lecture-writing etc, plus email and the occasional powerpoint presentation. Learning how to use BD was a very new thing. for me to do. Hence my apprehension.

08-08-2007, 04:52 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Not too worry. Just use microsoft word to create the file. Save it as html (there is an option in word to save as "clean" html, that I cant remember, perhaps someone else will tell you what it is). Anyway, after saving as html, just run html2lrf on it and you should be good to go.

08-21-2007, 01:46 PM	#7
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I've managed a workaround solution, as my recent upload of T S Eliot's 'The Waste Land' shows.

08-21-2007, 02:33 PM	#9
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	BD is poor for poetry. I have experimented with html2lrf and I find the results superior for poetry to those I achieved in BD.