A peculiar font mysterium

Kumabjorn · 11-24-2012, 08:18 AM

The one and same book. One is on my K4NT the other in K4Android on a Galaxy Tab 2.
On the K4NT the smallest font is, in my esteemed estimation, 2 points max, and in the same book on the K4Android it is 14 points.
In other words, reading it on the smallest font on the Galaxy Tab I have to switch pages every fifteen seconds or so, while on the K4NT I have to set it to the fifth smallest font in order to even be able to read it.

So the question is, how can these two readers interpret the font information so completely different?

DuckieTigger · 11-24-2012, 09:26 PM

Appears to be badly formated azw3. Maybe hardcoded fonts? Run it through calibre enabling the font filter in settings. There is others having problem with small fonts on K4 and some, not all, azw3. See here, not just here on MR: http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/kindle...x2WYC2TVKL6N51

Kumabjorn · 11-25-2012, 12:01 AM

I'm aware about the Calibre solution, it just seems such a peculiar quirk, my first thought is that Amazon provides a different file for the Android app and the assume it would be read on a small phone screen. Why would the font information be interpreted as extremely small on the device and then extremely large on the app? Outside some bug it just doesn't make sense.

DuckieTigger · 11-25-2012, 07:59 AM

Might make sense, but it is of course not a solution. If the file is not properly formated, then maybe the android app ignores the font. But then you say the android app looks ugly too - this time large, not tiny. I think Amazon screwed up by using epub3 as their kf8 format without limiting some features (or make them ignorable as for hard-coded font size). ???

Kumabjorn · 11-25-2012, 08:21 AM

The font sizes are at such extremes, just the opposite direction. Perhaps there is some bug in the Android app that inteprets font information in the exact opposite way the eBook designer intended?

jswinden · 11-25-2012, 10:38 AM

Each Kindle device and app has its own unique rendering engines for books. I've noticed that there are differences in the way a book is rendered between my Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, and Kindle app for iPad. The differences are usually much more subtle than the one described here though. My guess is that the author/publisher hard coded some font size information into the book and the Kindle non-touch and Kindle for Android app are displaying it differently according to the way their rendering engines work. On the other hand, if the book was a KF8 book, Amazon seems to have implemented KF8 to varying degrees on Kindle apps depending on the platform.

HarryT · 11-25-2012, 12:20 PM

Perhaps one is displaying the Mobi version of the book and the other the KF8 version?

Kumabjorn · 11-25-2012, 12:23 PM

I'm clearly leaning towards different formats. The book has DRM though, can plain mobi handle that?

HarryT · 11-25-2012, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I'm clearly leaning towards different formats. The book has DRM though, can plain mobi handle that?

Certainly, yes. Is it a book you bought from Amazon?

Kumabjorn · 11-25-2012, 12:40 PM

Amazon UK.
Scottish author, Reluctant Detective.

HarryT · 11-25-2012, 01:58 PM

As I'm sure you know, Amazon's servers can deliver different versions of a book to different devices. It sounds to me as if your Kindle is getting the KF8 version of the book, and the Tab the Mobi version, and that the KF8 version has the base font size set too small.

Kumabjorn · 11-25-2012, 02:01 PM

I will need to connect the devices to the computer and take a closer look. Hope they have file names that can be undestood.

11-24-2012, 08:18 AM	#1
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	A peculiar font mysterium The one and same book. One is on my K4NT the other in K4Android on a Galaxy Tab 2. On the K4NT the smallest font is, in my esteemed estimation, 2 points max, and in the same book on the K4Android it is 14 points. In other words, reading it on the smallest font on the Galaxy Tab I have to switch pages every fifteen seconds or so, while on the K4NT I have to set it to the fifth smallest font in order to even be able to read it. So the question is, how can these two readers interpret the font information so completely different?

11-25-2012, 10:38 AM	#6
jswinden Nameless Being	Each Kindle device and app has its own unique rendering engines for books. I've noticed that there are differences in the way a book is rendered between my Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, and Kindle app for iPad. The differences are usually much more subtle than the one described here though. My guess is that the author/publisher hard coded some font size information into the book and the Kindle non-touch and Kindle for Android app are displaying it differently according to the way their rendering engines work. On the other hand, if the book was a KF8 book, Amazon seems to have implemented KF8 to varying degrees on Kindle apps depending on the platform. Last edited by jswinden; 11-25-2012 at 10:43 AM.

11-25-2012, 01:58 PM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	As I'm sure you know, Amazon's servers can deliver different versions of a book to different devices. It sounds to me as if your Kindle is getting the KF8 version of the book, and the Tab the Mobi version, and that the KF8 version has the base font size set too small. Last edited by HarryT; 11-25-2012 at 02:01 PM.

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11-24-2012, 09:26 PM	#2
DuckieTigger Wizard Posts: 4,742 Karma: 246906703 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA Device: Oasis 3, Oasis 2, PW3, PW1, KT	Appears to be badly formated azw3. Maybe hardcoded fonts? Run it through calibre enabling the font filter in settings. There is others having problem with small fonts on K4 and some, not all, azw3. See here, not just here on MR: http://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/kindle...x2WYC2TVKL6N51

11-25-2012, 12:01 AM	#3
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I'm aware about the Calibre solution, it just seems such a peculiar quirk, my first thought is that Amazon provides a different file for the Android app and the assume it would be read on a small phone screen. Why would the font information be interpreted as extremely small on the device and then extremely large on the app? Outside some bug it just doesn't make sense.

11-25-2012, 07:59 AM	#4
DuckieTigger Wizard Posts: 4,742 Karma: 246906703 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA Device: Oasis 3, Oasis 2, PW3, PW1, KT	Might make sense, but it is of course not a solution. If the file is not properly formated, then maybe the android app ignores the font. But then you say the android app looks ugly too - this time large, not tiny. I think Amazon screwed up by using epub3 as their kf8 format without limiting some features (or make them ignorable as for hard-coded font size). ???

11-25-2012, 08:21 AM	#5
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	The font sizes are at such extremes, just the opposite direction. Perhaps there is some bug in the Android app that inteprets font information in the exact opposite way the eBook designer intended?

11-25-2012, 12:20 PM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Perhaps one is displaying the Mobi version of the book and the other the KF8 version?

11-25-2012, 12:23 PM	#8
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I'm clearly leaning towards different formats. The book has DRM though, can plain mobi handle that?

11-25-2012, 12:40 PM	#10
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Amazon UK. Scottish author, Reluctant Detective.

11-25-2012, 02:01 PM	#12
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	I will need to connect the devices to the computer and take a closer look. Hope they have file names that can be undestood.

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