Install Font with missing families?

[razorsoup]

If I wanted to install a font for use that doesn't come in all four styles (Regular, Bold, Italic, BoldItalic), how would I do that? Do I just use the ones that do exist? Will the Kobo compensate for the missing ones? For example, if I wanted to use Gentium Plus which doesn't have a Bold or BoldItalic version, would the Kobo be able to use it? What will it do for bold text if needed?

[Ripplinger]

I know I've found Gentium Basic in all 4 required styles, if that's the same font you're referring to.
http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/p...=gentium_basic

If there's no really no bold, italic or bolditalic for the font, I would find a similar font you could live with and just rename the files to Gentium-Bold.ttf, etc. so the reader sees all 4 styles present. Maybe sub in the Gentium Basic fonts and just rename them all so they match as one font family.

It's been awhile since I tried using only the -Regular font, but I'm pretty sure the reader ignored the font and used the default in that case.

[GERGE]

I never used one without italic but bolds aren't needed. TypeGenius will generate them, just know they would be very, very terrible.

[mathil]

It will generate italics too if it's needed -- I've had it happen with a couple of fonts. It looks bad though (it's the regular font slanted to the side).

[GeoffR]

I think it depends on whether you are using the KEPUB or EPUB reader: The KEPUB reader will increase the weight of the regular font if there is no bold available, but the EPUB reader will just use the regular font and there won't be any bold.

(BTW If you are only considering Gentium Plus because you found that Gentium Basic looks bad, try using fontforge to remove the hinting from Gentium Basic and it should look much better.)

[razorsoup]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I think it depends on whether you are using the KEPUB or EPUB reader: The KEPUB reader will increase the weight of the regular font if there is no bold available, but the EPUB reader will just use the regular font and there won't be any bold.

(BTW If you are only considering Gentium Plus because you found that Gentium Basic looks bad, try using fontforge to remove the hinting from Gentium Basic and it should look much better.)

Thank you everybody for your answers. I was mostly using Gentium Plus as an example of a font that doesn't have all the required styles/faces. Yes, Gentium Basic comes in all of them but has a limited coverage of languages compared to Gentium Plus.

It seems, based on GeoffR's reply, that if I want to read both epubs and kepubs I should stick with fonts that have all four styles available.

[razorsoup]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

...try using fontforge to remove the hinting...

Do you have directions or a link to a tutorial on how exactly to use FontForge to remove hinting from a font? I'd like to see if doing so will make FreeSerif look any better on my Kobo.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by razorsoup

Do you have directions or a link to a tutorial on how exactly to use FontForge to remove hinting from a font? I'd like to see if doing so will make FreeSerif look any better on my Kobo.

Load the font into fontforge, then select File > Generate Fonts, from the dialog select TrueType and then Options, and from the Options dialog untick the 'TrueType Hints' box. (If the font is kerned then you might also want to tick the 'Old style kern' box to enable kerning in kepubs.)

[hvas]

I've actually found the majority of fonts look a lot better with hinting removed on Kobo devices, fwiw.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by hvas

I've actually found the majority of fonts look a lot better with hinting removed on Kobo devices, fwiw.

The font I use most is one that I've added the hinting to and on the H2O, it looks good. I see no reason to remove the hinting.

[GERGE]

Correlation does not imply causation. Constantia looks good too and it has hinting. That does not mean that hinting makes typefaces better on eink screens. There is this fact: purpose of hinting is to render fonts better with geometric pixels. eInk screens doesn't have any pixels, they have eink capsules; and neither their eink capsules are aligned in any sort of geometrical system.

Therefore, hinting as it exists now are not usable on eink screens. It might work with that typeface or the other, but it is just a coincidence.

Check this, Google's new typeface Literata has really awesome hand-made hinting instructions. I took some shots from my Glo, tell me, which one is better? One is with hints, one is without.



Difference is very clear and for me one of them much better than the other.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by GERGE

Difference is very clear and for me one of them much better than the other.

The bottom one looks thicker, and the "as" is much better (the top "a" looks skewed).

[GERGE]

I took some sreenshots, difference can be seen better.

This is without hints: http://drop.muratcansimsek.com/wh.png

This is with hints: http://drop.muratcansimsek.com/h.png

I think one without hints are infinitely better than the other one.

[GeoffR]

Hinting is a compromise. Even if the hinting is expertly done, the benefits of sharper and darker glyphs comes only by sacrificing the accuracy of their position and shape.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by GERGE

I think one without hints are infinitely better than the other one.

Evidently, that's subjective. I like the hinted one better. There's the "a", which look hideous without hints. The x-height is smaller with hints, I don't know which one is closer to the real font.

But then, if the problem is that hinting algorithms developed for LCD or CRT screens are not good for e-ink screens, you can't show that with a screenshot like that.