Graphics

 

Basic Image Support

 

In a separate paragraph, default (left):

eBook Logo

In a separate paragraph, center:

eBook Logo

In a separate paragraph, right:

eBook Logo

Currently only GIFs (above) support transparency.

A PNG (with alphachannel) below:

eBook Logo

 

Image Preparation

 

Source Images

Maximum specifications: 472x595 pixels, 16-bit color, 8-bit grayscale. Note that the REB1200 display only supports 15-bit color.

Fileformat: can be PNG or JPG, but the source filesize (JPGs tend to be smaller than the non-lossy PNGs) is not reflected in the final filesize (see below). Note that JPGs take longer to be processed, probably being internally converted to PNGs anyway.

 

IMP file creation

Preferences are defined in the OPF file. The most important setting for files with a lot of images is the 'RLE-trigger' setting. I did a number of tests with very large (20-30Mb) 'photo albums', without coming to a definite conclusion.

My best shot: it really seems to be a trigger, i.e. there is a 'compressed state' and an 'uncompressed state', either one of which will be similar in filesize (a few Kb difference for a 30Mb file) regardless of differing RLE-trigger settings. A setting of '25' always generates an uncompressed file, while a setting greater than 100 always generates a compressed file.

I noticed that when 16-bit color images were converted to 8-bit color (256 color, 'paletted mode'), the resulting filesize was fairly similar (a bit less though), but the display-speed on the REB1200 was noticeably faster. Grayscale yielded noticeably better compression results (2/3 of the uncompressed version) than all-color images (4/5 - 3/4 at best).

 

Miscellaneous

If GIF files are used in the source, SBpublisher will create a 'OEB-Fallbacks' directory in the source folder, with a PNG version (with unique ID) of each GIF everytime you run it, i.e. you end up with a directory full of copies of the same file if you do frequent test-compilations.

Note that in the OPF file, the "spine" part must NOT contain an ID referring to an image resource (causing a fatal error in SBpublisher, which took me a while to figure out).

The 'object type="image/png"' syntax is supported, but in context not very useful, and just means more typing.

 

On the next page: a fullsize image

(Using "class=FullPagePicture") Note the banding, which suggests severe color-reduction of the true-color original. The default OPF setting used for this file generates an uncompressed file (max. filesize) It is more noticeable on the PC viewer than the actual device, especially in grayscale.

 

Following the first image: a 256 color version

This version was color-reduced at the source. In this case, the result looks better than the generated version. I have also tried it on graphics rather than photos, and sometimes the generated version looked better.

It seems though, for all practical intents and purposes, that the result is essentially 256 color out of ~16000 (15-bit). It is unclear whether that is due to REB1200 display limitations, or the SBpublisher image-generating code.

Full Page Picture

 

Textflow around Images

 

Default behaviour:

eBook LogoRandom test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a some more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

 

Image aligned to the right:

eBook LogoRandom test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a little more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a little more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

 

Image aligned to the left:

eBook LogoRandom test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a little more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a little more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

 

Image aligned to the top:

eBook LogoRandom test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a little more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a little more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

 

Justified blockquote, Image aligned to the left:

eBook LogoRandom test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a little more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a little more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

 

Like above, but a ‌ paragraph inbetween:

eBook Logo

Random test text designed to test the flow around an object. I think we need a little more test to make sure of the way the flow continues below the object. Hmm, we need just a little more still, but I really hope that by adding another line it should most definetely be enough.

Note the difference from one without the 'empty' paragraph.

 

Image Alignment

 

Using tables, handy for split images as a replacement for the missing image-map functionality.

 

 

Using color

 

In General

 

Defining a color by it's RGB value is not supported, instead use it's hexadecimal value. You can only use it's name when using 'style="color:black"', but not when simply using 'color="black"'.

If you use 'bgcolor' in the 'body' tag of ANY ONE of several linked documents, the ENTIRE resulting document will be that color. See more on on 'bgcolor' below.

The 'style="background-color: xxx; color: xxx"' seems to always work, and is recommended over 'bgcolor'.

 

Basic Text

 

In a regular paragraph, you can only define the text color, but not the background color. Either you define one background color for the entire document (see above), or you 'fake' text background color by wrapping it all in a table (see next).

 

Tables

 

The 'bgcolor' attribute works only in 'td' and 'th' (and 'body').

The 'tr' tag doesn't seem to accept any color attribute.

 

eBook Reader Devices
YearDeviceVideo Spec
2000REB1200480x640 15bit
REB1100320x480 1bit
2002New Palm Zire160x160 1bit

 

Websafe Colors:

 

 FFF
   FFF

 CCC
   CCC

 999
   999

 666
   666

 333
   333

 000
   000

 FFC
   C00

 FF9
   900

 FF6
   600

 FF3
   300

 99C
   C00

 CC9
   900

 FFC
   C33

 FFC
   C66

 FF9
   966

 FF6
   633

 CC3
   300

 CC0
   033

 CCF
   F00

 CCF
   F33

 333
   300

 666
   600

 999
   900

 CCC
   C00

 FFF
   F00

 CC9
   933

 CC6
   633

 330
   000

 660
   000

 990
   000

 CC0
   000

 FF0
   000

 FF3
   366

 FF0
   033

 99F
   F00

 CCF
   F66

 99C
   C33

 666
   633

 999
   933

 CCC
   C33

 FFF
   F33

 996
   600

 993
   300

 663
   333

 993
   333

 CC3
   333

 FF3
   333

 CC3
   366

 FF6
   699

 FF0
   066

 66F
   F00

 99F
   F66

 66C
   C33

 669
   900

 999
   966

 CCC
   C66

 FFF
   F66

 996
   633

 663
   300

 996
   666

 CC6
   666

 FF6
   666

 990
   033

 CC3
   399

 FF6
   6CC

 FF0
   099

 33F
   F00

 66F
   F33

 339
   900

 66C
   C00

 99F
   F33

 CCC
   C99

 FFF
   F99

 CC9
   966

 CC6
   600

 CC9
   999

 FF9
   999

 FF3
   399

 CC0
   066

 990
   066

 FF3
   3CC

 FF0
   0CC

 00C
   C00

 33C
   C00

 336
   600

 669
   933

 99C
   C66

 CCF
   F99

 FFF
   FCC

 FFC
   C99

 FF9
   933

 FFC
   CCC

 FF9
   9CC

 CC6
   699

 993
   366

 660
   033

 CC0
   099

 330
   033

 33C
   C33

 66C
   C66

 00F
   F00

 33F
   F33

 66F
   F66

 99F
   F99

 CCF
   FCC

 CC9
   9CC

 996
   699

 993
   399

 990
   099

 663
   366

 660
   066

 006
   600

 336
   633

 009
   900

 339
   933

 669
   966

 99C
   C99

 FFC
   CFF

 FF9
   9FF

 FF6
   6FF

 FF3
   3FF

 FF0
   0FF

 CC6
   6CC

 CC3
   3CC

 003
   300

 00C
   C33

 006
   633

 339
   966

 66C
   C99

 99F
   FCC

 CCF
   FFF

 339
   9FF

 99C
   CFF

 CCC
   CFF

 CC9
   9FF

 996
   6CC

 663
   399

 330
   066

 990
   0CC

 CC0
   0CC

 00F
   F33

 33F
   F66

 009
   933

 00C
   C66

 33F
   F99

 99F
   FFF

 99C
   CCC

 006
   6CC

 669
   9CC

 999
   9FF

 999
   9CC

 993
   3FF

 660
   0CC

 660
   099

 CC3
   3FF

 CC0
   0FF

 00F
   F66

 66F
   F99

 33C
   C66

 009
   966

 66F
   FFF

 66C
   CCC

 669
   999

 003
   366

 336
   699

 666
   6FF

 666
   6CC

 666
   699

 330
   099

 993
   3CC

 CC6
   6FF

 990
   0FF

 00F
   F99

 66F
   FCC

 33C
   C99

 33F
   FFF

 33C
   CCC

 339
   999

 336
   666

 006
   699

 003
   399

 333
   3FF

 333
   3CC

 333
   399

 333
   366

 663
   3CC

 996
   6FF

 660
   0FF

 00F
   FCC

 33F
   FCC

 00F
   FFF

 00C
   CCC

 009
   999

 006
   666

 003
   333

 339
   9CC

 336
   6CC

 000
   0FF

 000
   0CC

 000
   099

 000
   066

 000
   033

 663
   3FF

 330
   0FF

 00C
   C99

 009
   9CC

 33C
   CFF

 66C
   CFF

 669
   9FF

 336
   6FF

 003
   3CC

 330
   0CC

 00C
   CFF

 009
   9FF

 006
   6FF

 003
   3FF

 

This concludes the Graphics chapter.