[Hitch]

Originally Posted by retiredbiker

The second and subsequent line indentation is easily done with a hanging indent, done with a negative indent smaller than the margin. Here is one random example I often use:

.verse {
  display: block;
  font-size: 1em;
  font-style: italic;
  line-height: 1.2;
  margin-bottom: 0.1em;
  margin-left: 3em;
  margin-top: 0;
  text-align: left;
  text-indent: -2em;
}

As far as the colons being aligned, I'm afraid you're looking at doing a table, but maybe someone else knows a less tricky way. For a table to be really readable on a small-screen eReader, it has to be pretty small and simple and is difficult to construct so that it maintains coherence over a wide choice of font sizes a user might choose...at least that is my experience.

Nope, the only way--and even that won't work--is a table. When you create a table, in ePUB/MOBI format, the cells cheerfully resize themselves to the content. You will end up with a table that has cells sized to the longest content.

You could, possibly, create a three column table. Put content on the left, put the colons in the middle, and then the other content in the right-hand cell. But in your case, you're using a proportional font (most likely) to create the emdash, then space (which is always, always fungible, even when an nbsp) and then the colon. You're asking for migraines, and worse--it's not going to work.

Honestly, at that you might as well go for a print replica (fixed-layout in ePUB3). Why inflict that on your readers?

You talk about "stunning features," but surely, a colon is not in and of itself, stunning. That's...that's a TOC. It's functional, not stunning. You can't do the dot leaders, either--those will never work in a reflowable environment, so...why not embrace the new environment, use a suitable font, and try to make it work that way?

In terms of BFLS, Boxed letters, you're also going to have headaches with those, as Ducky and DNSB have told you. All you need is someone to change the font size--or change the font, or be using a device that doesn't display embedded fonts, and VOILA!, your careful work is all undone, and the boxed-letter is floating around above the paragraph someplace.

There are ways to embrace content. Ask Granny Grump, who's around here someplace. Channel the look and feel, but don't slavishly try to replicate the looks that you simply cannot do. The kluges that you come up with will negatively affect your readers, which you don't want. I am really not trying to dissuade you--I'm just trying to save you many, many hours of work and experimentation that are going to end up not working, when push comes to shove. It's like your other post--justified content, with the last widowed line centered. Oy! That will never work, not today.

Believe me when I tell you, been there, done that and I always end up rueing the work.

Hitch