PRS-650 Need help with zoom to read pdfs.

Miesli · 12-10-2010, 08:52 PM

I am writing as I cannot seem to figure out a very basic, but essential issue with the 650 re: its custom zoom.

I am using the reader mainly to read PDFs. For most pdfs, when setting the zoom to 'S', the page is shown correctly, but is too small to read. When setting the size to M (landscape or normal), the font size is good for reading. However, there are line breaks in every second line. So every second line, breaks after just one or two words. This is highly annoying and slows down reading a lot.

As such I need to use the custom zoom to count on both a font size easy on the eyes and no line breaks. However, when doing so, I cannot seem to lock the zoom in a way that allows me to read the document. When I zoom in from 'S' (to avoid the awkward line breaks), and click on 'Lock' (but not the X next to it), I can turn pages and will see the pages in the nice font size. However, I will always only see the part of the page that is zoomed in. So, in other words, when I zoom in and see the top half of the page, I cannot scroll down to see the rest. Instead, the page turn always takes me to the next page. As such, the zoom is useless as it does not allow oneself to read all of the page. When, after locking, I click on the 'X', it simply reverts back to the 'S' mode (with the font too small).

I would be most grateful if someone could help. This seems like a trivial thing, but without it, I will not be able to read pdfs properly (and as such, I cannot use the reader for what I bought it for).

Many thanks for your help!

meerkat · 12-10-2010, 09:26 PM

I understand your pain but this looks like the firmware's limitation.

When we use custom zoom, what we want to lock is the zoom level, NOT zoom level + the particular part of page., I do not want to unlock/relock to reposition the page.

As a partial workaround, either I zoom until the page show no page margin (but no clipping), perhaps with the help of bit shifting the page, or, I read it in landscape mode (optinally with zooming)

grooks · 12-10-2010, 10:19 PM

How does your PDF look if you change to landscape mode but leave the font size at 'S'?

You can also try Page Mode>Margin Cut to see if they improves readability in either portrait or landscape mode.

Miesli · 12-11-2010, 03:31 PM

Thank you for your responses. My difficulty is that I would like to read pdfs with the text highlighting function on (should have mentioned this before) as I else need to copy the parts of interest by hand. If you activate margin cut, for instance, you cannot activate the highlighting function (god or rather sony knows why). If anybody has a trick to help me, this would be incredibly appreciated. It seems like such a trivial issue which Sony should be able to fix easily -- but it makes all the difference for whether or not one can reasonably use the reader. Many thanks for your help!

sbtx99 · 12-11-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miesli

Thank you for your responses. My difficulty is that I would like to read pdfs with the text highlighting function on (should have mentioned this before) as I else need to copy the parts of interest by hand. If you activate margin cut, for instance, you cannot activate the highlighting function (god or rather sony knows why). If anybody has a trick to help me, this would be incredibly appreciated. It seems like such a trivial issue which Sony should be able to fix easily -- but it makes all the difference for whether or not one can reasonably use the reader. Many thanks for your help!

I can highlight PDF's with the margin cut activated using the below method...

To highlight a single word, double-tap the word to be highlighted. When the dictionary entry pops up, select the highlight icon to highlight the word.

To highlight a passage, double-tap the screen where you want to start highlighting, on the second tap, keep the stylus on the screen and start dragging to select the text to be highlighted. Now lift the stylus, and when the dictionary entry pops up, select the highlight icon.

desertbynight · 12-12-2010, 01:51 AM

Wanna know how I solved it?
Converted with calibre all my pdfs in epub.
Muuuuch better.

boxcorner · 12-12-2010, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miesli

... when I zoom in and see the top half of the page, I cannot scroll down to see the rest ...

What I do is, having zoomed in from S, with the page unlocked, move around the page. When I'm ready to go to the next page, lock it, turn the page, unlock it and then move around that page. It's not ideal, but I find it workable enough.

Miesli · 12-12-2010, 10:19 PM

Thanks guys -- these are all great suggestions. I tried out calibre and it works quite decently if one increases font size (so that S becomes legible) if there are no images or two-columns in the pdf (those screw things up completely) and one combines it with the double-tap highlighting mentioned above. I still wish Sony would make its custom zoom more useful, but these are good remedies in the meantime. Many thanks!

boxcorner · 12-13-2010, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miesli

... it works quite decently if one increases font size (so that S becomes legible) ...

I meant select font size S (ie from the list XS - XXL), then Zoom In.
Not increase the font size, so that the letter S becomes legible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miesli

... two-columns in the pdf ...

Have you tried splitting the columns?

(X) -> Page Mode -> 2-Column Split

kartu · 12-13-2010, 03:03 AM

A guide to optimize PDF for Sony Readers (by NisSAM):

1) instal free http://www.nitroreader.com/, use Save As -> Flattened PDF (this is actually an optional step, only do it if your PDF feels slow)
2) install free PDFIll http://www.pdfill.com/pdf_tools_free.html and use "Rotate or Crop PDF Pages" option

no need to zoom lock any more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by meerkat

When we use custom zoom, what we want to lock is the zoom level, NOT zoom level + the particular part of page., I do not want to unlock/relock to reposition the page.

This is, indeed, an epic fail on whoever has decided to do it like that at Sony.

boxcorner · 12-13-2010, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kartu

...
1) instal free http://www.nitroreader.com/ ...
2) install free PDFIll http://www.pdfill.com/pdf_tools_free.html ...
...

Windows only, but interesting nevertheless.

meerkat · 12-13-2010, 06:47 PM

Flatten PDF will disable the table of content in the PDF, which I heavily depend upon while reading technical books.

12-10-2010, 08:52 PM	#1
Miesli Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS 650	Need help with zoom to read pdfs. I am writing as I cannot seem to figure out a very basic, but essential issue with the 650 re: its custom zoom. I am using the reader mainly to read PDFs. For most pdfs, when setting the zoom to 'S', the page is shown correctly, but is too small to read. When setting the size to M (landscape or normal), the font size is good for reading. However, there are line breaks in every second line. So every second line, breaks after just one or two words. This is highly annoying and slows down reading a lot. As such I need to use the custom zoom to count on both a font size easy on the eyes and no line breaks. However, when doing so, I cannot seem to lock the zoom in a way that allows me to read the document. When I zoom in from 'S' (to avoid the awkward line breaks), and click on 'Lock' (but not the X next to it), I can turn pages and will see the pages in the nice font size. However, I will always only see the part of the page that is zoomed in. So, in other words, when I zoom in and see the top half of the page, I cannot scroll down to see the rest. Instead, the page turn always takes me to the next page. As such, the zoom is useless as it does not allow oneself to read all of the page. When, after locking, I click on the 'X', it simply reverts back to the 'S' mode (with the font too small). I would be most grateful if someone could help. This seems like a trivial thing, but without it, I will not be able to read pdfs properly (and as such, I cannot use the reader for what I bought it for). Many thanks for your help!

12-10-2010, 09:26 PM	#2
meerkat Member Posts: 18 Karma: 22522 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bay area, CA Device: prs-650BC (was prs-600), ipad, kindle PW1,Google Nexus7 (2013)	I understand your pain but this looks like the firmware's limitation. When we use custom zoom, what we want to lock is the zoom level, NOT zoom level + the particular part of page., I do not want to unlock/relock to reposition the page. As a partial workaround, either I zoom until the page show no page margin (but no clipping), perhaps with the help of bit shifting the page, or, I read it in landscape mode (optinally with zooming) Last edited by meerkat; 12-10-2010 at 09:28 PM.

12-11-2010, 03:31 PM	#4
Miesli Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS 650	Still in need of help. Thank you for your responses. My difficulty is that I would like to read pdfs with the text highlighting function on (should have mentioned this before) as I else need to copy the parts of interest by hand. If you activate margin cut, for instance, you cannot activate the highlighting function (god or rather sony knows why). If anybody has a trick to help me, this would be incredibly appreciated. It seems like such a trivial issue which Sony should be able to fix easily -- but it makes all the difference for whether or not one can reasonably use the reader. Many thanks for your help!

12-12-2010, 01:51 AM	#6
desertbynight Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS-650	Same problem here. Wanna know how I solved it? Converted with calibre all my pdfs in epub. Muuuuch better.

12-12-2010, 10:19 PM	#8
Miesli Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS 650	Thanks. Thanks guys -- these are all great suggestions. I tried out calibre and it works quite decently if one increases font size (so that S becomes legible) if there are no images or two-columns in the pdf (those screw things up completely) and one combines it with the double-tap highlighting mentioned above. I still wish Sony would make its custom zoom more useful, but these are good remedies in the meantime. Many thanks!

12-10-2010, 10:19 PM	#3
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	How does your PDF look if you change to landscape mode but leave the font size at 'S'? You can also try Page Mode>Margin Cut to see if they improves readability in either portrait or landscape mode.

12-13-2010, 06:47 PM	#12
meerkat Member Posts: 18 Karma: 22522 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bay area, CA Device: prs-650BC (was prs-600), ipad, kindle PW1,Google Nexus7 (2013)	Flatten PDF will disable the table of content in the PDF, which I heavily depend upon while reading technical books.

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