Expanding Top/Bottom Margins

[Elim]

I've previously asked for help in regards to inverting the screen, but I still have one more request before I return my borrowed Kobo Aura One on Tuesday...

Similarly to the inverted screen code, is there something I add to the Kobo eReader.conf file to expand the top and bottom margins? I know this seems counterintuitive to most, but the 7.8in screen is so tall that my eyes get tired scanning from top to bottom. I have buggy depth perception as it is, so I'm sort of a unusual case. The settings allow me to adjust the right and left margins, but not the top and bottom...

Thank you again,
Elim

[MGlitch]

eta, nm misread thought you wanted them gone

[davidfor]

@Elim: I think this is a first. There are lots of requests to reduce the "wasted" space, but I don't think I've seen one to increase it.

There is no simple way to do this via the configuration. You can do it on a per book basis by setting the @page margins how you want. That means editing each book. Or using a calibre conversion to add this.

If you are using calibre, the KoboTouch driver can add code to the stylesheet when sending the book to the device. One of the reasons this was added was to remove the @page. It should be able to add @page, but I don't remember if I have tested this.

The last way to do it would be via a patch to the firmware. I don't know if this is possible via a patch. But, there is a thread discussing the available patches for each firmware. Have a look in the one for your firmware version to see what can be done. The was one to change the top and bottom as the side margin are changed. I don't know if it is still around as I don't use the patches.

[Anak]

I don't think a firmware patch can make the top and bottom headers (much) larger.

However, you could expand the page margins in every epub/kepub manually:

@page {
margin-top:10pt;
margin-bottom:10pt;
}

Use your own values, this will add the desired space/empty lines at the top and bottom of the screen.

Edit: sorry, I just read that davidfor mentioned it in his previous post.

[jackie_w]

You can set very large top/bottom @page margins via this method. It should work OK for standard epubs. I use it all the time to create a small amount of top whitespace, however I've never actually tried it to create large top/bottom margins. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

However, I don't believe the @page css command is supported by kepubs. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Elswyth]

I have figured out a way to do this that worked for me, I’m on a Kobo Aura HD.

When you have an epub in your library, go to Convert Books in Calibre. On the left, choose the ‘Page Setup’ section and then in the bottom right area you’ll see some fields with margin settings; by default they are all 5pt.

You can change these and it will adjust the output of your epubs!

Worked a treat for me.

[RobertJSawyer]

If you're just using regular Kobo ebooks bought from the Kobo store, try fiddling with the line height command. A whole number of lines has to fit on the screen, so if you do it right, you can get a bit of additional bottom-margin space that way (when ALMOST an entire line would fit).

By the way, I have the same up-down problem you have; I tried a Kobo Aura One and went back to my trusty original six-inch Kobo Aura.