Embedded fonts in epub

[Jellby]

With firmware 3.5.0 (I'm not sure about previous versions) I've noticed that custom fonts override some embedded fonts, depending on how they are used.

For instance:

<div class="font">
<p>Test</p>
</div>

<div>
<p><span class="font">Test</span></p>
</div>

where the class "font" just uses some embedded font with font-family.

With "Document Default" font selected, both "Test" use the embedded font, but if I select any other font (included or sideloaded), only the second one uses the embedded font, and the first uses whichever font I've selected.

So, it looks like the selected font is being used "as if" in a p or * CSS rule. Does anyone have further information on how exactly this works? Could a patch be created to make the custom font apply to body only (I'm interested in chosing my default font, but not overriding document-defined fonts)?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Jellby

So, it looks like the selected font is being used "as if" in a p or * CSS rule. Does anyone have further information on how exactly this works? Could a patch be created to make the custom font apply to body only (I'm interested in chosing my default font, but not overriding document-defined fonts)?

If you don't have "Document Default" selected, then the internal epub stylesheet will include this entry:

body, p { font-family: -ua-default !important; }

where "-ua-default" is the font selected from the device.

This hasn't changed in 3.5.0. It is easy enough to create a patch to alter this entry, provided the length of the replacement line does not exceed the original.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Jellby

With firmware 3.5.0 (I'm not sure about previous versions) I've noticed that custom fonts override some embedded fonts, depending on how they are used.

For instance:

<div class="font">
<p>Test</p>
</div>

<div>
<p><span class="font">Test</span></p>
</div>

where the class "font" just uses some embedded font with font-family.

With "Document Default" font selected, both "Test" use the embedded font, but if I select any other font (included or sideloaded), only the second one uses the embedded font, and the first uses whichever font I've selected.

So, it looks like the selected font is being used "as if" in a p or * CSS rule. Does anyone have further information on how exactly this works? Could a patch be created to make the custom font apply to body only (I'm interested in chosing my default font, but not overriding document-defined fonts)?

It has been this way for many fw versions. The Kobo internal css override is something like this

@font-face { font-family: -ua-default; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; src: url('res:///fonts/normal/%1') }
@font-face { font-family: -ua-default; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; src: url('res:///fonts/italic/%1') }
@font-face { font-family: -ua-default; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; src: url('res:///fonts/bolditalic/%1') }
@font-face { font-family: -ua-default; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; src: url('res:///fonts/bold/%1') }
body, p { font-family: -ua-default !important; }
body {text-align: %1 !important;
line-height: %1em !important;
padding-bottom: %1em !important;
-kobo-font-sharpness: %1;
-kobo-font-thickness: %1;}

The problem being the red bit, as you suspected. Ironically, I suspect the body, p {...} was introduced by Kobo due to complaints from users because the Kobo override wasn't happening when they wanted it to.

As for a possible fix - you're in luck I also don't like the body, p {} so I've added this simple patch to the end of my libnickel.so.1.0.0.patch config file for fw 3.5.0 only.

<Patch>
patch_name = `jackie_w Font family override (all devices)`
patch_enable = `yes`
replace_bytes = C3DF10, 2C 00 20 00 70 00, 20 00 20 00 20 00
</Patch>

All it does is change the ', p' to 3 spaces. I've never made it public before because I couldn't face trying to explain to non-css-aficionados why it might be desirable. As you've asked, I have no problem sharing

[Jellby]

Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for

[shalym]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

It has been this way for many fw versions. The Kobo internal css override is something like this

The problem being the red bit, as you suspected. Ironically, I suspect the body, p {...} was introduced by Kobo due to complaints from users because the Kobo override wasn't happening when they wanted it to.

As for a possible fix - you're in luck I also don't like the body, p {} so I've added this simple patch to the end of my libnickel.so.1.0.0.patch config file for fw 3.5.0 only.

All it does is change the ', p' to 3 spaces. I've never made it public before because I couldn't face trying to explain to non-css-aficionados why it might be desirable. As you've asked, I have no problem sharing

Please please don't create a book for sale using this method--If I buy a book and can't customize the font, I will immediately ask for a refund and refuse to buy anything from that author (or publisher) again until it has been proven to me that they don't do that anymore. One of the perks of e-reading is the ability to change the font to one that is comfortable for the reader.

Shari

[Jellby]

Relax, this has nothing to do with creating books, it's just the internal method the reader uses to let the user configure the font.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by shalym

...If I buy a book and can't customize the font, I will immediately ask for a refund and refuse to buy anything from that author (or publisher) again until it has been proven to me that they don't do that anymore.

Shari

you must burn though a lot of refunds and have a huge blacklist then

its probably easier to ask what publishers you have white listed

[shalym]

Originally Posted by cybmole

you must burn though a lot of refunds and have a huge blacklist then

its probably easier to ask what publishers you have white listed

I've actually only found this 3 or 4 times, all with self published books. I took it up with the authors directly, and they fixed it, and sent me new copies.

Shari

[cybmole]

ok - embedded is the wrong word here - an awful lot of books have "preferred" fonts e.g. the book CSS says "font-family: times.....;" or even just "font-family:serif: " and either of those will stop the on-device font selector working ( on my Aura HD anyway), even though those fonts are not actually embedded.