5.9.2.0.1 Font Changes

[thatsmyfish]

Hi all,

I have a first generation Kindle Oasis and a Kindle Voyage. When the 5.9.2.0.1 update came for the Oasis, I noticed it changed the appearance of my standard font. I use Bookerly, smallest size, either unbolded or at the first bold level. After the update the font appeared smooshed. I compared the same book on the same setting to the Voyage and it was very noticeable. The Voyage updated automatically last evening and now the smooshed font appears on both.

I have a sideloaded book on my Oasis that won't use the new bolder settings, and it has the older font appearance.

Has anyone else noted this, and is there anything to be done, or is this just the way it is? I'm curious as to why it changed.

[thatsmyfish]

I'm sure I added more variables to this, but I sideloaded the same book onto my kindle and the font looked back to normal. These are both set to the same settings. Anyone else seeing this?

[jhowell]

In the second photo the font appears to be a bit narrower on the left-hand kindle, but the font is shorter (oner more line shown) on the right-hand kindle.

Is that what you mean by "smooshed"?

Which one do you consider to be correct?

[thatsmyfish]

Originally Posted by jhowell

In the second photo the font appears to be a bit narrower on the left-hand kindle, but the font is shorter (oner more line shown) on the right-hand kindle.

Is that what you mean by "smooshed"?

Yes, the font appears taller on the right, which is the way it always looked on the smallest bookerly setting, and now appears narrower, as you said, or shorter on the left handed kindle (this is the 5.9.2.0.1 standard download, versus the sideloaded book on the right), but I'm assuming in addition to making the font shorter they increased the spacing somewhat since it lost a full row of text?

[jhowell]

The hyphenated words in the left part of your second image are a clue that that book is likely being displayed using Enhanced Typesetting. The right side does not show this.

This is the expected result if the left side Kindle downloaded the book directly from Amazon in KFX format while the right Kindle has a sideloaded copy of the book in KF8 (azw3) format.

[thatsmyfish]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The hyphenated words in the left part of your second image are a clue that that book is likely being displayed using Enhanced Typesetting. The right side does not show this.

This is the expected result if the left side Kindle downloaded the book directly from Amazon in KFX format while the right Kindle has a sideloaded copy of the book in KF8 (azw3) format.

You're correct, although I was demonstrating the point that the appearance of the text on the right is how it used to look when downloading directly from Amazon. The text on an Amazon-downloaded ebook last evening appeared normal, and after the kindle automatically updated to 5.9.2.0.1 appears like the text on the left in my image. I'm not clear what changed.

[JSWolf]

Show the same books in the same format loaded the same way.

[DuckieTigger]

The enhanced typesetting enabled on left one shows ligatures which will make the space between letters less wasteful - that and optimizing space between letter even without ligatures.

[JSWolf]

Does KFX have variable spaces?

[thatsmyfish]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Show the same books in the same format loaded the same way.

Unfortunately they'll look identical now as both kindles have been updated. I wish I snapped a picture before today. The one before was an attempt to duplicate how they both looked.

Anyone out there have a fully updated kindle and one not fully updated?

[thatsmyfish]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

The enhanced typesetting enabled on left one shows ligatures which will make the space between letters less wasteful - that and optimizing space between letter even without ligatures.

Yes and you won't see enhanced typesetting when sideloaded, but would that account for the font looking different under the same settings?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does KFX have variable spaces?

Yes on some letter combinations - I tested them a long time ago. Would have to either retest or find my old posts. Not really interested in doing it just for fun, because the enhanced typesetting is useless to me unless sideloaded kf8 books can use it. Kf8 is the only type of book I want to read on my Oasis, because mobi and kfx renderer do not allow custom font sizes (without hacks).

Originally Posted by thatsmyfish

Yes and you won't see enhanced typesetting when sideloaded, but would that account for the font looking different under the same settings?

They would only look the same if the book is in the same format. Kfx and kf8 use different renderers to display, so there may or may not be different looking.

Last time I checked out kfx sideloaded it still did not allow enhanced typesetting. Been a while though, so not sure if it does now.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Yes on some letter combinations

That's called kerning. That's not variable spaces. Variable spaces are different size spaces between words (as needed).

So does KFX have variable spaces?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's called kerning. That's not variable spaces. Variable spaces are different size spaces between words (as needed).

So does KFX have variable spaces?

Oh right, wrong word. I am not sure and it is probably hard to test it. That would only make a difference when hyphenating?

[thatsmyfish]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

They would only look the same if the book is in the same format. Kfx and kf8 use different renderers to display, so there may or may not be different looking.

Forgive me for being a novice on this one, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. I downloaded the book from Amazon to the kindle. The font appears normal for the settings I always use. I update to 5.9.2.0.1. The font, on an already downloaded book, now appears different, as shown above. If the book was already downloaded and is in the same format, why would the font not look the same? Something about the operating system?