Change PDF body font size

ufasoli · 10-09-2009, 05:06 AM

Hello all,
I'm quite new to the Ebook world ( I bought a Sony PRS-505 2 weeks ago) and I'm quite happy with it. My only problem is that I have a pretty bad sight and when I read PDF my eyes get tired pretty quickly. I was wondering if there was a way to change the font size for the body of an existing PDF file either by using a software or a library or API

Thanks in advance and sorry for my English

ufasoli

spaze · 10-12-2009, 01:04 AM

If you have a PDF book that contains only text, you might want to try http://www.majgaj.com/ebook

ufasoli · 10-13-2009, 03:51 AM

Hi, thanks for your answer, but the PDF has some images in it that I would like to keep.

The only solution that I found (beside copying everything to word, then rearrange the whole layout before saving it as a PDF file) is to convert the PDF to a postscript file and then change the font size inside before recreating the PDF although the result is not optimal

DaleDe · 10-13-2009, 11:11 AM

What does it look like if you just zoom the font in the 505?

ufasoli · 10-14-2009, 02:56 AM

It's a pretty complex layout so when I zoom the font the layout goes crazy and I end up having the page numbers in the middle of the page

orion2001 · 10-14-2009, 05:19 AM

I don;t think there is any simple solution. Exporting, re-formating and re-importing is your best bet...especially if the format and layout is important. PDF is meant to be a static format, so changing the font size does funky things, even with re-flow enabled.

A couple of suggestions I'd give you is:

- Use landscape mode
- Use SoPDF to crop any whitespace on pages and to also cut a page into 2 pages. You can also use it to rotate the PDF. If you check the SoPDF thread, someone has released a GUI for it which makes it very easy to use
- If not SoPDF, try to use some software to cut out the margins and any unnecessary whitespace. It will increase the font size in the reader since it won't be wasting space displaying the margins.

ufasoli · 10-14-2009, 09:58 AM

Yes, after playing a bit with the different programs around I've realised that the only solution to keep the layout and have a bigger font size is to export it to Word then alter the document size before recreating a PDF.

Thanks a lot for your help

roger64 · 10-15-2009, 02:51 AM

I think life without Word could be possible.

When I have to deal with a PDF book in A4 size, I usually try these ways:
- Using Acrobat to save as HTML 4.0
If it fails because of rights, of badly formatted text or whatever, then...
- Using FineReader 9 to save as HTML 4.0

The first one is the best because I get a perfect output (with an xml hypertext table ) but the second one is quite satisfying too though longer.

After that, I insert the HTML output in a specially designed OpenOffice model with Sony 9x12 cm format. Usually I have a little tweaking to do, like changing the main font to suit my habits (using the "Stylist" or F11 and right-click, then "modify"), checking these images bigger than the screen size...

Then I export it like a PDF and I modify the metadata with a special freeware program (not Calibre...) and upload directly to my Reader. I know there are other good choices for this last step, like using calibre to get an epub...

ufasoli · 10-16-2009, 04:17 AM

Actually I never thought of Open Office, as I'm more used to Microsoft Word. I will definitively give it a try this weekend to see what I get. Could you just tell me what do you mean by :
"After that, I insert the HTML output in a specially designed OpenOffice model with Sony 9x12 cm format"
I'm really not familiar with Open Office

again

roger64 · 10-16-2009, 07:08 AM

I use OpenOffice 3.1

You need to create a new template , give it a name, determine its size, margins, font, language and so on...

Here is my Sony 505 one.
Its place is in the folder openoffice.org/3/user/template/9x12 Sony.ott
Its name is 9x12 Sony.ott and it appears under the Sony name when you open it.
I just join it in a zip file as a possible example. You have to uncompress it and put in the the above designated folder.

Once ready, you open a new document using this template, and you just need to insert the HTML file into it.

ufasoli · 10-18-2009, 10:30 AM

Thank you very much for your help, I tried what you've told me using your template, and it worked perfectly, I had a few adjustments regarding the fonts but everything else was perfect.

Thank you very much

roger64 · 10-18-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ufasoli

Thank you very much

You're welcome

10-09-2009, 05:06 AM	#1
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	Change PDF body font size Hello all, I'm quite new to the Ebook world ( I bought a Sony PRS-505 2 weeks ago) and I'm quite happy with it. My only problem is that I have a pretty bad sight and when I read PDF my eyes get tired pretty quickly. I was wondering if there was a way to change the font size for the body of an existing PDF file either by using a software or a library or API Thanks in advance and sorry for my English ufasoli

10-15-2009, 02:51 AM	#8
roger64 Wizard Posts: 2,623 Karma: 3000161 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle PW3 (wifi)	I think life without Word could be possible. When I have to deal with a PDF book in A4 size, I usually try these ways: - Using Acrobat to save as HTML 4.0 If it fails because of rights, of badly formatted text or whatever, then... - Using FineReader 9 to save as HTML 4.0 The first one is the best because I get a perfect output (with an xml hypertext table ) but the second one is quite satisfying too though longer. After that, I insert the HTML output in a specially designed OpenOffice model with Sony 9x12 cm format. Usually I have a little tweaking to do, like changing the main font to suit my habits (using the "Stylist" or F11 and right-click, then "modify"), checking these images bigger than the screen size... Then I export it like a PDF and I modify the metadata with a special freeware program (not Calibre...) and upload directly to my Reader. I know there are other good choices for this last step, like using calibre to get an epub... Last edited by roger64; 10-15-2009 at 06:41 AM.

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10-12-2009, 01:04 AM	#2
spaze Addict Posts: 265 Karma: 512072 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Helsinki, Finland Device: Writing my first short story: Guardian Angel	If you have a PDF book that contains only text, you might want to try http://www.majgaj.com/ebook

10-13-2009, 03:51 AM	#3
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	Hi, thanks for your answer, but the PDF has some images in it that I would like to keep. The only solution that I found (beside copying everything to word, then rearrange the whole layout before saving it as a PDF file) is to convert the PDF to a postscript file and then change the font size inside before recreating the PDF although the result is not optimal

10-13-2009, 11:11 AM	#4
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	What does it look like if you just zoom the font in the 505?

10-14-2009, 02:56 AM	#5
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	It's a pretty complex layout so when I zoom the font the layout goes crazy and I end up having the page numbers in the middle of the page

10-14-2009, 05:19 AM	#6
orion2001 Groupie Posts: 162 Karma: 24658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	I don;t think there is any simple solution. Exporting, re-formating and re-importing is your best bet...especially if the format and layout is important. PDF is meant to be a static format, so changing the font size does funky things, even with re-flow enabled. A couple of suggestions I'd give you is: - Use landscape mode - Use SoPDF to crop any whitespace on pages and to also cut a page into 2 pages. You can also use it to rotate the PDF. If you check the SoPDF thread, someone has released a GUI for it which makes it very easy to use - If not SoPDF, try to use some software to cut out the margins and any unnecessary whitespace. It will increase the font size in the reader since it won't be wasting space displaying the margins.

10-14-2009, 09:58 AM	#7
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	Yes, after playing a bit with the different programs around I've realised that the only solution to keep the layout and have a bigger font size is to export it to Word then alter the document size before recreating a PDF. Thanks a lot for your help

10-16-2009, 04:17 AM	#9
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	Actually I never thought of Open Office, as I'm more used to Microsoft Word. I will definitively give it a try this weekend to see what I get. Could you just tell me what do you mean by : "After that, I insert the HTML output in a specially designed OpenOffice model with Sony 9x12 cm format" I'm really not familiar with Open Office again

10-18-2009, 10:30 AM	#11
ufasoli Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Strasbourg, France Device: Sony PRS-505	Thank you very much for your help, I tried what you've told me using your template, and it worked perfectly, I had a few adjustments regarding the fonts but everything else was perfect. Thank you very much

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