Best font for e-reading

[sonyreaderfan]

One of the unexpected pleasure of the Sony Reader is that you can change the default font of the reader. I used the Boroda firmware hack. For those interested in changing fonts,
background:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=110221

Firmware:
http://translate.google.com/translat...61a576029cd1d6)

and then followed the directions here for changing the fonts by changing userstyle.css.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36361.

I see in the forum posts other ways are using PRS+ or using Calibre. Regardless of how you change the fonts, what are your favorite fonts for ereading?

I'm currently using Georgia. Some thoughts on other fonts seen or used:
- Times (Sony Reader default): okay at medium to large sizes, but could have more body. Bit too narrow.
- Palatino: too lightweight
- Caecilia (used on Kindle 3): looks good, but I prefer a font that's more serif. Caecilia looks too much like it's from a typewriter.
- Droid (packaged in the hack): Looks too stylized. Prefer more serif characteristics.

What font is the best for ereading?

[JSWolf]

So we don't have to rehash what's been hashed, have a look at the following thread and continue there.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44269

[Ripplinger]

There are quite a few threads about fonts. For myself after testing about a dozen or so, actually loading them into books on the reader, I still prefer LexiaDaMa over the others mentioned.

What is "best" for reading is purely subjective and a personal choice. I suggest you load several fonts that you think you might like and try them out. I did my testing by setting a specific font in the same book (so I'd have maybe 6 copies of the same book, named with the font used), so I could really compare close to the exact pages between the various fonts to get to my favorite choice for my bad eyes.

[yekim54]

LexiaDaMa is da bomb.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I like Lexia DaMa and Charis SIL. For my tests, I not only varied the font type but also the font size and line spacings since that can make a difference too.

[carpetmojo]

I can't see any font choice option anywhere on my PRS 650 - but I am a UK user - are we banned from doing anything so radical ?

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I can't see any font choice option anywhere on my PRS 650 - but I am a UK user - are we banned from doing anything so radical ?

Naaah, you ain't. Either you do it the hard way, like the big guys above and hack your Sony - or you do it the sneaky girlie way, like I do. Just convert all your files to LRF. In LRF the fonts are embedded and Calibre will give you a wast array of font choices

[astra]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I can't see any font choice option anywhere on my PRS 650 - but I am a UK user - are we banned from doing anything so radical ?

Or you don't bother with changing anything, just enjoy reading books with default fonts like I do from 21 Jan 2007 when I received PRS-500

[adbosch]

Using PRS+ means that I will loose the nice thumbnail covers of the books on the homescreen of my PRS350 and have to go back to the Sony original (PRS300/600) homescreen?

[kacir]

As I stated on previous threads, I used to like Droid. Now my favourite one is Gentium.
Recently I have discovered Ubuntu Font Family http://font.ubuntu.com/
I was skeptical at first, but it is surprisingly well designed font. It must be very well hinted, because it looks very sharp and balanced on my reader.

[kartu]

Originally Posted by adbosch

Using PRS+ means that I will loose the nice thumbnail covers of the books on the homescreen of my PRS350 and have to go back to the Sony original (PRS300/600) homescreen?

No, old functionality doesn't disappear (I wonder where did you get this idea). Folders support only list view, however.

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I can't see any font choice option anywhere on my PRS 650 - but I am a UK user - are we banned from doing anything so radical ?

If you don't want to flash your firmware with PRS+, you can also do it with Calibre and keep your books in epub format, which I prefer over lrf. You convert from epub to epub specifying your font, and on your Sony reader you create a font directory where you'll store all the various fonts you call up.

[JSWolf]

I don't understand why this thread is continuing. I pointed to the proper thread to keep going yet you go with this thread when the other thread is all about fonts and has a lot more information.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Naaah, you ain't. Either you do it the hard way, like the big guys above and hack your Sony - or you do it the sneaky girlie way, like I do. Just convert all your files to LRF. In LRF the fonts are embedded and Calibre will give you a wast array of font choices

Thanks Poppaea, I quite like the sneaky girlie bit reference - ideally, that's my tactical approach with most things !

But I don't think I'm quite ready to do the grown-up stuff just yet ! Big capitals frightens I ......
I think if I ventured onto this just now, it would be a lot of and not a great deal of

But I do have hopes !

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't understand why this thread is continuing. I pointed to the proper thread to keep going yet you go with this thread when the other thread is all about fonts and has a lot more information.

For myself, I considered that particular thread too old (from 2009). There's many newer threads about fonts from this year with other fonts mentioned, and that also give specific examples for the css info to enter into Calibre that I felt would be more helpful for anyone dabbling into changing fonts for their first time.

Here's a few recent threads:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=123047
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=122838
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=121860

And this very helpful site that got me started on the right path:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...a-sony-reader/