Glo Can I add/replace fonts on Kobo Glo?

bartveld · 11-22-2012, 07:34 AM

Now that Amazon has to all intents and purposes completely locked the Paperwhite with its new firmware I'm looking around for another reader with lighting. Kobo looks better than the Nook.
The prime reason why I hacked any Kindle was to be able to choose my own fonts. I'm very picky when it comes to fonts and all standard Kindle fonts are ugly. Now I've found this unimpressive list of fonts on the Glo:
Amasis*
Avenir*
Caecilia
Georgia
Gill Sans*
Gothic MB101
Kobo Nickel
Malabar
OpenDyslexic
Ryumin

My question is: do you need a hack to add fonts of your own? If so, is there a fonthack? Or is there a simpler way to add or replace fonts, which do not involve tampering with root?

murg · 11-22-2012, 07:37 AM

Adding fonts is a simple as creating a directory on the device and moving the fonts in. They have to be named in a certain way.

This is how it works on the Touch, and I assume the Glo.

You don't get all the font adjustments with added fonts, though.

beedaddy · 11-22-2012, 07:39 AM

You just have to create a folder named "fonts" on the Glo, and there you put your TTF or OTF files into. But unfortunately (don't know if it is on purpose or just a bug) you can't always change the font for a book. At least in my case, I can't change the font for most of my sideloaded epubs.

bartveld · 11-22-2012, 07:46 AM

That seems surprisingly easy! I wonder about inability to change fonts in sideloaded epubs, though. Do you mean you can't use any of the regular fonts or just your own fonts?

dassie · 11-22-2012, 08:03 AM

A sideloaded epub that you cannot change the font of usually has a fixed embedded font. You can strip out the embedded font using calibre or another tool, thus allowing you to choose one of the fonts on your reader.

bartveld · 11-22-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dassie

A sideloaded epub that you cannot change the font of usually has a fixed embedded font. You can strip out the embedded font using calibre or another tool, thus allowing you to choose one of the fonts on your reader.

I thought as much. Kindle's mobi has the same with some documents.

Thank you all for enlightening me!

Andrew Ashling · 11-22-2012, 08:13 AM

FWIW (I'm no specialist and I bought my Kobo Glo just two weeks agao):

The problem could be that some books have their own fonts. If the stylesheet sets a font for pages (or for titles) it seems it can't be overruled.

(A bug IMHO, since there is a specific setting to use the file's own fonts — maybe in a next update of the firmware?)

Of course, you can open the epub with e.g. Sigil and remove the code (and the fonts) from the file.

beedaddy · 11-22-2012, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartveld

That seems surprisingly easy! I wonder about inability to change fonts in sideloaded epubs, though. Do you mean you can't use any of the regular fonts or just your own fonts?

I can't change the font at all. But yes, the reason is the CSS of the epub file. And, using Sigil or Calibre you can get rid of the problem ... as long as the epubs are DRM-free.

EldRick · 11-22-2012, 12:06 PM

Quote:

And, using Sigil or Calibre you can get rid of the problem ... as long as the epubs are DRM-free.

Or one could quickly and easily remove the DRM, but that would be illegal and a Federal crime.

ShellShock · 11-22-2012, 04:51 PM

With the built-in fonts you can adjust the weight and sharpness on the device, but you can't do this with your own loaded fonts. I quite like the built-in Kobo Nickel with extra weight.

I guess if you want to adjust the weight of a side-loaded font you could do it before loading it onto the device, e.g., using something like FontForge.

meeera · 11-22-2012, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EldRick

Or one could quickly and easily remove the DRM, but that would be illegal and a Federal crime.

... in the Netherlands?

EldRick · 11-22-2012, 08:07 PM

Quote:

... in the Netherlands?

Search for ApprenticeAlf for DRM removal.

meeera · 11-22-2012, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EldRick

Search for ApprenticeAlf for DRM removal.

I was (obviously, I thought) addressing the "it's a Federal crime" portion of your message.

echwel · 11-23-2012, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

... in the Netherlands?

Alltough not a 'federal'

crime, it is a crime. Well, it's not allowed, maybe it's called a misdemeanor.

As far as I know, there is no discussion here about becoming federal, actually there is a discussion for merging some provinces. Seems like the other way around

bartveld · 11-23-2012, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShellShock

I guess if you want to adjust the weight of a side-loaded font you could do it before loading it onto the device.

That's right and that's what I was used to doing for the Kindle so I don't mind preparing fonts beforehand. But now that Amazon seems to have made it more or less impossible to hack the PaperWhite I'm looking for a more user-friendly replacement device.

About DRM: Removing DRM is the road to perdition and I would NEVER do that!!!!

On another note: I'd mostly be sideloading books on a Kobo (all DRM-free, of course

). Does that pose any special problems on that device? I had downloaded the Kobo Android app on my tablet and I simply couldn't find any way to browse the tablet itself. I don't need it (Coolreader works perfectly), but I was wondering if the Kobo Glo has any issues with sideloaded books (I hate clouds).

11-22-2012, 07:34 AM	#1
bartveld Evangelist Posts: 413 Karma: 1477913 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Netherlands Device: KA1, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Tab A 10.1, ReMarkable	Can I add/replace fonts on Kobo Glo? Now that Amazon has to all intents and purposes completely locked the Paperwhite with its new firmware I'm looking around for another reader with lighting. Kobo looks better than the Nook. The prime reason why I hacked any Kindle was to be able to choose my own fonts. I'm very picky when it comes to fonts and all standard Kindle fonts are ugly. Now I've found this unimpressive list of fonts on the Glo: Amasis* Avenir* Caecilia Georgia Gill Sans* Gothic MB101 Kobo Nickel Malabar OpenDyslexic Ryumin My question is: do you need a hack to add fonts of your own? If so, is there a fonthack? Or is there a simpler way to add or replace fonts, which do not involve tampering with root?

11-22-2012, 07:39 AM	#3
beedaddy Addict Posts: 213 Karma: 135428 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Germany (south-west) Device: Kobo Libra 2 & Clara 2E, Tolino shine 5th Gen	You just have to create a folder named "fonts" on the Glo, and there you put your TTF or OTF files into. But unfortunately (don't know if it is on purpose or just a bug) you can't always change the font for a book. At least in my case, I can't change the font for most of my sideloaded epubs. Last edited by beedaddy; 11-22-2012 at 08:33 AM.

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11-22-2012, 07:37 AM	#2
murg No Comment Posts: 3,240 Karma: 23878043 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Australia Device: Kobo: Not just an eReader, it's an adventure!	Adding fonts is a simple as creating a directory on the device and moving the fonts in. They have to be named in a certain way. This is how it works on the Touch, and I assume the Glo. You don't get all the font adjustments with added fonts, though.

11-22-2012, 07:46 AM	#4
bartveld Evangelist Posts: 413 Karma: 1477913 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Netherlands Device: KA1, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Tab A 10.1, ReMarkable	That seems surprisingly easy! I wonder about inability to change fonts in sideloaded epubs, though. Do you mean you can't use any of the regular fonts or just your own fonts?

11-22-2012, 08:03 AM	#5
dassie Member Posts: 16 Karma: 250 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kobo Touch	A sideloaded epub that you cannot change the font of usually has a fixed embedded font. You can strip out the embedded font using calibre or another tool, thus allowing you to choose one of the fonts on your reader.

11-22-2012, 08:13 AM	#7
Andrew Ashling Connoisseur Posts: 60 Karma: 549264 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: I divide my time between Ormidon, Ximerion and Antwerp, Belgium Device: Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Clara, Kobo Aura One, Kobo Libra H2O	FWIW (I'm no specialist and I bought my Kobo Glo just two weeks agao): The problem could be that some books have their own fonts. If the stylesheet sets a font for pages (or for titles) it seems it can't be overruled. (A bug IMHO, since there is a specific setting to use the file's own fonts — maybe in a next update of the firmware?) Of course, you can open the epub with e.g. Sigil and remove the code (and the fonts) from the file.

11-22-2012, 04:51 PM	#10
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,178 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	With the built-in fonts you can adjust the weight and sharpness on the device, but you can't do this with your own loaded fonts. I quite like the built-in Kobo Nickel with extra weight. I guess if you want to adjust the weight of a side-loaded font you could do it before loading it onto the device, e.g., using something like FontForge.