Help: epub font de-obfuscation

[VinSStaR]

i've an ebook in epub format, but its font is obfuscated/mangled. i think i have the id. i had gone through this forum, seen a tool 'clarify' but its removed from github. is there any other way or tool to de-obfuscate my epub

[pdurrant]

All epub reading software knows how to de-obfuscate the fonts. There's no need to do it manually.

Remember that the fonts will only have been licenced for use in that ePub, so using them elsewhere will be piracy, unless they've been released to the public by the creator, in which case you'll be able to easily find a non-obfuscated version online.

[VinSStaR]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

All epub reading software knows how to de-obfuscate the fonts. There's no need to do it manually.

Remember that the fonts will only have been licenced for use in that ePub, so using them elsewhere will be piracy, unless they've been released to the public by the creator, in which case you'll be able to easily find a non-obfuscated version online.

my epub is specifically for an android app which doesn't have much features. it doesn't even have a pc version, so i want to make my epub portable so that i can read it in other readers. yes i know that it will be piracy if i share the file. it is for my own purposes. that is why i need to do it manually
is there any tool or method for that?
anyone?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by VinSStaR

my epub is specifically for an android app which doesn't have much features. it doesn't even have a pc version, so i want to make my epub portable so that i can read it in other readers. yes i know that it will be piracy if i share the file. it is for my own purposes. that is why i need to do it manually
is there any tool or method for that?
anyone?

[EDIT: I misunderstood]

Seriously - ePub Font obfuscation is a standard (well, two actually - Adobe's and the IDPF's). Any PC-based ePub reading program will automatically handled obfuscated fonts.

If you've tried it and it doesn't work, the ePub isn't using standard obfuscation, and so there won't be any tools to help. Not that there are likely to be such tools readily available for obvious reasons.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

[EDIT: I misunderstood]

Seriously - ePub Font obfuscation is a standard (well, two actually - Adobe's and the IDPF's). Any PC-based ePub reading program will automatically handled obfuscated fonts.

If you've tried it and it doesn't work, the ePub isn't using standard obfuscation, and so there won't be any tools to help. Not that there are likely to be such tools readily available for obvious reasons.

Yes, I wish that there were! I recently went through all sorts of gyrations to determine the name of a font that I found in a given eBook. (It was a mobi, as it happens). I finally downloaded the MOBI to my K4PC and er...took a look under the hood.

ALAS, inside the mobi were simply "font001, font002," etc. I couldn't even be sure which was which. I tried to view the font001, etc., files, but, more alas, I couldn't do so. I had to infer the name of the font from the CSS, and of course, anybody could name any font anything, in their own CSS.

Amazon uses their own obfuscation as well, and I suspect that the font was subset and encrypted in INDD, before being exported to ePUB from whence the MOBI was made (as it's a Random House book). So, I was triple-screwed, dang it.

I wish there were a way to de-encrypt and display fonts, for those times when I decide I just "gotta have that," (and thus need the name), but the truth is, if that existed, people would abuse the holy hell out of it and steal fonts. No point in arguing it, we all know it's true. Sad--but true.

Hitch

[KevinH]

FWIW, Font obfuscation (both major) types are tied to the main BookID uuid of the epub. So they are worthless in obfuscated form unless you have the BooKID of the exact epub they are used in.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Yes, I wish that there were! I recently went through all sorts of gyrations to determine the name of a font that I found in a given eBook. (It was a mobi, as it happens). I finally downloaded the MOBI to my K4PC and er...took a look under the hood.

ALAS, inside the mobi were simply "font001, font002," etc. I couldn't even be sure which was which. I tried to view the font001, etc., files, but, more alas, I couldn't do so. I had to infer the name of the font from the CSS, and of course, anybody could name any font anything, in their own CSS.

Amazon uses their own obfuscation as well, and I suspect that the font was subset and encrypted in INDD, before being exported to ePUB from whence the MOBI was made (as it's a Random House book). So, I was triple-screwed, dang it.

I wish there were a way to de-encrypt and display fonts, for those times when I decide I just "gotta have that," (and thus need the name), but the truth is, if that existed, people would abuse the holy hell out of it and steal fonts. No point in arguing it, we all know it's true. Sad--but true.

Hitch

There is a tool that will remove the font obfuscation. It's a tool that you know of and use. I've used it for this very purpose. Especially after going from KF8 > ePub. I bet once you know the name of this tool, you'll be doing the facepalm.

The tool is...SIGIL!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a tool that will remove the font obfuscation. It's a tool that you know of and use. I've used it for this very purpose. Especially after going from KF8 > ePub. I bet once you know the name of this tool, you'll be doing the facepalm.

The tool is...SIGIL!

Indeed, and the lads here very kindly reminded me AND helped me out, but that ratfink (designer) subset the font. Of course...even if I'd extracted it, I couldn't use it, but it was the thrill of the hunt, not the use of an unlicensed font.

(anyone here ever seen "EIPKID" in front of a font name before?)

Hitch

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Indeed, and the lads here very kindly reminded me AND helped me out, but that ratfink (designer) subset the font. Of course...even if I'd extracted it, I couldn't use it, but it was the thrill of the hunt, not the use of an unlicensed font.

(anyone here ever seen "EIPKID" in front of a font name before?)

Hitch

I've not seen EIPKID in a font name before. But you can use the font finder from MyFonts.

https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

I'd be interested in knowing what the font is if you find out.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've not seen EIPKID in a font name before. But you can use the font finder from MyFonts.

https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

I'd be interested in knowing what the font is if you find out.

Oh, Wolfie, there ain't no font finder that I don't already have. This one is a mystery. It's a font used in a specific book, that caught my interest. I could not find it--and that never happens. I mean, never. I can find pretty much any font in existence. I have all the websites, all the programs/apps, etc.

So...I started tracking it down and when I, er...unpacked the mobi, I found the NAME of the font. but only part of it. I then bought a Kobo version, (due to all the brain-damage that Nook has caused in trying to move files from A o B) and anyway, I found the NAME of the font, but it still seems to not exist. Anywhere. Historically, now...noplace.

Either the layout person created it him/herself, or, it's one of those fonts from those old font CDs, way back, you remember those? For crafters and the like?

That's why I was asking about the initials/acronym/? around the font name.

ETA: Wolfie: PMed you.



Thanks,
Hitch

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Oh, Wolfie, there ain't no font finder that I don't already have. This one is a mystery. It's a font used in a specific book, that caught my interest. I could not find it--and that never happens. I mean, never. I can find pretty much any font in existence. I have all the websites, all the programs/apps, etc.

So...I started tracking it down and when I, er...unpacked the mobi, I found the NAME of the font. but only part of it. I then bought a Kobo version, (due to all the brain-damage that Nook has caused in trying to move files from A o B) and anyway, I found the NAME of the font, but it still seems to not exist. Anywhere. Historically, now...noplace.

Either the layout person created it him/herself, or, it's one of those fonts from those old font CDs, way back, you remember those? For crafters and the like?

That's why I was asking about the initials/acronym/? around the font name.

ETA: Wolfie: PMed you.



Thanks,
Hitch

I do remember the font CDs. I have one someplace around here. It's the Bitstream 500 font CD. I bought it way way back when ata local computer show. It wasn't really a computer show as more like a computer flea market.

I did try What the Font and got noplace. But with What the Font, you can submit your entry for actually people to have a look at it and try to figure it out. So I've gone that route. I hope it works.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Hitch

(anyone here ever seen "EIPKID" in front of a font name before?)

This may be a complete red herring but I'll say it anyway...

When I occasionally extract fonts from a PDF I see names like:

KIIFHM+AGaramondPro-Regular-1982.cff
MIHLFK+FreestyleScriptLT-1421.ttf
FPHLHJ+Able-1157.ttf

These fonts are often (always???) subsetted. I wonder if that's where your "EIPKID" originated? I'm afraid I don't know what those 6-char strings mean, though.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

This may be a complete red herring but I'll say it anyway...

When I occasionally extract fonts from a PDF I see names like:

KIIFHM+AGaramondPro-Regular-1982.cff
MIHLFK+FreestyleScriptLT-1421.ttf
FPHLHJ+Able-1157.ttf

These fonts are often (always???) subsetted. I wonder if that's where your "EIPKID" originated? I'm afraid I don't know what those 6-char strings mean, though.

Dunno. I know that PKA and HMK = Hallmark. I have no idea what the weirdo characters in front mean, though!

Hitch

[lumpynose]

I can't remember where but a few days ago I was reading about how the Bitstream 500 fonts cd has some nice fonts on it. I still have a plastic drawer thing for cds and it was in there. All of the font file names are TTnnnnnM_.ttf where the lower case ns are digits.

Is there any program that will print a 1 line sample for each font file, multiple samples per page, and I could generate samples and maybe generate a pdf.

[lumpynose]

Heh, the disc was readable, and my cd/dvd drive (whatever it is) also still works. The disc is surely older than Hitch's ancient Kindle.

Not the full alphabet but perhaps enough to give you an idea:

bitstream_500_fonts.zip