Epub readers don't render CSS the way it is in Sigil?

[Ahu Lee]

I'm sorry I don't really think that my question has something to do with Sigil itself, but I'm not sure where I should post it and here it is:

I'm making an epub using Sigil and when I open it in ADE or Nook-for-PC to check how it looks I notice that the readers don't render CSS correctly, the way it is\looks in Sigil or my web-browser.
For example, the both use different sans-serif font (I have set Arial in the CSS), they also have some problems with Drop-Caps (they are kinda "off the grid"). And they don't render letter-spacing property at all.

I'm not very experienced with all this ebook creation stuff, so could you enlighten me on why this might happen or what I should and shouldn't expect from the readers? Would there be a difference in the way hardware readers handle my epub?

Thank you very much!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ahu Lee

I'm sorry I don't really think that my question has something to do with Sigil itself, but I'm not sure where I should post it and here it is:

I'm making an epub using Sigil and when I open it in ADE or Nook-for-PC to check how it looks I notice that the readers don't render CSS correctly, the way it is\looks in Sigil or my web-browser.
For example, the both use different sans-serif font (I have set Arial in the CSS), they also have some problems with Drop-Caps (they are kinda "off the grid"). And they don't render letter-spacing property at all.

I'm not very experienced with all this ebook creation stuff, so could you enlighten me on why this might happen or what I should and shouldn't expect from the readers? Would there be a difference in the way hardware readers handle my epub?

Thank you very much!

Different render engines, behave different. Some, like QT used with Sigil and Calibre have known quirks.

IMHO You did good. You checked things out on the Target device(s) Those are the ones that count


Wander down to the EPUB section here at Mobilread. There you will find a lot of experiences. Be sure to read the Stickies ( hint: the one on ADE is IMHO, a must)

[mrmikel]

You might also check out an epub, Three Men in a Boat which is available in the MR library and has quite a bit of successful formatting. If you see something you like, you might open it in Sigil and see how it was done.

You did do good, by checking it on the device. That is a step some seem to miss.

[Ahu Lee]

Originally Posted by theducks

Be sure to read the Stickies ( hint: the one on ADE is IMHO, a must)

Do you mean this one (Known bugs in ADE)? https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94733

Originally Posted by mrmikel

You might also check out an epub, Three Men in a Boat which is available in the MR library and has quite a bit of successful formatting.

Can you provide me with the link to the book, please? I can't find it in epub format there.
But I have found this https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48377 and it doesn't look very readable to my taste, besides there's some bag with the first line of each chapter, it sort of runs out of the screen.

So, there's no way to make the CSS letter-spacing property actually work in "real" readers? My CSS is free of any errors according to the W3C validator, but ADE still don't want to render that property.

Many thanks, guys!

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Ahu Lee

So, there's no way to make the CSS letter-spacing property actually work in "real" readers? My CSS is free of any errors according to the W3C validator, but ADE still don't want to render that property.

Not all valid CSS is valid for ePub (and not all "valid" ePub CSS works as expected in ADE). Don't get too hung up on it.

[theducks]

What we are trying to say: Is Compromise so that it is Closeon the Majority of devices (Some will be High, some low. Allow for that).

Precision is not possible except with ONE target (device), and that is fragile .

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Ahu Lee

So, there's no way to make the CSS letter-spacing property actually work in "real" readers? My CSS is free of any errors according to the W3C validator, but ADE still don't want to render that property.

Have a look at the spec. Please inform us if you find the "letter-spacing" property mentioned anywhere

That a property is not supported in the spec, doesn't mean a book containing it is not a valid ePub, but rather that a reader not supporting it can still be called an ePub-compliant reader.

[Ahu Lee]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Have a look at the spec. Please inform us if you find the "letter-spacing" property mentioned anywhere

That a property is not supported in the spec, doesn't mean a book containing it is not a valid ePub, but rather that a reader not supporting it can still be called an ePub-compliant reader.

Thank you very much, now it makes sense.

Thanks all.

[mrmikel]

It makes it hard that there is no easy reference to the limited CSS used in epubs that I have found.

[graycyn]

Just wait 'til you start checking your epubs in different Android reader apps! Anyway, checking in ADE is probably the best first step, if it renders well there, it's got a good chance to render OK on Sony & Nook e-ink, and will do pretty well in Android apps that support ADE.

Checking on a device is also highly recommended, just this past weekend I had an epub that worked fine in ADE, and barfed on my Sony T1. Turned out I had managed to duplicate a couple of IDs on links. I was about to tear my hair out over that one before I tracked it down.

When you get into other reader apps, like Moon+, FBReader, Coolreader and the like, expect most of your hard won styling to be less appealing than you would wish. Those apps allow the reader to customize a lot of stuff. The key is that your ebook should remain readable, even if not as you envisioned it looking.

I'm sort of a control freak, but I've learned that you have to give a lot of that up with ebooks. There's no one reading system, people have lots of choices between devices and apps.

[Ahu Lee]

graycyn, thank you very much for your input, It's a great addition to the topic for sure!

[Notjohn]

I wouldn't use drop-caps in an e-book. Last year we had them working beautifully in the Kindle, whereupon Amazon changed line spacing (13 lines per page instead of 15 as previously on my K3) and they looked awful. Plus they become up-caps in the older e-ink devices. So I have quit using them.

I also don't specify font-face. There is a reason for the defaults (they are the most legible choice), and in the case of newer devices (Kindles anyhow) the reader has the option to change the font and likely will be annoyed if you defeat him.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

I also don't specify font-face. There is a reason for the defaults (they are the most legible choice), and in the case of newer devices (Kindles anyhow) the reader has the option to change the font and likely will be annoyed if you defeat him.

There an extremely good reason to embed a font in KF8. The reason being if you have modified the line spacing of the font to be small enough, it will override the large line spacing KF8 defaults to (eInk Kindles). I've such a font I am currently asking for people to test. Also, I've upped the weight so it looks good.

Have a look at the thread on fonts and Kindles. You will find my links there.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=202238

[Jellby]

It's bad enough trying to work around bugs and limitations of ePub readers, now we have build our ePub books with an ePub editors for non-ePub readers?

[ronaldl]

Originally Posted by mrmikel

You might also check out an epub, Three Men in a Boat which is available in the MR library and has quite a bit of successful formatting. If you see something you like, you might open it in Sigil and see how it was done.

You did do good, by checking it on the device. That is a step some seem to miss.

What and where can I find "Three men in a boat"?

Thanks