(help) Please recommend me a viewer that:

[LostHisMarbles]

Greetings for starters

As per title, looking for a viewer covering the following:
1) can run on MacOS (Tahoe)
2) allows for modifying character spacing
3) allows for modifying word(s) spacing
4) allows for modifying line spacing
5) has RGB/HEX configurable foreground (font) and background

If such a one exists?

This isn't really about being fussy, more about getting old!
Reading from Calibre's stock e-viewer is killing me. It allows for 1) and 5), naught on the rest; and for me mind, everything's too tight, cramped together and somehow way, way too sharp? Thick? Like.. semi-boldened fonts. I mean i use SF Pro Text everywhere, but it's never as "thick" or "pronounced" as it is on this e-viewer; nor as cramped.

Trying Apple's Books (no go, what a surprise) i realised that spacing is as important to me, by now, as fore/back ground HEX-RGB.
So, here we are. If any of you know of one, by all means help out

My thanks for your time, regardless,
LHM

* I didn't see where else i could put this thread, i know it' mainly an iOS subforum; my apologies.

[DJUNGELSKOG]

I don't know about any applications that allow modifying character spacing but maybe Yomu Reader can make your life easier while you are looking for an option that does?

It definitely satisfies requirements 1, 3 and 5. The free version supports all the configuration options and you can test it for as long as you want if you don't need to have more than 10 books in your library at the same time.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yomu-e...62211012?mt=12

It's also possible that your eyes don't appreciate reading on a laptop screen in general. I can read on my ipad for hours without any issues but I never found a way to read on my macbook without eye strain, no matter which fonts or backgrounds I tried. Do you have an option to borrow an ipad somewhere to test if it's also the case for you?

[LostHisMarbles]

Appreciate the reply DJUNGELSKOG

Regarding spacing, Apple "Books" does that, it's just unfortunately very limited in its fore/background options. A very dull gray (/old fart squinting mode activated), or an eye bleeding sparkly white, just right for your nightly migraine session ^^
I only mention it because (i'm not into tech unless i have to, then i'll look) it happened to be the eye opener for me; had no idea how important spacing had become with aging. Can definitely tell you it wasn't ever an issue while i was younger, never gave it attention.

Regarding the iPad, option no, though i could purchase one, have in fact considered it a number of times.
Frankly, i was kinda hoping i'd avoid the mutiple gadgets scenario, hence my asking.

Interesting what you said about the macbook.. will admit its monitor quality was one of the reasons i purchased it.

Anyway, not sure when one hits the "TLDR" quota here, so, ah, my thanks once again for the recommendation, will give it a try shortly. Much obliged

[JSWolf]

The best viewer for your needs would be the one that comes with calibre. For the things you want that the viewer doesn't do, you have the editor to make the changes to get what you want.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by LostHisMarbles

Greetings for starters

As per title, looking for a viewer covering the following:
1) can run on MacOS (Tahoe)
2) allows for modifying character spacing
3) allows for modifying word(s) spacing
4) allows for modifying line spacing
5) has RGB/HEX configurable foreground (font) and background

If such a one exists?

This isn't really about being fussy, more about getting old!
Reading from Calibre's stock e-viewer is killing me. It allows for 1) and 5), naught on the rest; and for me mind, everything's too tight, cramped together and somehow way, way too sharp? Thick? Like.. semi-boldened fonts. I mean i use SF Pro Text everywhere, but it's never as "thick" or "pronounced" as it is on this e-viewer; nor as cramped.

Trying Apple's Books (no go, what a surprise) i realised that spacing is as important to me, by now, as fore/back ground HEX-RGB.
So, here we are. If any of you know of one, by all means help out

My thanks for your time, regardless,
LHM

* I didn't see where else i could put this thread, i know it' mainly an iOS subforum; my apologies.

The best viewer for your needs would be the one that comes with calibre. For the things you want that the viewer doesn't do, you have the editor to make the changes to get what you want.

The cramped fonts are the way the kerning is done with the fonts you are using. It's going to be the same on all eBook viewers that use Kerning.

1. Yes
2. No, but you can use the calibre editor to add in letter spacing to the CSS.
3. No, but you can use the calibre editor to add in word spacing to the CSS.
4. Yes
5. Yes

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by LostHisMarbles

Greetings for starters

As per title, looking for a viewer covering the following:
1) can run on MacOS (Tahoe)
2) allows for modifying character spacing
3) allows for modifying word(s) spacing
4) allows for modifying line spacing
5) has RGB/HEX configurable foreground (font) and background

Reading from Calibre's stock e-viewer is killing me. It allows for 1) and 5), naught on the rest; and for me mind, everything's too tight, cramped together and somehow way, way too sharp? Thick? Like.. semi-boldened fonts. I mean i use SF Pro Text everywhere, but it's never as "thick" or "pronounced" as it is on this e-viewer; nor as cramped.

I'm not sure why you think calibre can't configure 2), 3) and 4) in the calibre Viewer.

It sounds like you've successfully done 5) to set foreground/background colours - presumably via the Viewer's Preferences > Colors option.

To set 2), 3) and 4) you can use the Viewer's Preferences > Styles option to use CSS to achieve whatever "look" suits you.. See the lower half of screenshot1 for an example. Screenshots 2 & 3 are Before & After, respectively. I'm definitely not suggesting screenshot3 is a "pleasing look" so you'd need to tinker with the numeric values until you're happy.

ETA: I see @JSWolf kind of beat me to it! However, he's wrong about 2 & 3. You can do everything you want in the Viewer without needing to resort to the Editor.

[The Old Man]

I, too, am an aged one, 93. Try to find an iPad Mini and give it a try in the dark mode using MapleRead CE or the Kindle app. No, no character spacing but enough font choices, you may find something. The only disadvantage I have found is the frequent recharging.

I send books from Calibre to my Google Drive and from there to the Mini using FileBrowser: Documents Manager app. This app in indispensable.

[JSWolf]

@jackie_w that's a very good answer. I forgot about adding CSS to calibre's viewer.

One issue is that sometimes an ePub can have an overly large line height. So adding more can make it too large. Do you know of a CSS that would work to set a fixed line height in the viewer regardless of what the eBook's CSS sets the line height to?