NickelTypeFix: a mod for better typography and typesetting (kepub only)

[npr]

Re my previous post above:
Tested using "this other build" software.
Load time was 3.5 sec.
So this time a significant improvement in file load time.

Note: The book I used was the test book posted by MrSilverstrike, the chapter file size is 174 KB.

[MrSilverstrike]

I'm also currently looking into adding proper small caps support to NickelTypeFix, see: here.

Right now, Kobo's reader app just approximates small caps, and doesn't actually use the small caps embedded in the fonts that have them.

That's unfortunate, and I think this is one of those small-but-nice-to-have fixes that brings the renderer closer to what it should be.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

I'm also currently looking into adding proper small caps support to NickelTypeFix, see: here.

Right now, Kobo's reader app just approximates small caps, and doesn't actually use the small caps embedded in the fonts that have them.

That's unfortunate, and I think this is one of those small-but-nice-to-have fixes that brings the renderer closer to what it should be.

This would be very welcome for me Is this enhancement likely to work for both epub and kepub? ETA: Having just re-read the title of this thread, probably a dumb question!!

BTW, congratulations on such an ambitious project. Very impressive.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

I'm also currently looking into adding proper small caps support to NickelTypeFix, see: here.

Right now, Kobo's reader app just approximates small caps, and doesn't actually use the small caps embedded in the fonts that have them.

That's unfortunate, and I think this is one of those small-but-nice-to-have fixes that brings the renderer closer to what it should be.

This will be nice. Thank you.

[MrSilverstrike]

To anyone interested... take it for a spin, I just released v0.9 for testing:

https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/Ni...peFix/releases

(For small caps, the font obviously needs to contain the small caps or the fallback is used. Charis or EB Garamond, for example, both have nice small caps.)

I'm now going to be testing this release for a little while before I put it live as the default version on my website, but anyone who's smart enough to download and install it manually can probably file an issue or get in touch should they still encounter an issue

Let me know if it works well -- or likewise, if you encounter any issues...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

To anyone interested... take it for a spin, I just released v0.9 for testing:

https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/Ni...peFix/releases

(For small caps, the font obviously needs to contain the small caps or the fallback is used. Charis or EB Garamond, for example, both have nice small caps.)

I'm now going to be testing this release for a little while before I put it live as the default version on my website, but anyone who's smart enough to download and install it manually can probably file an issue or get in touch should they still encounter an issue

Let me know if it works well -- or likewise, if you encounter any issues...

Can you make this work with webkitTextRendering=geometricPrecision instead of just webkitTextRendering=optimizelegibility? Thanks.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you make this work with webkitTextRendering=geometricPrecision instead of just webkitTextRendering=optimizelegibility? Thanks.

It should already work with webkitTextRendering=geometricPrecision too. The documentation only mentions optimizeLegibility, but both settings should reach the small-caps fix. Have you tried it and found that it doesn't work? If so, which firmware and font are you using?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

It should already work with webkitTextRendering=geometricPrecision too. The documentation only mentions optimizeLegibility, but both settings should reach the small-caps fix. Have you tried it and found that it doesn't work? If so, which firmware and font are you using?

I was using geometricPrecision and then I swppped to optimizeLegibility. It does work. I'll go back to geometrcPrecision and see if it works.

[JSWolf]

I've gone back to geometrcPrecision and it's working. Well done!

[fogice]

Originally Posted by npr

Testing the faster load on my Libra 2
Time to load the first chapter of your test book:
default firmware: time 5.5sec
NickelTypeFix v0.8: time 5.5 sec
Faster Load software: time 5.5 sec

nickel-type-fix.log:
2026-09-03 12:29:00 NickelTypeFix v0.8-7-g6daf3a2: Fast text shaping: enabled=yes, active=yes

Unfortunately I'm seeing no significant improvement here.

Also testing on a Libra 2.

NTF version IDK, whatever was available on August 17 when I installed it.
5.8 sec

NTF v0.9:
3.6 sec

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by MrSilverstrike

To anyone interested... take it for a spin, I just released v0.9 for testing:
...

Let me know if it works well -- or likewise, if you encounter any issues...

Thanks very much. Love the smallcaps. I had been jumping through hoops to auto-embed a true smallcaps font to kepubs during calibre send-to-device. So I can stop doing that. Karma to you.

I'm thinking that the inevitable "upgrade" to v5 firmware (2.5 years since it was supposedly imminent) is going to feel more like a "downgrade".

[JSWolf]

This actually makes KePub useable.

[MrSilverstrike]

Thanks for the positive reviews! I am currently exploring options to bring this to the new firmware too, as there have been some questions for v5.x support, and I agree that I'd want this on any upcoming software versions, as well

I have something interesting in the works (facilitated by the latest LLM models) that I'm workshopping right now. More when I have something to announce... at some point.

[MrSilverstrike]

I just released v0.10 earlier today. It has a small fix that fixes an issue with rounding errors and the positioning of individual characters. I recommend everyone who installed v0.9 update to this new version.

I can also confirm I am officially working on a mod for the 5.x software now too. The new reader is... well, it's not great. Lots of flickering and various issues all over the place.

With an experimental version of NickelTypeFix for v5.x, I've already made significant performance improvements and made the reader usable. I have to do fewer hacky things, so I believe with optimizations I can make the reader better than on the v4 software.

If there's anyone already running the 5.x software (specifically, 5.18) I might be able to share an early preview.

[JSWolf]

Thanks for this. I'll install it later on today.