Typeface Question

mikepmiller · Yesterday, 04:40 PM

Some of the books I read use several different types of fonts. For example, a serif for the main body text, a sans serif for a certain kind of non-verbal communication between characters, and a monospace for introductory text before each chapter.

Currently, when I specify a font (rather than using Original), this distinction is lost, and all of the text is rendered with my specified font.

Would there be interest in allowing the specification of a different font of each type: serif, sans serif, and monospace? Or do you have any thoughts of another way this situation could be handled so that I can specify a custom font but maintain the distinction between font types?

Thanks very much! I really appreciate the continual improvement in justRead!

petrjahoda · Today, 02:08 AM

Hello Mike, how should this work?
Say you have got a book that uses 5 fonts: Verdana, Bookerly, Andale Mono, Arial, Comic Sans.
If you choose Original, all those 5 are used in the app.
If you choose something else, all 5 are replaced with it.

You want a 'replacement' card for every font used in the book?

JSWolf · Today, 03:39 AM

What should be allowed is if you choose a font, the main body font is replaced. But the other embedded fonts still display properly. Changing all the other fonts to the chosen font is not how it should be done. Unless you make an option to allow all embedded fonts to be replaced with your chosen font.

petrjahoda · Today, 06:06 AM

Yes, that is exactly how it works today.
My question was, if the main body (for some odd reason) uses 5 different fonts, if the user wants a replacement for each.

mikepmiller · Today, 09:27 AM

Hey Petr, yes, exactly, you bring up great points. Unfortunately, I don't have a great suggestion that's fully generic (meaning handles all cases) and is relatively simple from a UX perspective. For context, Readest handles it as in the attached screenshot, but that's definitely "finicky" from a user perspective. You have to select 3 different font overrides and also a font category, which is more complicated than justRead's single font selection. On the positive side for the Readest approach, it does handle most (all?) of the books I've come across. So personally, I wouldn't be opposed to doing something similar in justRead, but I can also understand if it's not your preference.

petrjahoda · Today, 09:38 AM

Oh, font category is different thing, than a specific font.
OK, something can be surely done about this, I am adding this to a todo list.

mikepmiller · Today, 09:42 AM

Great, thank you! (And apologies for not describing it more clearly initially.)

culytera · Today, 09:47 AM

Calibre's ebook viewer allows the customization of fonts by serif, sans-serif, and monospace for example.

I made another section on my test epub to show how I understood OP's question. Personally, I'd like the heading and body text to still be customizable, and not just a "standard font", then serif, sans-serif, and monospace. Maybe separate standard fonts for body text and heading? If the book doesn't specify any font families or types for those elements. Then allow the user to customize fonts by type as well. But would that be too much? How do other users feel about that?

In my test epub, since Calibre's ebook viewer doesn't allow customizing the standard font for the body text and heading separately, the two headings and the text below with no specified font family both show in monospace font since that's what I set in "Standard font".

Readest has similar font customization, though it doesn't seem to show the designated serif, sans-serif, and monospace fonts when the CSS only specifies serif/sans-serif/monospace.

petrjahoda · Today, 10:00 AM

Hello, thank you all.
1. Headings can have a different font type than body for a few versions now.
2. And in latest 5.5 I added a possibility to change the size and weight for headings: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=375773

Wrapping this all up... so this should mean adding those font categories for body AND/OR headings? Wouldn't be a user overwhelmed by all of this?

Maybe I would add some auto-detection for number of different font categories used in a particular epub file? For heading and for body? And if two or more fonts detected a sheet will show up when opening the file (for a first time, asking the user if he wants to change those font categories)?

And also, this should be, I think, saved for a specific book when per-book option is enabled, right?

culytera · Today, 10:30 AM

Maybe an option to set the font type for body and heading to either be "serif", "sans-serif", or "monospace"? And then three additional settings so the user can set the serif, sans-serif, and monospace fonts?

Instead of one standard font that affects both body and heading but respects specified fonts (like in other reader apps) or a custom font for body and heading separately but affects even elements with specified fonts (like in JustRead), the reader would show whichever font type the user set for those elements. And if the book already has a specified font type or font family, the reader would prioritize that over the standard fonts for body and heading.

Body font -> serif/sans-serif/monospace
Heading font -> serif/sans-serif/monospace

Serif font -> [font-family]
Sans-serif font -> [font-family]
Monospace font -> [font-family]

Example:
If body text has no specified font family or font type = use chosen body font type
If body text has specified font type = use chosen font family for that font type
If body text has specified font family and font type = use specified font family if JustRead has that font, else, use specified font type
If body text has specified font family, but no font type = use specified font family if JustRead has that font, else, use chosen body font

Something like that? Or is that overkill

petrjahoda · Today, 10:40 AM

I like it a lot, because I love customization. But I am also looking at it as a usual user, who does not know anything about serif, monospace, etc. He only likes a font, say Bookerly, and wants to use it.
So this can be done the way you described it (and that is also a way I described it, in different words, so we came to the same end), but maybe under some 'expert' option or toggle.

mikepmiller · Today, 11:28 AM

I definitely like culytera's suggestion! Petr, I do agree that hiding it under some sort of "advanced" toggle would make sense for most users.

petrjahoda · Today, 11:29 AM

OK, as 5.5 is now in review, I will add some ideas together and post in here, how it would be done and if OK, I will do it like it.

JSWolf · Today, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrjahoda

Hello, thank you all.
1. Headings can have a different font type than body for a few versions now.
2. And in latest 5.5 I added a possibility to change the size and weight for headings: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=375773

Wrapping this all up... so this should mean adding those font categories for body AND/OR headings? Wouldn't be a user overwhelmed by all of this?

Maybe I would add some auto-detection for number of different font categories used in a particular epub file? For heading and for body? And if two or more fonts detected a sheet will show up when opening the file (for a first time, asking the user if he wants to change those font categories)?

And also, this should be, I think, saved for a specific book when per-book option is enabled, right?

The header should be based on the CSS. And when you change the font size, It should change all font sizes appropriately.

petrjahoda · Today, 11:50 AM

OK, but one thing is what should be (and who decides what should be), the another one is what users want and use.
And users wanted separate font+size+weight for headings, so it is there.
And of course it is optional, so you do not need to use it JSWolf (glad you are finally using JustRead :-)).

Yesterday, 04:40 PM	#1
mikepmiller Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2026 Device: None	Typeface Question Some of the books I read use several different types of fonts. For example, a serif for the main body text, a sans serif for a certain kind of non-verbal communication between characters, and a monospace for introductory text before each chapter. Currently, when I specify a font (rather than using Original), this distinction is lost, and all of the text is rendered with my specified font. Would there be interest in allowing the specification of a different font of each type: serif, sans serif, and monospace? Or do you have any thoughts of another way this situation could be handled so that I can specify a custom font but maintain the distinction between font types? Thanks very much! I really appreciate the continual improvement in justRead!

Today, 09:27 AM	#5
mikepmiller Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2026 Device: None	Hey Petr, yes, exactly, you bring up great points. Unfortunately, I don't have a great suggestion that's fully generic (meaning handles all cases) and is relatively simple from a UX perspective. For context, Readest handles it as in the attached screenshot, but that's definitely "finicky" from a user perspective. You have to select 3 different font overrides and also a font category, which is more complicated than justRead's single font selection. On the positive side for the Readest approach, it does handle most (all?) of the books I've come across. So personally, I wouldn't be opposed to doing something similar in justRead, but I can also understand if it's not your preference. Attached Thumbnails

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Can I just remove typeface info entirely?	awh_tokyo	Conversion	2	01-28-2013 04:03 AM
Different typeface speeds	OverTwo	Amazon Kindle	1	02-25-2011 01:38 AM
A guide to choosing a typeface	ardeegee	General Discussions	2	09-20-2010 12:51 PM
Which K3 typeface do you like best?	tomsem	Amazon Kindle	19	09-10-2010 01:01 AM
Darkness of typeface - can I adjust it?	mbelec	Sony Reader	5	02-06-2010 09:19 AM

Today, 02:08 AM	#2
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	Hello Mike, how should this work? Say you have got a book that uses 5 fonts: Verdana, Bookerly, Andale Mono, Arial, Comic Sans. If you choose Original, all those 5 are used in the app. If you choose something else, all 5 are replaced with it. You want a 'replacement' card for every font used in the book?

Today, 03:39 AM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 85,360 Karma: 154365103 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	What should be allowed is if you choose a font, the main body font is replaced. But the other embedded fonts still display properly. Changing all the other fonts to the chosen font is not how it should be done. Unless you make an option to allow all embedded fonts to be replaced with your chosen font.

Today, 06:06 AM	#4
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	Yes, that is exactly how it works today. My question was, if the main body (for some odd reason) uses 5 different fonts, if the user wants a replacement for each.

Today, 09:38 AM	#6
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	Oh, font category is different thing, than a specific font. OK, something can be surely done about this, I am adding this to a todo list.

Today, 09:42 AM	#7
mikepmiller Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2026 Device: None	Great, thank you! (And apologies for not describing it more clearly initially.)

Today, 10:00 AM	#9
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	Hello, thank you all. 1. Headings can have a different font type than body for a few versions now. 2. And in latest 5.5 I added a possibility to change the size and weight for headings: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=375773 Wrapping this all up... so this should mean adding those font categories for body AND/OR headings? Wouldn't be a user overwhelmed by all of this? Maybe I would add some auto-detection for number of different font categories used in a particular epub file? For heading and for body? And if two or more fonts detected a sheet will show up when opening the file (for a first time, asking the user if he wants to change those font categories)? And also, this should be, I think, saved for a specific book when per-book option is enabled, right?

Today, 10:30 AM	#10
culytera Addict Posts: 210 Karma: 295686 Join Date: Jul 2021 Device: iPhone	Maybe an option to set the font type for body and heading to either be "serif", "sans-serif", or "monospace"? And then three additional settings so the user can set the serif, sans-serif, and monospace fonts? Instead of one standard font that affects both body and heading but respects specified fonts (like in other reader apps) or a custom font for body and heading separately but affects even elements with specified fonts (like in JustRead), the reader would show whichever font type the user set for those elements. And if the book already has a specified font type or font family, the reader would prioritize that over the standard fonts for body and heading. Body font -> serif/sans-serif/monospace Heading font -> serif/sans-serif/monospace Serif font -> [font-family] Sans-serif font -> [font-family] Monospace font -> [font-family] Example: If body text has no specified font family or font type = use chosen body font type If body text has specified font type = use chosen font family for that font type If body text has specified font family and font type = use specified font family if JustRead has that font, else, use specified font type If body text has specified font family, but no font type = use specified font family if JustRead has that font, else, use chosen body font Something like that? Or is that overkill

Today, 10:40 AM	#11
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	I like it a lot, because I love customization. But I am also looking at it as a usual user, who does not know anything about serif, monospace, etc. He only likes a font, say Bookerly, and wants to use it. So this can be done the way you described it (and that is also a way I described it, in different words, so we came to the same end), but maybe under some 'expert' option or toggle.

Today, 11:28 AM	#12
mikepmiller Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2026 Device: None	I definitely like culytera's suggestion! Petr, I do agree that hiding it under some sort of "advanced" toggle would make sense for most users.

Today, 11:29 AM	#13
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	OK, as 5.5 is now in review, I will add some ideas together and post in here, how it would be done and if OK, I will do it like it.

Today, 11:50 AM	#15
petrjahoda Fanatic Posts: 588 Karma: 3774598 Join Date: Dec 2025 Location: Czech Republic Device: iphone, ipad	OK, but one thing is what should be (and who decides what should be), the another one is what users want and use. And users wanted separate font+size+weight for headings, so it is there. And of course it is optional, so you do not need to use it JSWolf (glad you are finally using JustRead :-)).