foreign characters not showing up? - Page 2

charleski · 07-26-2011, 04:10 AM

Hah - calibre strikes again.

It is a font issue. The problem lies in the book's css:

Code:

.calibre {
    display: block;
    font-family: "DejaVu", sans;
    font-size: 1em;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 5pt;
    margin-right: 5pt;
    margin-top: 0;
    page-break-before: always;
    text-align: justify
    }

Remove the line saying
font-family: "DejaVu", sans;
since this is forcing your reader to use its default sans-serif font rather than the new font, which was defined as the default serif. If you want a font that's a bit more readable you could try Gentium, though it doesn't have a bold weight.

sovre · 07-26-2011, 04:33 PM

I used the epub tweaker to remove that line and the epub is indeed displaying correctly now. What a relief. Thanks a lot for your help and guidance.

I also downloaded the Gentium font, and would like to try it out.

How do I make a css file for Gentium or any other font I may want to use with my reader, and how do I know what should be written within it? is there a website with instructions that would walk me through the process? I don't have much technical knowledge about these things. This is the first time I have even opened and looked within an epub file!

charleski · 07-26-2011, 05:15 PM

Put the ttf files for Gentium in the same place as Charis, then make a copy the css file and replace the filename of the fonts with the filename of the Gentium fonts (same path) and save it as Gentium.css.

JSWolf · 07-29-2011, 12:10 PM

The problem you now have is that you used Calibre to convert an ePub that contains code for an embedded font. That is a big mistake as Calibre botches the code for embedded fonts in an ePub > ePub conversion. Now you have font code in every XML file when it belongs just once in the CSS. Once you have an ePub, don't use Calibre to convert it yet again to ePub. Calibre tends to do some things that are not good like moving embedded font code from the CSS to every XML file.

If I was going to edit my ePub, I'd use Notepad++ or you could use Sigil. But either way, don't convert ePub > ePub.

07-26-2011, 04:10 AM	#16
charleski Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 1281258 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	Hah - calibre strikes again. It is a font issue. The problem lies in the book's css: Code: .calibre { display: block; font-family: "DejaVu", sans; font-size: 1em; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 5pt; margin-right: 5pt; margin-top: 0; page-break-before: always; text-align: justify } Remove the line saying font-family: "DejaVu", sans; since this is forcing your reader to use its default sans-serif font rather than the new font, which was defined as the default serif. If you want a font that's a bit more readable you could try Gentium, though it doesn't have a bold weight.

07-26-2011, 04:33 PM	#17
sovre Zealot Posts: 112 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: United States Device: iPad Mini; iPhone; Kindle Paperwhite (10th gen)	I used the epub tweaker to remove that line and the epub is indeed displaying correctly now. What a relief. Thanks a lot for your help and guidance. I also downloaded the Gentium font, and would like to try it out. How do I make a css file for Gentium or any other font I may want to use with my reader, and how do I know what should be written within it? is there a website with instructions that would walk me through the process? I don't have much technical knowledge about these things. This is the first time I have even opened and looked within an epub file! Last edited by sovre; 07-26-2011 at 04:37 PM.

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07-26-2011, 05:15 PM	#18
charleski Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 1281258 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	Put the ttf files for Gentium in the same place as Charis, then make a copy the css file and replace the filename of the fonts with the filename of the Gentium fonts (same path) and save it as Gentium.css.

07-29-2011, 12:10 PM	#19
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,897 Karma: 146918083 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The problem you now have is that you used Calibre to convert an ePub that contains code for an embedded font. That is a big mistake as Calibre botches the code for embedded fonts in an ePub > ePub conversion. Now you have font code in every XML file when it belongs just once in the CSS. Once you have an ePub, don't use Calibre to convert it yet again to ePub. Calibre tends to do some things that are not good like moving embedded font code from the CSS to every XML file. If I was going to edit my ePub, I'd use Notepad++ or you could use Sigil. But either way, don't convert ePub > ePub.

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