Mobi font specifications

[writerkit]

Originally Posted by RbnJrg

Yes, you are building a book for the old Kindle model. Here you can't use the fonts you want.

Thanks, RbnJrg.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by writerkit

Hitch:


Hitch: not to be snarky, but you ARE being snarky, and I've been nothing but polite, while you've been totally ignoring the info in my answers to you. One more rehash of what I've already said, and then I'm done:

1) I'm not making this book for distribution on Amazon, so their specifications are of no consequence to me or of relevance to my original question. My ebook is intended to be sold elsewhere and sideloaded.

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, and, wrong. If you understood anything at all about mobi, you'd know that those are the ONLY specifications. Calibre is simply a tool that makes books that approximate those specifications; it doesn't have some magic set of separate "specifications" that are different than Amazon's. If you expect your books to work, sold WHEREVER they are sold, on Amazon devices and readers, those are the specifications you have to meet. Your statement is 100%, absolutely and thoroughly incorrect. But, hey, I think we can all defer to your expertise given you obviously know better than we all do, here--the folks here who've only made thousands of books. What would WE know, anyway? Clearly, you have a real grasp of the issue at hand, since you "know" that Amazon's Mobi "...specifications are of no consequence to me or of relevance to my original question."

2) I am using Calibre to create my ebook. I've already created two ebooks with it, by converting my HTML docs into several different ebook formats - lots of authors have. In fact, I learned the process from Guido's blog. This is simply the first time I've converted to the "old mobi" format. If you've never used Calibre, then you don't know what you're talking about, so why not just admit that and let it go?

Actually, it's you who doesn't know how to use Calibre. I know perfectly well how to use it. I don't, because it is not a tool used by professional bookmakers; it's a tool used by DIY'ers for their personal libraries, not commercial-quality books. And, again, your use of Calibre has NOTHING WHATSOEVER, then or now, with the correct answer to your question, which you still, apparently, can't phrase in such a way as to provide the information needed in order to provide an ACCURATE answer to the question.

I've got my answer, from the other perfectly polite people on this thread, so thanks anyway. Sorry to so inconvenience you.

Really? Well, I hate to tell you, but you still don't actually have an answer. You got a "guesstimate" answer. Everyone is "guessing" just as you guessed--that you're likely making an "old" mobi, that won't be optimized for any of the newer Amazon devices. Won't have embedded fonts, won't use the more advanced text-layout features, etc. Why don't you simply ask Guido? Doesn't that seem like the logical choice, since, hopefully, at least HE knows which type of mobi you're making, as you don't?

Good luck. I actually wasted my time TRYING to help you, and give you an accurate answer, instead of the fast and easy one, which was "no, you can't do that." That's not necessarily the correct answer, but it's the FAST one, and it's the one that will give you the least-advanced, most-primitive mobi file.

Hitch

[writerkit]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, and, wrong. If you understood anything at all about mobi, you'd know that those are the ONLY specifications. Calibre is simply a tool that makes books that approximate those specifications; it doesn't have some magic set of separate "specifications" that are different than Amazon's. If you expect your books to work, sold WHEREVER they are sold, on Amazon devices and readers, those are the specifications you have to meet. Your statement is 100%, absolutely and thoroughly incorrect. But, hey, I think we can all defer to your expertise given you obviously know better than we all do, here--the folks here who've only made thousands of books. What would WE know, anyway? Clearly, you have a real grasp of the issue at hand, since you "know" that Amazon's Mobi "...specifications are of no consequence to me or of relevance to my original question."



Actually, it's you who doesn't know how to use Calibre. I know perfectly well how to use it. I don't, because it is not a tool used by professional bookmakers; it's a tool used by DIY'ers for their personal libraries, not commercial-quality books. And, again, your use of Calibre has NOTHING WHATSOEVER, then or now, with the correct answer to your question, which you still, apparently, can't phrase in such a way as to provide the information needed in order to provide an ACCURATE answer to the question.



Really? Well, I hate to tell you, but you still don't actually have an answer. You got a "guesstimate" answer. Everyone is "guessing" just as you guessed--that you're likely making an "old" mobi, that won't be optimized for any of the newer Amazon devices. Won't have embedded fonts, won't use the more advanced text-layout features, etc. Why don't you simply ask Guido? Doesn't that seem like the logical choice, since, hopefully, at least HE knows which type of mobi you're making, as you don't?

Good luck. I actually wasted my time TRYING to help you, and give you an accurate answer, instead of the fast and easy one, which was "no, you can't do that." That's not necessarily the correct answer, but it's the FAST one, and it's the one that will give you the least-advanced, most-primitive mobi file.

Hitch

Yes, you waste your time desperately looking for ways to knock someone down, and prove you're better than anyone else. All I had was a simple question that you turned into major warfare. I'm a nice person. You're a grandstander - so unhappy with yourself, you eagerly jump on every opportunity to slap people around. I hope you can calm down soon and get past your anger at me - and the rest of the world - because otherwise, you're going to give yourself an aneurysm. I'm content with the answers I got, even if you're not. And guess what - I'm the one who matters.

By the way - starting with Guido's specs, I've written and converted two beautiful books with Calibre, start to finish, that look great in every device we have in the house. Accept that, won't you, and let it go.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by writerkit

Yes, you waste your time desperately looking for ways to knock someone down, and prove you're better than anyone else. All I had was a simple question that you turned into major warfare. I'm a nice person. You're a grandstander - so unhappy with yourself, you eagerly jump on every opportunity to slap people around. I hope you can calm down soon and get past your anger at me - and the rest of the world - because otherwise, you're going to give yourself an aneurysm. I'm content with the answers I got, even if you're not. And guess what - I'm the one who matters.

By the way - starting with Guido's specs, I've written and converted two beautiful books with Calibre, start to finish, that look great in every device we have in the house. Accept that, won't you, and let it go.

For the benefit of anyone who comes along later, with a similar question:

What this poster did not, and still does not, understand, is that he asked a question roughly equivalent to: "How do I change the timing on my Chevy?" The question I asked back was, "are you driving a Chevy VOLT or a Chevy Corvette," because the two cars (books) are quite different, and the answer is quite different. I wasn't "grandstanding." It would have been quite simple to add a sans serif font to the Corvette; but it couldn't be done for the Chevy. I asked a simple question, so that I could give this person a competent answer. I wasn't attempting to belittle him; yes, I finally got impatient after my third request for an answer from him as to whether he was making a mobi 7 or a mobi8.

The answer he finally got was, "no, you can't make a sans serif font," because everyone finally decided that if he was using Guido Henkel's guidelines and Calibre, he was likely making a less-advanced book, so they simply said, "it can't be done." That's actually not the correct answer; the correct answer is, "if it's mobi8, aka KF8, it can be done, but you have to embed the fonts for it to work, not just make a stylesheet call.

And to "writerone:" Not sure how you think I was seeking ways to "knock you down." I asked you, politely, three times, what TYPE of book you were making. You posted an aggravated initial post about how mobi "should" do what you told it in the stylesheet, and I asked you then what type of book you were making. I asked you two more times. Did I eventually become exasperated, when you continued to refuse to tell me what I needed to know in order to answer the question? YES, I did. Otherwise, you apparently think I should have put in all the time to type all the possible responses here, for all the possible Kindle book types, with all the code, just in CASE you were making a KF8 book, as well. Why do you think you're entitled to suck up my (or anyone else's) time because you don't know the answer to "which?"

I assume now you created a Chevy Volt or a Malibu, and I'm glad you're happy with your book. I'm sorry I wasted my time attempting to help you. You're lashing out at me simply because you were embarrassed that you didn't know the answer, and now you're embarrassed that you've realized that the Amazon specs ARE the only specs--not some mystical "Calibre" specs. If you'd asked, or given anyone here any additional information, someone would have gladly helped you with the answer (as to what type of book you were making). As you didn't, you got the simplest, and fastest, answer: no.

Hitch

[writerkit]

Originally Posted by Hitch

For the benefit of anyone who comes along later, with a similar question:

What this poster did not, and still does not, understand, is that he asked a question roughly equivalent to: "How do I change the timing on my Chevy?" The question I asked back was, "are you driving a Chevy VOLT or a Chevy Corvette," because the two cars (books) are quite different, and the answer is quite different. I wasn't "grandstanding." It would have been quite simple to add a sans serif font to the Corvette; but it couldn't be done for the Chevy. I asked a simple question, so that I could give this person a competent answer. I wasn't attempting to belittle him; yes, I finally got impatient after my third request for an answer from him as to whether he was making a mobi 7 or a mobi8.

The answer he finally got was, "no, you can't make a sans serif font," because everyone finally decided that if he was using Guido Henkel's guidelines and Calibre, he was likely making a less-advanced book, so they simply said, "it can't be done." That's actually not the correct answer; the correct answer is, "if it's mobi8, aka KF8, it can be done, but you have to embed the fonts for it to work, not just make a stylesheet call.

And to "writerone:" Not sure how you think I was seeking ways to "knock you down." I asked you, politely, three times, what TYPE of book you were making. You posted an aggravated initial post about how mobi "should" do what you told it in the stylesheet, and I asked you then what type of book you were making. I asked you two more times. Did I eventually become exasperated, when you continued to refuse to tell me what I needed to know in order to answer the question? YES, I did. Otherwise, you apparently think I should have put in all the time to type all the possible responses here, for all the possible Kindle book types, with all the code, just in CASE you were making a KF8 book, as well. Why do you think you're entitled to suck up my (or anyone else's) time because you don't know the answer to "which?"

I assume now you created a Chevy Volt or a Malibu, and I'm glad you're happy with your book. I'm sorry I wasted my time attempting to help you. You're lashing out at me simply because you were embarrassed that you didn't know the answer, and now you're embarrassed that you've realized that the Amazon specs ARE the only specs--not some mystical "Calibre" specs. If you'd asked, or given anyone here any additional information, someone would have gladly helped you with the answer (as to what type of book you were making). As you didn't, you got the simplest, and fastest, answer: no.

Hitch

Man, you've got some serious anger issues. And now you're wasting everyone else's time as well as mine. Please stop. You DID indeed get exasperated at me, and if you think that's ever justified, you're wrong. No one deserves that kind of behavior in any situation. I was not beholden to help you understand what I was asking for, and if we are speaking different languages, because you have no knowledge of the MOBI interface in Calibre, that's not something to get angry with me about. I could have gotten exasperated at you for continuing to harangue me with questions that did not pertain in the least to my issue - continuing to tell me over and over that KDP doesn't take Calibre, though you should already have figured out that I had no intention of using KDP. There was no way for me to answer your questions about MOBI 7 or MOBI 8, because those are not the terms I have come up against in my working with Calibre. If you insist on labeling me as stupid because I couldn't answer your undecipherable question, that says much more about you than it does about me.

And now, you have insulted both me and Guido numerous times, due to your own lack of perceptiveness, knowledge, understanding, and patience, and in so doing, simply made yourself look like a complete jackass. LET IT GO. You'll live longer.

WriterKIT

[WT Sharpe]

This thread appears to have run its course. As nothing further of a productive nature appears to be forthcoming...

...THREAD CLOSED.