Looking for CSS suggestion to set off snail-mail

[phossler]

Ahhh - that works, both in the editor and in ADE and KP

I think what I have now (below) will work nicely. With BR's style recommendations and getting the font to work, it's now simple enough for me to drop in easily and set off a snail-mail. I could even go back to my first choice for typeface.

I will have to also come up with one or two more CSS files to easily handle typewritten and computer-type output, but I'll just model them on this one

Thanks again

@font-face {
  font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";
  src: url(../fonts/Lucida_Handwriting_Italic.ttf);
  }
blockquote.handwritten {
  font-family: "Lucida Handwriting";
  padding: 0 5% 0 5%;
  margin: 5%;
  background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);
  border-style: solid;
  letter-spacing: 0.1em;
}
blockquote.handwritten p {
  text-indent: 0;
  text-align: left;
  font-size: 1.1em;
  margin-top: 0.75em;
}
blockquote.handwritten p.compliment {
  text-align: right;
}

[theducks]

Great

It is easy to forget that the if the @font calls out specifics:bold and/or italic, the they only match the style usage with the same

[BetterRed]

@phossler - I appreciate that you're making this book for yourself, and that you're probably using it as a means to learn about epub bookmaking. And on that; more power to your arm, sir.

However, IMCO - Artefacts such as borders, background colours and varying typefaces etc are very useful in instructional texts, and to a lesser extent in factual texts. But in fiction—no way Jose.

Well written fiction should facilitate/encourage the reader to use their own imagination, which includes such things as a letter writer's penmanship, and the paper they might use. Imposition of the bookmaker's visioning robs the reader of part of the joy of reading—exercising their own mental agility. What next? Put the jokes in Comic Sans MS

And seeing as you've gone to the effort of creating blockquote.handwritten, why not go the extra yard and get rid of the gap between the Compliment and Signature.

hint: your Compliment rightfully ends with a comma, so. . .

BR

[phossler]

@BetterRed - all true

I agree that this could get over-cutesy. But even in a work of fiction, if used carefully, I think it's OK, especially since it's just for me.

hint: your Compliment rightfully ends with a comma, so. . .

The best I could come up with is below.

I searched

http://css.maxdesign.com.au/selectutorial/

and

http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_selectors.asp

trying to come up with some sophisticated CSS but never even figured out your hint

How about another one that is not so subtle??

[theducks]

Looks fine to me.

Too Cutesy would have been flowered (or other 'Ladies' type) stationary

[phossler]

Originally Posted by theducks

Too Cutesy would have been flowered (or other 'Ladies' type) stationary

And TOO much work. I'm just looking for some nice boilerplate CSS that I can plug in occasionally when it will help. Like BR said, I'd have to have a different background-image for Holmes' letters Much, too much effort for my simple needs

Something like this snail-mail letter would be seldom, but I have a Sci Fi book with a lot of computer output for my next clean up where special treatment would be nice (at least a 'computer' font' and some simple special formatting)

Again, thanks to both of you for you help and ideas

[theducks]

Originally Posted by phossler

And TOO much work. I'm just looking for some nice boilerplate CSS that I can plug in occasionally when it will help. Like BR said, I'd have to have a different background-image for Holmes' letters Much, too much effort for my simple needs

Something like this snail-mail letter would be seldom, but I have a Sci Fi book with a lot of computer output for my next clean up where special treatment would be nice (at least a 'computer' font' and some simple special formatting)

Again, thanks to both of you for you help and ideas

Actually, a using a Background-image with that CSS is not that much harder (at least for EPUB)

The difficulty is in picking the right image

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Looks fine to me.

Too Cutesy would have been flowered (or other 'Ladies' type) stationary

Not in the 19th century ducky. All that frippery is 20th century.

Violet was broke, looking for a job, probably wrote the note on the back of a grocer's bill

A letter to Anna Eliza Bray (English Novelist) from Letitia Elizabeth Landon (English Poet).

Writing with a quill pen is not easy, it requires a very light touch.

BR

[BetterRed]

IMO this is better,

, but this is 'best'

Font is Jane Austen (16pt) from Pia Frauss. I did it in Word because I know better what I do there.

The note background colour (first one) is RGB 238, 236, 225, but I don't like the sharp edges. But to me at least, it looked even worse with a border, maybe it would be acceptable to me if it had an indefinite (random fuzziness) edge with a hint of something on the reverse and it bore evidence of being 'crumpled' - but I suspect I would still prefer the 'paperless' one.

Enough already BR

PS : errata - if Golden Beeches is set in late 19th century (when it was written), Violet almost certainly would have used a steel nib pen, quills had fallen out of use by then. But handwriting styles didn't change much; this is a letter from Emmeline Pankhurst (suffragette) to Lloyd George (UK PM) written in 1916. Coincidentally Emmeline like Violet was anxious.

[JSWolf]

A couple of things about the letter. Don't use paragraph spaces. It looks awful. So you'll need indents. I suggest an indent of 1.2em. Next, don't make the letter smaller than the default base text size. That just doesn't work. Being offset is enough. A blockquote works to surround the letter.

blockquote {
margin-top: 1.2em;
margin-right: 1.5em;
margin-bottom: 1.2em;
margin-left: 1.5em
}

Oh and if the rest of the book has paragraph spaces and no indents, it's going to look awful. You'll want to get rid of the paragraph spaces and add in indents except for the first paragraph of a chapter and the first paragraph of a new section.

If you are going to use an embedded font for the letter(s), then you'll need to specify someplace where it will be seen that publisher font needs to be turned on because there are embedded fonts. If you don't do that, some people won't see your embedded font(s). Kobo & nook Readers need to have publisher font turned on and same with Marvin (for iOS). Kindles are like that as well.

[phossler]

@JSWolf --

On my reader I find that paragraph spacing seems to work better for me.

Good thought about no border -- I'll try that and see what I think

I did embed the font and on the Kindle selected [Publisher Font] -- I usually prefer one of the fonts recommended here in the forum instead of the built in ones

[dwig]

Originally Posted by Paulie_D

Typewriters were quite prevalent in Holmes' era..they were invented in the 1860's

Yes, but they were expensive, clumsy, and required a new skill that most people didn't have. They were somewhat common in business, but would rarely be used for a personal letter or note, except by someone who owned and used one for professional reasons.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by phossler

@JSWolf --

On my reader I find that paragraph spacing seems to work better for me.

Good thought about no border -- I'll try that and see what I think

I did embed the font and on the Kindle selected [Publisher Font] -- I usually prefer one of the fonts recommended here in the forum instead of the built in ones

If you are not formatting for yourself, then you'll need to do it so it works for most people andthe way I suggested works for most people. if you are doing it for yourself, then you can do it how it works for you.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by dwig

Yes, but they were expensive, clumsy, and required a new skill that most people didn't have. They were somewhat common in business, but would rarely be used for a personal letter or note, except by someone who owned and used one for professional reasons.

Likely as not any professional who could have afforded a typewriter could have afforded to employ a shorthand-typist.

The advent of DIY typing is a recent phenomena - more's the pity Those that might have once worked in a typing pool hoping for a promotion to a secretarial position are now stacking supermarket shelves — flirting with the robot who's after their job

BR

[ApK]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If I were to right align the signature I would also right align the Compliment, and assuming there's no actual signature, I probably wouldn't have any space between the Compliment and senders name.

A Victorian Miss suited to be a governess would not send an undated letter - also right aligned

And if she used someone's name in the Salutation she would use 'Sincerely' in the Compliment, probably without the 'Yours' - unless she was being deliberately flirtatious

BR

If only ACD had you to edit for him, he might have made something of himself....


BTW, the letter WAS dated. The line preceding it says so, it's just not included in the screenshot shown.
This, by the way, is evidence that there is no value in trying to present the letter as if it was appearing in its entirety as an attachment....only some text is quoted.

And I agree with the comments that the colors and outlines have no place here.
I think the extra margins, and possible italics would be more than enough.

ApK