Font-Size Every Couple of Words

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I have not tested it recently. When there was a need, I dug into it, around getting people updated Word files (h/t to jhowell!!!).

Kindle Create uses a variant of KFX format internally. That format does not make a clear distinction between different block level elements (div, p, h1, etc.)

Originally Posted by Hitch

I have NOT tested it since they announced that KC would now, in beta, be able to export ePUB files. Honestly...kinda afraid to look, to see what on earth they're doing in there. I was so gobsmacked by the divs and /brs all over the place, inside KC that...well, possibly may be scarred for life.

This is the second time I have seen this mentioned. The first was on the KDP forums where it was stated that an announcement was made that has since been deleted.

I have have seen no sign of this feature so far. Do you have any more information or a reference?

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle Create uses a variant of KFX format internally. That format does not make a clear distinction between different block level elements (div, p, h1, etc.)

NO kidding. I was...well, as I've already claimed, blown away looking at that. It's also the reason that copy-paste from KC doesn't work worth a DAMN.

This is the second time I have seen this mentioned. The first was on the KDP forums where it was stated that an announcement was made that has since been deleted.

I have have seen no sign of this feature so far. Do you have any more information or a reference?

nope, in fact, I do not. I saw the same announcement that you did. I did also see one...hmmmmmm...I believe I receive an email from KDP, one of their generic "sis-koom-bah, ain't we great!" type mailers, that had all the "speshul" stuff in it for that month or quarter, but that's all I recall. I'll see if I can dig it up.

I can certainly say--having just this second checked--that the KC program as it is, is not yet offering ePUB export. I keep an old cleaned Word file in KC, for testing and so far, nada.

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

nope, in fact, I do not. I saw the same announcement that you did. I did also see one...hmmmmmm...I believe I receive an email from KDP, one of their generic "sis-koom-bah, ain't we great!" type mailers, that had all the "speshul" stuff in it for that month or quarter, but that's all I recall. I'll see if I can dig it up.

I didn't actually see the announcement. I only references to it from other posters.

I am curious about the exact wording used. Sometimes people assume things that are not actually stated. For example many people believed that Kindle devices were going to natively support EPUB format based on Amazon's prior announcements regarding send-to-kindle.

Originally Posted by Hitch

I can certainly say--having just this second checked--that the KC program as it is, is not yet offering ePUB export. I keep an old cleaned Word file in KC, for testing and so far, nada.

I check each new release looking for signs of new and upcoming features. I haven't come across anything pointing to EPUB export in KC yet.

(Off topic for this already off topic discussion, one thing I do see coming is a new KFX format variant called "PDF backed fixed layout".)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Sometimes people assume things that are not actually stated. For example many people believed that Kindle devices were going to natively support EPUB format based on Amazon's prior announcements regarding send-to-kindle.

It also didn't help that someone linked to the new Kindle Basic 2022 listing at Amazon UK where it mistakenly says (or said if it's since been fixed) that DRM free ePub is supported on the Kindle.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I didn't actually see the announcement. I only references to it from other posters.

I am curious about the exact wording used. Sometimes people assume things that are not actually stated. For example many people believed that Kindle devices were going to natively support EPUB format based on Amazon's prior announcements regarding send-to-kindle.

I did, in fact, see it myself, with mine own two and yes, it absolutely clearly stated, at that time, that KC would be exporting ePUB format. Clear as a bell. Now...could that have been someone's illusion? A delusion? Sure, but that's perzactkly what it said.

I check each new release looking for signs of new and upcoming features. I haven't come across anything pointing to EPUB export in KC yet.

(Off topic for this already off topic discussion, one thing I do see coming is a new KFX format variant called "PDF backed fixed layout".)

(Not really THAT OT, if you think about it....)

Yes and I'll be very very very interested to see what THAT is.

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Yes and I'll be very very very interested to see what THAT is.

I am also curious. It is relatively easy to pick up feature names from the Kindle apps. It is much harder to tell what a name actually refers to. It is not worth it for me to put in the effort needed to find out when it will likely become obvious once PDF Backed Fixed Layout is actually rolled out.

My best guess is that it is an improved version of print replica, perhaps with more features. Or perhaps a replacement for the fixed layout books produced by Kindle Kids Book Creator. That is long overdue for replacement.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I am also curious. It is relatively easy to pick up feature names from the Kindle apps. It is much harder to tell what a name actually refers to. It is not worth it for me to put in the effort needed to find out when it will likely become obvious once PDF Backed Fixed Layout is actually rolled out.

My best guess is that it is an improved version of print replica, perhaps with more features. Or perhaps a replacement for the fixed layout books produced by Kindle Kids Book Creator. That is long overdue for replacement.

Oh, amen, that is true.

What would be truly great would be a replacement for the no-eInks-need-apply FXL format that we have now, of various kinds. When we hand-coded FXL, way back, it worked--Tablet, eInk, any KF8 or later. Now? Now if someone uses KC, or KKBC, or KTC, etc. it's an eInk NoFlyZone. It's a shame.

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

What would be truly great would be a replacement for the no-eInks-need-apply FXL format that we have now, of various kinds. When we hand-coded FXL, way back, it worked--Tablet, eInk, any KF8 or later. Now? Now if someone uses KC, or KKBC, or KTC, etc. it's an eInk NoFlyZone. It's a shame.

It appears to be only implemented in the Android and iOS apps so far. Those platforms tend to have the most up-to-date Kindle reader implementations, partly because they are updated monthly.

It remains to be seen whether this new format is also coming to e-ink Kindles and Kindle for PC/Mac. I suspect that it will.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

It appears to be only implemented in the Android and iOS apps so far. Those platforms tend to have the most up-to-date Kindle reader implementations, partly because they are updated monthly.

It remains to be seen whether this new format is also coming to e-ink Kindles and Kindle for PC/Mac. I suspect that it will.

We'll see, no doubt. I try not to believe or even think about every "possible" this or that, which crosses my path, because there have been hundreds of "this is gonnas" and "that's going to happens" since the dawn and honestly, progress has been both slower and faster than I should have thought in many areas.

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I am also curious. It is relatively easy to pick up feature names from the Kindle apps. It is much harder to tell what a name actually refers to. It is not worth it for me to put in the effort needed to find out when it will likely become obvious once PDF Backed Fixed Layout is actually rolled out.

My best guess is that it is an improved version of print replica, perhaps with more features. Or perhaps a replacement for the fixed layout books produced by Kindle Kids Book Creator. That is long overdue for replacement.

I have a follow-up to this discussion from last year. I have started to see some examples of PDF Backed Fixed Layout in the Kindle for Android app. It is a new variant of KFX format produced for Kindle books published using a fixed-layout EPUB, such as those created by Apple Pages or Adobe InDesign. Currently those books are converted to fixed-layout KF8 format with varying results. One common problem is words running together or overlapping.

For PDF Backed Fixed Layout the fixed-layout EPUB is converted to PDF and then that is used to produce Print Replica KFX format. I assume that this is intended to make those fixed-layout books function more consistently across devices and may also be part of a long term plan to replace the older Kindle formats with KFX.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I have a follow-up to this discussion from last year. I have started to see some examples of PDF Backed Fixed Layout in the Kindle for Android app. It is a new variant of KFX format produced for Kindle books published using a fixed-layout EPUB, such as those created by Apple Pages or Adobe InDesign. Currently those books are converted to fixed-layout KF8 format with varying results. One common problem is words running together or overlapping.

Right and up until...well, the last few days that I know of, for certain, if you upload an FXL ePUB, that's what happens, overlapping words, words & images, etc.

For PDF Backed Fixed Layout the fixed-layout EPUB is converted to PDF and then that is used to produce Print Replica KFX format. I assume that this is intended to make those fixed-layout books function more consistently across devices and may also be part of a long term plan to replace the older Kindle formats with KFX.

So, wait. Are we saying that this is the process through KC, (using a PDF-->>KC-->.kpf) or do you think that KDP is making a PDF, from the ePUB that was uploaded, and then creating an FXL Kindle-PUB, for lack of a better term? That would be a whole 'other thang.

I mean, the from-PDF-KPFs (via KC) work. They work across all devices, NOT counting the eInks. I'm wondering...I mean, making a from-print-style PDF, from an FXL ePUB... would take some reverse engineering, no?

Hitch

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by Hitch

So, wait. Are we saying that this is the process through KC, (using a PDF-->>KC-->.kpf) or do you think that KDP is making a PDF, from the ePUB that was uploaded, and then creating an FXL Kindle-PUB, for lack of a better term? That would be a whole 'other thang.

KC is not involved. As far as I can tell Amazon are themselves producing a PDF from the fixed-layout EPUB uploaded by the publisher. This PDF-based format is only delivered if you read the book using the latest version of the Kindle for Android app (8.75). All other apps/devices receive fixed-layout KF8 instead.

Here is an example of one such book, available through Kindle Unlimited. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1G74JM2 The internal metadata of the fixed-layout book shows that it was produced using Apple Pages. (Also, the Look Inside preview of the book appears to be broken. Perhaps a side effect of the new format being used.)

One common problem I have found is that publishers who upload fixed-layout EPUB often do so with obfuscated fonts included. Those are ignored when producing the PDF, leading to the PDF often having the same run-together content as you see in KF8.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jhowell

KC is not involved. As far as I can tell Amazon are themselves producing a PDF from the fixed-layout EPUB uploaded by the publisher. This PDF-based format is only delivered if you read the book using the latest version of the Kindle for Android app (8.75). All other apps/devices receive fixed-layout KF8 instead.

Yowzers. That's all I have to say here. I find reverse-engineering, or even trying to do so, with an FXL ePUB, whether produced by Pages or INDD, a nightmare. Migraine-inducing. It's worse then reverse-engineering a printed Index. IMHO.

Here is an example of one such book, available through Kindle Unlimited. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1G74JM2 The internal metadata of the fixed-layout book shows that it was produced using Apple Pages. (Also, the Look Inside preview of the book appears to be broken. Perhaps a side effect of the new format being used.)

That LITB is definitely "borked." Mine is blank, totally.

One common problem I have found is that publishers who upload fixed-layout EPUB often do so with obfuscated fonts included. Those are ignored when producing the PDF, leading to the PDF often having the same run-together content as you see in KF8.

YES, they sure do. Unless Amazon cut some deal with Adobe, to somehow do this and use the obfuscated fonts (that won't pass ePUBcheck, not that Amazon uses that, but it's used everywhere ELSE), this would be tricky at best.

Unless Adobe somehow magically enables ligatures, which are used in the LITB, even if not used in the actual eBook, this would be a nightmare, too.

And yes, I factually know about the LITB ligatures (gee, guess how?
A book that blew up in the LITB!) versus what is and isn't enabled or embedded in the real ePUB!

Hitch