Does the kindle do auto-justification?

SirBC · 11-26-2007, 02:42 PM

If I load a text file (or send a pdf via whispernet) that is left justified, will the kindle convert the file so that it is right and left justified?

SirBC · 11-27-2007, 11:25 AM

Can any kindle owners answser this?

rflashman · 11-27-2007, 12:47 PM

Got a sample file to try out?

SirBC · 11-27-2007, 01:00 PM

I've attached a left justified .txt file (from Project Gutenberg).

I guess the reason I ask is that I have never owned an ebook reader but I am intrigued by the Kindle and I am worried that if the text isn't left and right justified (as a paper book would be) it would look "weird".

wallcraft · 11-27-2007, 01:31 PM

If you have a Windows PC, download the latest MobiPocket Reader. Amazon owns MobiPocket, and the Kindle is using a variant of the MobiPocket Reader for handheld devices (similar to the one in the "others" section of the download page). The Windows Reader has more customization features than the Kindle, but it should give you a good idea of what source files will look like on the Kindle (particularly if you set your window size to about 600 by 800 pixels).

Whispernet conversion is probably similar to the import option for the MobiPocket Windows Reader, the output is a PRC file which will work on the Kindle. In fact, this is a free alternative to using whispernet conversion (copy the PRC to your Kindle via USB).

rflashman · 11-27-2007, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirBC

I've attached a left justified .txt file (from Project Gutenberg).

I guess the reason I ask is that I have never owned an ebook reader but I am intrigued by the Kindle and I am worried that if the text isn't left and right justified (as a paper book would be) it would look "weird".

It converted into a an elegant left and right properly justified eBook, easy to read. Pretty much what you were looking for.

andym · 11-27-2007, 04:27 PM

The Mobipocket Reader on a pda does this on the fly (is that the right term?) ie you don't need to convert. Not very pretty on short line lengths, so I normally turn it off, but it's there as an option. Whether it will do that on this version of the software on the Kindle is another matter - but probably will come sooner rather than later.

SirBC · 11-27-2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rflashman

It converted into a an elegant left and right properly justified eBook, easy to read. Pretty much what you were looking for.

Good stuff! Thanks for trying it out for me. Kindle here I come

BTW, did you use the whispernet conversion?

SirBC · 11-27-2007, 10:40 PM

Hmmm... I guess not *all* books are Left/Right justified. This gizmodo article comparing the Kindle to the Sony Reader shows a side-by-side picture with the same book on each device; the Sony is L/R justifed and the Kindle is not.

http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/...MZN_opener.jpg

I haven't seen this discussed anywhere else. Is this only a big deal for me?

wallcraft · 11-28-2007, 12:13 AM

See Paragraph rendering and hyphenation from the Mobipocket Developer Center. It says:

Quote:

Text is displayed by default in the Reader with full justified alignment, and automatic hyphenation of words.

The user can change alignment to Left align text in the user settings.

The left alignment of the text can be forced with the <p align="left"> or <div align="left"> tag.

The Windows MobiPocket Reader can indeed set alignment. However, the Kindle's reader has fewer options, and the User Guide does not mention any option to set alignment.

The .azw version provided by rflashman contains simple HTML, for example:

Quote:

<p>I HAVE endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. </p><div height="0em"></div>

It appears that any AZW <div> or <p> that does not specify alignment will be justified and any that include align="left" won't be justified.

HarryT · 11-29-2007, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The Windows MobiPocket Reader can indeed set alignment. However, the Kindle's reader has fewer options, and the User Guide does not mention any option to set alignment.

Different versions of the Mobi Reader do have different options. Going "down the scale" from most options to fewest, the list seems to be:

Mobi Reader for Windows
Mobi Reader for PDA
CyBook Gen3
iRex iLiad

Eg, the PDA version of Mobi Reader lets you set both margin size and text alignment; the Gen3 allows you to control alignment, but not margins; the iLiad allows you to set neither.

JSWolf · 11-29-2007, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirBC

Hmmm... I guess not *all* books are Left/Right justified. This gizmodo article comparing the Kindle to the Sony Reader shows a side-by-side picture with the same book on each device; the Sony is L/R justifed and the Kindle is not.

http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/...MZN_opener.jpg

I haven't seen this discussed anywhere else. Is this only a big deal for me?

Wow! That is some poor formatting on the Kindle. Are a lot of ebooks for the Kindle that bad?

TallMomof2 · 11-29-2007, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Wow! That is some poor formatting on the Kindle. Are a lot of ebooks for the Kindle that bad?

I haven't seen a book yet that looked like the one in the picture. The excess margins would bother me.

SirBC · 12-30-2007, 03:14 PM

I just bought a Kindle edition of a book that I already own (The Lies of Locke Lamora), and while the physical book has full justification, the Kindle edition is left justified. I am also unable to make it fully justified using the "hidden" justification option in the font size menu. I guess I'll have to return it.

wallcraft · 12-30-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirBC

I am also unable to make it fully justified using the "hidden" justification option in the font size menu.

To save others searching, this is was reported by Igorsk in Hacking the Kindle part 3: root shell and runtime system:

Quote:

Keyboard shortcuts
Font List
J show/hide justification options

I'm not actually sure what the "Full Justification" option is supposed to do (on the Kindle or in the MobiPocket Windows Reader), since it is the default. Selecting "Left Justification" on the Kindle does make this the default, and some may prefer this.

However, neither one over-rules the publishers explicit paragraph by paragraph layout specification. So if the publisher forces "left" or "justify" you are stuck with this.

11-26-2007, 02:42 PM	#1
SirBC Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 64 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle	Does the kindle do auto-justification? If I load a text file (or send a pdf via whispernet) that is left justified, will the kindle convert the file so that it is right and left justified?

11-27-2007, 01:31 PM	#5
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	If you have a Windows PC, download the latest MobiPocket Reader. Amazon owns MobiPocket, and the Kindle is using a variant of the MobiPocket Reader for handheld devices (similar to the one in the "others" section of the download page). The Windows Reader has more customization features than the Kindle, but it should give you a good idea of what source files will look like on the Kindle (particularly if you set your window size to about 600 by 800 pixels). Whispernet conversion is probably similar to the import option for the MobiPocket Windows Reader, the output is a PRC file which will work on the Kindle. In fact, this is a free alternative to using whispernet conversion (copy the PRC to your Kindle via USB). Last edited by wallcraft; 11-27-2007 at 01:36 PM.

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11-27-2007, 11:25 AM	#2
SirBC Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 64 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle	Can any kindle owners answser this?

11-27-2007, 12:47 PM	#3
rflashman Zealot Posts: 107 Karma: 408 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle, Archos 605 Wifi, & Sony PRS-500	Got a sample file to try out?

11-27-2007, 04:27 PM	#7
andym Groupie Posts: 189 Karma: 793 Join Date: Oct 2006	The Mobipocket Reader on a pda does this on the fly (is that the right term?) ie you don't need to convert. Not very pretty on short line lengths, so I normally turn it off, but it's there as an option. Whether it will do that on this version of the software on the Kindle is another matter - but probably will come sooner rather than later.

11-27-2007, 10:40 PM	#9
SirBC Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 64 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle	Hmmm... I guess not all books are Left/Right justified. This gizmodo article comparing the Kindle to the Sony Reader shows a side-by-side picture with the same book on each device; the Sony is L/R justifed and the Kindle is not. http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/...MZN_opener.jpg I haven't seen this discussed anywhere else. Is this only a big deal for me?

12-30-2007, 03:14 PM	#14
SirBC Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 64 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle	I just bought a Kindle edition of a book that I already own (The Lies of Locke Lamora), and while the physical book has full justification, the Kindle edition is left justified. I am also unable to make it fully justified using the "hidden" justification option in the font size menu. I guess I'll have to return it.

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