want to fix Cryoburn (Lois M Bujold) character spacing

[jlocicero]

I've got the hard copy of this book, and it came with a CD with all of Lois McMaster Bujold's Barrayar books in various digital formats as a nice bonus.

Everything is great except for the title book. The character spacing for the Cryoburn digital book is too close - the letters are all pushed together. I find this kind of hard to read.

I can't get my mobile reader (mostly Kindle on iOS but now also Marvin for iPad) to adjust this.

Can anyone help me fix the spacing in the file itself? Tweak the CSS? I am hopeless at this, but the file (book) itself seems to be freely available. If not, I can post the CSS to this thread if someone can help. Or is there a way to do it in Calibre or Sigil?

Hope this question makes sense. Thanks for you help!

[Turtle91]

Depending on your country it can be illegal to have someone else do the actual editing for you if the book is still under copyright, which I'm pretty sure Bujold's are. You can post the css though, and we can see if there is anything obvious.

Use sigil to open, then right click on the css file and "save as".

[jlocicero]

Thanks for your help! Here is the CSS. Compared to another I looked at, this one really looks like a mess.

If you can spot anything I could change, that would be great!

@namespace h "http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml";
.Apple-tab-span {
    white-space: pre
    }
.calibre {
    display: block;
    font-size: 1.41667em;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 5pt;
    margin-right: 5pt;
    margin-top: 0;
    page-break-before: always
    }
.calibre1 {
    font-weight: bolder
    }
.calibre2 {
    display: block
    }
.calibre3 {
    font-style: italic
    }
.calibre4 {
    display: block;
    page-break-after: always
    }
.calibre5 {
    display: table-row-group;
    vertical-align: middle
    }
.calibre6 {
    display: table-row;
    vertical-align: inherit
    }
.chapter {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 1.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 12px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 139.5px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p {
    display: block;
    font-family: Impact;
    font-size: 1.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: center
    }
.p1 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Minion Pro";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: center
    }
.p10 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 15px;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p11 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p12 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 9px
    }
.p13 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Minion Pro";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p14 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.52941em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: center
    }
.p15 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0
    }
.p16 {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 0.52941em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 11px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p17 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.52941em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 10px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p18 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Minion Pro";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 14px;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p19 {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 1.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 12px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 108px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p2 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 15px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p20 {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 1em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 12px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 33.9px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p21 {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 1.41176em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 4.5px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 40px;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p22 {
    display: block;
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 4.5px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: justify
    }
.p23 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Minion Pro";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0
    }
.p24 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Minion Pro";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 14px
    }
.p3 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 4.5px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: center
    }
.p4 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-align: center
    }
.p5 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 9px;
    min-height: 15px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p6 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 4.5px;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 4.5px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p7 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 4.5px;
    text-align: center
    }
.p8 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0
    }
.p9 {
    display: block;
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 0.70588em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    min-height: 15px
    }
.s {
    font-family: "Lucida Grande";
    font-size: 1em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    line-height: normal
    }
.s1 {
    letter-spacing: -0.8px
    }
.s2 {
    font-family: "Times New Roman";
    font-size: 1em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    letter-spacing: -0.8px;
    line-height: normal
    }
.s3 {
    letter-spacing: -0.8px;
    vertical-align: 1px
    }
.s4 {
    font-family: "Lucida Grande";
    font-size: 1em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    letter-spacing: -0.8px;
    line-height: normal
    }
.s5 {
    letter-spacing: -0.8px;
    vertical-align: -8px
    }
.s6 {
    font-family: Helvetica;
    font-size: 2em;
    font-style: normal;
    font-variant: normal;
    font-weight: normal;
    letter-spacing: -0.8px;
    line-height: normal;
    vertical-align: -8px
    }
.t {
    border-collapse: separate;
    border-spacing: 2px;
    display: table;
    margin-bottom: 0;
    margin-top: 0;
    text-indent: 0
    }
.td {
    display: table-cell;
    padding-bottom: 1px;
    padding-left: 1px;
    padding-right: 1px;
    padding-top: 1px;
    text-align: inherit;
    vertical-align: inherit
    }

[Turtle91]

Use Sigil with the preview window open. Open a chapter where the text looks too scrunched in the code view. You should see some "class=" in the opening paragraph tag, eg. <p class="..."> right click on the class and select "go to link or style". That should open up your CSS to the correct style class.

There are two things you can look for that I noticed:
letter-spacing: -0.8px;
font-family: Impact;

I would remove one or both of those and check the preview window to see if that is to your liking.

the negative value in letter-spacing causes the letters to be closer together than normal and the impact font causes a bold/scrunched appearance.

[jlocicero]

I would remove one or both of those and check the preview window to see if that is to your liking.

Thank you very much! I removed the "letter-spacing: -0.8px;" lines, and now it looks so much better.

Thank you again for helping me with this. Now I can enjoy reading the book without so much of my OCD kicking in!

[Turtle91]

Glad it worked!

Cheers,

[jlocicero]

Another question: can you suggest what to add to indent the beginning of paragraphs? I tried "text-indent: 2em" and that didn't seem to work. Or maybe I didn't put it in the right place.

Can you help?

[Turtle91]

Unfortunately when you are working with a file that has been converted using Calibre it is more difficult to determine which class does what...it doesn't use descriptive class names, just numbers.

However the process is the same. Open a chapter and find a normal paragraph that you would like to have indented. Most of those paragraphs SHOULD have the same class. Right click on the <p class="..."> and "go to link or style" you can edit or add "text-indent:1.2em;" there.

However...the styling MAY be overridden by other classes depending on several factors. You would have to really study the Spec to determine the numerical priority it determines....*shudder*...
If the first attempt doesn't cause all your normal paragraphs to indent as you wish, then you can go to the top of your css file (just below all the .calibre styles and find the .p style. (this is really a quite ridiculous name for a class just to define the style of a paragraph: <p class="p">) You can try adding your indent there.

If that still doesn't work, then add your own style to the CSS by defining all paragraphs to have an indent as default.

p {text-indent:1.2em} (notice there is no "." in front of the p)

This SHOULD not effect the other paragraphs that are not supposed to be indented, but YMMV. I can't really tell how the html calls the different classes without seeing the code.

The last thing to think of...or maybe the first thing...does your reading device (kindle) allow you to set the paragraph indent within it's properties?? I know Marvin does - tap the "aA" at the top of an open book and you can select the indent you desire by tapping on the two "Paragraph indent" buttons. That is the easiest place to fix it but it will only apply to that book on that device - it doesn't change the file itself.

[Turtle91]

I was just looking at this again...I'm really bored - can you tell?

I don't think adjusting the .p class (below all the .calibre styles) is going to help you, because it is set to center-align the text...so, you can skip that step.

Cheers,

[jlocicero]

Thank you very much for helping me. I am trying to learn...

But first, what program can I open a .mobi book in? I can open it in Calibre, but only to view. I can't open it in Sigil to edit...

I don't want to be a pain, so if you stop being bored, I understand!

[Turtle91]

You wuld need to use calibre to convert the mobi to epub before you can edit it. Unfortunately calibre doesn't convert books plagued with DRM. You would have to talk to a guy named Apprentice Alf who lives on google street to go any further.

[jlocicero]

Ah, I'm sorry. You were giving me advice on how to adjust the epub version. I thought you were giving me advice on how to fix the mobi version. So yes, I can do what you advised. I'll get back to you once I'm finished!

[Turtle91]

All but the last post was helping you edit the ePub, the last post was letting you know that you can use calibre to change mobi to ePub.

Once you use calibre to convert mobi to ePub then you can do all the editing you desire (within legal copyright bounds of course).

[JSWolf]

Post a small section of the XML code so we can see what class needs the text-indent.

[Toxaris]

Should I be shocked to see that an official ePUB used Calibre for conversions? I am actually.