Is it possible to rotate text in an ePub?

[fredih]

I have a table that has rotated text in one of its columns. I've been searching for possible solutions and the only one that will seem to work it is to use SVG. But as far as I know that wouldn't be compatible with the .mobi format.

I stumbled upon the -epub-text-orientation property here, but I couldn't make it work.

Is there any other way to accomplish what I want to do? I want the eBook to be as cross-compatible as possible.

Thanks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fredih

I have a table that has rotated text in one of its columns. I've been searching for possible solutions and the only one that will seem to work it is to use SVG. But as far as I know that wouldn't be compatible with the .mobi format.

I stumbled upon the -epub-text-orientation property here, but I couldn't make it work.

Is there any other way to accomplish what I want to do? I want the eBook to be as cross-compatible as possible.

Thanks.

You are looking at the specs for ePub 3.1. So -epub-text-orientation won't work. There are ways to rotate text in ePub & KF8. But there is no way to rotate text in Mobi. ePub & KF8 can do it with SVG or an embedded font that's been rotated. So basically, selling this eBook at amazon means you cannot use any of the KF8 only features. Way to go Amazon; create an eBook format that has more advanced features and hinder it with Mobi only features.

Things like this is why Amazon should allow KF8 only eBooks. Mobi is obsolete. When a book is not needing any features that are not available in Mobi, fine, sell a Mobi. But if you need KF8 only features, don't sell a Mobi.

[fredih]

Oh, I see. So I guess I'll have settle for the conventional orientation.

It's pretty unfortunate that Amazon forces authors to use .mobi. In the end, it is only limiting the potential of the eBook market.

Anyway, Thanks for your help.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by fredih

I have a table that has rotated text in one of its columns. I've been searching for possible solutions and the only one that will seem to work it is to use SVG. But as far as I know that wouldn't be compatible with the .mobi format.

I stumbled upon the -epub-text-orientation property here, but I couldn't make it work.

Is there any other way to accomplish what I want to do? I want the eBook to be as cross-compatible as possible.

Thanks.

Actually .mobi pocket created with Kindle Generator is a bundle with .mobi and KF8 inside. So, if your target are Kindle >3 generation, you can use SVG.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

Actually .mobi pocket created with Kindle Generator is a bundle with .mobi and KF8 inside. So, if your target are Kindle >3 generation, you can use SVG.

But the Mobi & KF8 are generated from the same source. So the problem would be that the Mobi would not work properly. So those that buy the Mobi would get an eBook that wasn't correct.

I've been saying that Amazon should allow KF8 only eBooks. Amazon does allow some eBooks that can't be sold for eInk Kindles. So I see no reason not to sell KF8 only eBooks. Mobi is obsolete and it's hindering progress.

[fbrzvnrnd]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But the Mobi & KF8 are generated from the same source. So the problem would be that the Mobi would not work properly. So those that buy the Mobi would get an eBook that wasn't correct.

Yes, but how many people use Kindle pre-kf8?
Maybe I do not feel this problem too much because Amazon began to sell Kindle in Italy only from generation 3 (that supports KF8).

Fabrizio

[jhowell]

Amazon supports the use of media queries to allow the a single e-book to contain formatting specific to multiple Kindle devices. For example, "@media amzn-kf8" and "@media amzn-mobi" can be used to target devices based on the Kindle e-book format that they support. Used in conjunction with "display: none" you can have regular text for older devices and rotated text for newer devices.

Personally I think using rotated text in an e-book would be a mistake. Some devices auto-rotate the screen when the user changes its orientation and the so rotated text would always remain rotated, making it difficult to read.

Large tables are difficult to read on small screens. It is generally better to arrange the table content to be more suited to the limitations of e-reading devices.

[JSWolf]

Media queries are not the solution. Too many people have trouble enough making eBooks without making it more complicated. Using media queries means having to learn two eBook formats. It would just be easier to phase out Mobi.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Media queries are not the solution. Too many people have trouble enough making eBooks without making it more complicated. Using media queries means having to learn two eBook formats. It would just be easier to phase out Mobi.

Media queries are exactly the solution. That's why they exist. You not liking them doesn't change that fact.

[RbnJrg]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

Actually .mobi pocket created with Kindle Generator is a bundle with .mobi and KF8 inside. So, if your target are Kindle >3 generation, you can use SVG.

With .kf8 it's not neccesary to use use SVG. It's better to use the property "transform". For example (for .kf8)

-webkit-transform: rotate(-90deg);

But, why we are talking about Kindle and .kf8 in the epub forum?

[JSWolf]

Because ePub is/was going to be the source format.

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Personally I think using rotated text in an e-book would be a mistake. Some devices auto-rotate the screen when the user changes its orientation and the so rotated text would always remain rotated, making it difficult to read.

Absolutely. How many people owning tablets know they can be locked? I didn't discover this feature until I had to STUDY a book with rotating maps that were set "sideways" on the page. Drove me crazy until I Googled for a solution. Yeah, stupid, but I suspect a majority, perhaps the vast majority, of Fire owners have never tumbled to this.

As for Amazon's catering to Kindle 1, 2, and DX devices, well, that is one of the reasons that Amazon is a greater company than Apple, which obsoletes devices just a few years old. The early Kindles seem to be pretty much eternal, to judge by the prices they get on eBay. I suspect it's formatters who are supporting the market.

[JSWolf]

Tablets are completely different than Readers. A tablet relies on apps and the OS. If the OS cannot be updated than the apps versions will be whatever the last version to run on that OS and if a new version comes out for a newer OS, then you won't be able to use it.

Kindles are similar in that you won't get any new features for the old models. Yes, they can handle Mobi and that's fine. But that's also holding back progress. Amazon should be allowing KF8 only eBooks to be published. There are things that don't work on Mobi that cannot be back ported or won't work well enough.

My Sony Reader PRS-T1 still works and it still allows me to read ePub. But, it's slow and the version of ADE does not have hyphenation. So what that means is that if I was still using the T1, I would have to put up with a screen not as good and missing features that I do want.

But, Amazon is stifling eBooks from using features that would make them better. I've seen ePub that is better formatted and the KF8 version is not as good because the publisher removed things because of Mobi.

[fbrzvnrnd]

And, btw, KF8 is weaker than EPUB3.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by fbrzvnrnd

And, btw, KF8 is weaker than EPUB3.

Not really given how weak ePub 3 support is.