My suggestions on getting the device to look blacker.

Sunspark · 12-03-2009, 11:26 PM

After much hammering away I have gotten the device into a pretty legible state for textfiles anyway, the font "Corbel Bold" looks pretty good on it.. I'll try others too, but try that one out. Most of you have it already because it's bundled with Microsoft Office, and the newer MS OSes. The TTF version.

Ok, so technology issues that lower our contrast..

1) The screen has a matte spray on top of it.. the purpose of this is to prevent glossy shine. I think it may not be necessary because my blackberry has a glossy screen and reflections have never been a problem with it. Also, matte is a light diffractor and monitors that are glossy have darker blacks than matte coated monitors. The glossy monitors are "contrastier". I think someone will need to experiment with a glossy e-ink screen at some point. As evidence for diffraction, when I tilt the screen at an angle to my eyes, the text gets darker. Not a readable angle, but it does get a touch darker which I believe demonstrates light scattering.

2) Redraw speed of the screen.. Robert, can you help with this one? I am thinking that the controller in the PP is a touch too fast with the black flash.. I would actually like to experiment with it being a touch slower. I know that sounds mad, but here is something you can try for yourself.. fill up a screen with some page, preferably with a fat thick large font (we're just testing here) and press the menu button several times without doing anything.. just pressing the button.. now look at the screen.. the words that were "under" the menu window that was popping up and down are now darker than the surrounding words.. so my theory is that because we're sending charge to that area more than once, it has a chance to attract more black particles. Which makes the text in that small area look blacker.. so I'm thinking that if the black flash could be slowed down a touch on page turns, that the contrast of all letters would immediately get a bit darker.. this is something that could be done in software as an option for people who don't mind a slower page turn in exchange for darker pixels.. what do you think?

jusmee · 12-03-2009, 11:30 PM

It isn't a problem if they use a font that is black, not grey.

ThomasMcKean · 12-04-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

1) The screen has a matte spray on top of it.. the purpose of this is to prevent glossy shine. I think it may not be necessary because my blackberry has a glossy screen and reflections have never been a problem with it.

This is incorrect. The matte is indeed necessary. The difference between the PP and the blackberry is that the blackberry has a backlight. If it did not have one, yew would not be able to see much on it because of the glare.

A backlight makes all the difference without the matte.

Sunspark · 12-04-2009, 12:41 AM

Nah, I had a Handspring Visor (Palm IIIe essentially) and it had a gloss screen (a sheet of plastic essentially on top of the actual surface).. it had a backlight but you only used it for emergencies.. the rest of the time it was a (trans?)flective LCD. Downsides of it was the plastic got scratched.. I should try to buff it out someday.. and the other being the 160x160 resolution. But yup, you can do stuff without a backlight on an LCD.. My MacBook, you can use it in the direct sunlight with it's glossy screen if you turn the backlight off because the light shines through to the LCD.

But I don't want to get into that.. I want blacker text on our PPs! And I am most curious at the moment to know if it's possible to slow down the black flash.. unless of course the issue actually is that it's one of the greyscales? What if I want to turn off the greyscale function entirely.. ? There's bitmap fonts that can be stuffed into a TTF.. I don't "need" the AA if it means making things lighter.

jusmee · 12-04-2009, 12:43 AM

I repeat, the fonts are plenty black enough, as long as you don't choose the grey ones. If the font is coloured grey, you simply can't make it black.

ThomasMcKean · 12-04-2009, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

Nah, I had a Handspring Visor (Palm IIIe essentially) and it had a gloss screen (a sheet of plastic essentially on top of the actual surface).. it had a backlight but you only used it for emergencies.. the rest of the time it was a (trans?)flective LCD. Downsides of it was the plastic got scratched.. I should try to buff it out someday.. and the other being the 160x160 resolution. But yup, you can do stuff without a backlight on an LCD.. My MacBook, you can use it in the direct sunlight with it's glossy screen if you turn the backlight off because the light shines through to the LCD.

I also had a Handspring VISOR. I even had the extra memory cartridge yew plugged into the top. Hated that thing. Eventually gave it away.

No regrets.

Sunspark · 12-04-2009, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jusmee

I repeat, the fonts are plenty black enough, as long as you don't choose the grey ones. If the font is coloured grey, you simply can't make it black.

I was testing with textfiles & saw that it is possible to a limited extent. I am unsure as to whether this is a result of more black particles arriving or software not having turned AA back on for that area. But it was visibly darker to me.

omro · 12-04-2009, 08:55 AM

Try using the arial font over the times, it seems darker to me in documents

omro · 12-04-2009, 02:39 PM

Anyone noticed that the USB Connection dialog that comes up when you plug it into the computer is really dark text compared to the rest of the system text displayed?

jusmee · 12-04-2009, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

I was testing with textfiles & saw that it is possible to a limited extent. I am unsure as to whether this is a result of more black particles arriving or software not having turned AA back on for that area. But it was visibly darker to me.

This is an 8 level greyscale device, and the font appears to be coloured grey, not black. No need to seek obscure technical reasons involving black particles

omro · 12-07-2009, 11:45 AM

I would agree there is a software element here, as some fonts definitely look darker than others and there are system elements which are much darker than others. See the about screen and the connected to the computer screen. These have very dark text elements.

Feedbooks has the ability to create custom PDFs and some of their fonts definitely look darker than the system renders the same book in epub format.

Patricia · 12-07-2009, 11:48 AM

Try setting the chosen font to bold.

Dave_S · 12-07-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

But I don't want to get into that.. I want blacker text on our PPs!

You want blacker text, then use a blacker font. I use liberation sans in CoolReader, and that seems to be a really dark font compared to the built in fonts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

And I am most curious at the moment to know if it's possible to slow down the black flash.. unless of course the issue actually is that it's one of the greyscales?

Why slow down something that is already too slow for some people, especially since all it is doing is erasing the previous page before writing a new page?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

What if I want to turn off the greyscale function entirely.. ?

Then use a bi-level font with without anti-aliasing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunspark

There's bitmap fonts that can be stuffed into a TTF.. I don't "need" the AA if it means making things lighter.

There you go!!

omro · 12-07-2009, 12:45 PM

Which is all fine once it's possible to get the PP to tell ePubs to render in a different font.

Dave_S · 12-07-2009, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by omro

Which is all fine once it's possible to get the PP to tell ePubs to render in a different font.

I do not use EPUB on the PocketPRO due to brain dead EPUB renderer, but an EPUB book can use embedded fonts, so it should be possible with ADE if you embed the font that you want? Otherwise the only choice seems to be to wait for a *possible* update to ADE, since the hardware just renders the fonts the way they are designed.
If you use CoolReader you can can just create a /fonts folder and install all the fonts that you want. I buy books in whatever format is the lowest cost at the time and then convert them to EPUB and FB2. I read EPUB using OpenInkpot and FBReader on my V3 and FB2 with the LBook firmware and CoolReader on the V5 (PocketPRO).

12-03-2009, 11:26 PM	#1
Sunspark Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 2600 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: EZ Reader Pocket PRO	My suggestions on getting the device to look blacker. After much hammering away I have gotten the device into a pretty legible state for textfiles anyway, the font "Corbel Bold" looks pretty good on it.. I'll try others too, but try that one out. Most of you have it already because it's bundled with Microsoft Office, and the newer MS OSes. The TTF version. Ok, so technology issues that lower our contrast.. 1) The screen has a matte spray on top of it.. the purpose of this is to prevent glossy shine. I think it may not be necessary because my blackberry has a glossy screen and reflections have never been a problem with it. Also, matte is a light diffractor and monitors that are glossy have darker blacks than matte coated monitors. The glossy monitors are "contrastier". I think someone will need to experiment with a glossy e-ink screen at some point. As evidence for diffraction, when I tilt the screen at an angle to my eyes, the text gets darker. Not a readable angle, but it does get a touch darker which I believe demonstrates light scattering. 2) Redraw speed of the screen.. Robert, can you help with this one? I am thinking that the controller in the PP is a touch too fast with the black flash.. I would actually like to experiment with it being a touch slower. I know that sounds mad, but here is something you can try for yourself.. fill up a screen with some page, preferably with a fat thick large font (we're just testing here) and press the menu button several times without doing anything.. just pressing the button.. now look at the screen.. the words that were "under" the menu window that was popping up and down are now darker than the surrounding words.. so my theory is that because we're sending charge to that area more than once, it has a chance to attract more black particles. Which makes the text in that small area look blacker.. so I'm thinking that if the black flash could be slowed down a touch on page turns, that the contrast of all letters would immediately get a bit darker.. this is something that could be done in software as an option for people who don't mind a slower page turn in exchange for darker pixels.. what do you think?

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12-03-2009, 11:30 PM	#2
jusmee Wizard Posts: 1,047 Karma: 203682 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Libre 2	It isn't a problem if they use a font that is black, not grey.

12-04-2009, 12:41 AM	#4
Sunspark Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 2600 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: EZ Reader Pocket PRO	Nah, I had a Handspring Visor (Palm IIIe essentially) and it had a gloss screen (a sheet of plastic essentially on top of the actual surface).. it had a backlight but you only used it for emergencies.. the rest of the time it was a (trans?)flective LCD. Downsides of it was the plastic got scratched.. I should try to buff it out someday.. and the other being the 160x160 resolution. But yup, you can do stuff without a backlight on an LCD.. My MacBook, you can use it in the direct sunlight with it's glossy screen if you turn the backlight off because the light shines through to the LCD. But I don't want to get into that.. I want blacker text on our PPs! And I am most curious at the moment to know if it's possible to slow down the black flash.. unless of course the issue actually is that it's one of the greyscales? What if I want to turn off the greyscale function entirely.. ? There's bitmap fonts that can be stuffed into a TTF.. I don't "need" the AA if it means making things lighter.

12-04-2009, 12:43 AM	#5
jusmee Wizard Posts: 1,047 Karma: 203682 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Libre 2	I repeat, the fonts are plenty black enough, as long as you don't choose the grey ones. If the font is coloured grey, you simply can't make it black.

12-04-2009, 08:55 AM	#8
omro Addict Posts: 373 Karma: 452000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hamilton, On Device: Kobo Aura HD	Try using the arial font over the times, it seems darker to me in documents

12-04-2009, 02:39 PM	#9
omro Addict Posts: 373 Karma: 452000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hamilton, On Device: Kobo Aura HD	Anyone noticed that the USB Connection dialog that comes up when you plug it into the computer is really dark text compared to the rest of the system text displayed?

12-07-2009, 11:45 AM	#11
omro Addict Posts: 373 Karma: 452000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hamilton, On Device: Kobo Aura HD	I would agree there is a software element here, as some fonts definitely look darker than others and there are system elements which are much darker than others. See the about screen and the connected to the computer screen. These have very dark text elements. Feedbooks has the ability to create custom PDFs and some of their fonts definitely look darker than the system renders the same book in epub format.

12-07-2009, 11:48 AM	#12
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Try setting the chosen font to bold.

12-07-2009, 12:45 PM	#14
omro Addict Posts: 373 Karma: 452000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hamilton, On Device: Kobo Aura HD	Which is all fine once it's possible to get the PP to tell ePubs to render in a different font.

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