RE: Zipping/Mimetype/?

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by grumbles

The key issue with the mimetype file is that it must be the first file and it must be added as stored, not compressed. The easiest way to do this is with the command line (info)zip program. Create the file first by adding the mimetype file with compression 0 (store). Then append all the other files to this zip file with the compression factor of your choice. But the mimetype, must be the first file and it must be stored. I don't know if using WinRAR or other programs will maintain the position of the mimetype as the first. The infozip program does.

I've been planning on writing a program to specifically zip up a directory tree into an epub file. I'll get to it real soon now. I just need to find a cross-pltform zip library for Free Pascal. As I said, real soon now.

Actually this is not the problem here. The ePUB must be made invalid to make make the conversion with KDP possible with internal fonts.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Actually this is not the problem here. The ePUB must be made invalid to make make the conversion with KDP possible with internal fonts.

Yes. Which we've stopped doing, as it gives me ulcers. I mean...deliberately uploading a book that you know is an invalid source file...that's crazy and asking for long-term trouble. We did it for two, as we could find no viable alternative and we had a hard deadline, but now we're just slogging through alternative fonts. Which brings me to today's update:

UPDATE:

More fonts that do NOT WORK, that

1. Were truetypes, not Open Types;
2. We received no warnings in KG/KPreviewer while building the files;
3. Papyrus (not a word, graphic designer folks--it wasn't my choice) and Licinia Aged, a papyrus alternative.
4. Only part of the fontset would display (for example, numbers, but not letters; and some of the letters, but not all);
5. We finally replaced it successfully with Plato Medium TTF.
6. Interestingly, one of them--and after all the hours yesterday, I no longer remember which one--did display, as though it was working fully, at the KDP-Previewer, but when the Preview mobi generated was downloaded, again, half the characters had disappeared, from the Fire View/Devices.
7. So the KDP-Previewer is still buggy, BEWARE, fellow book-makers and publishers. Don't trust it, not at all.
8. The fonts did display on Paperwhite, in full, but I suspect that expecting every purchaser to happen to have a Paperwhite is a bit of a gamble.

Question, although this is slightly OT, and I know that this is venturing somewhat into "mobi" range, but I'm still not 100% sure that this isn't a compression (specific to the font files) or mimetype issue vis-a-vis Sigil: does anyone here know a really great font guy/gal? Preferably a serious font designer, or someone with a foundry background? Or a font geek, who is very tecchy? I'd like to consult with someone on those fonts we know are not functioning, to see if I can discover any commonality in a way that I wouldn't know to look for. Feel free to PM me, if you don't want to post names/contact info.

Sorry to ask this here, but a) it's a continuation of the topic, and b) the more-tecchie hang here, and I'm hoping someone here either is or knows someone suitable to consult on the (possibly causative) qualities of fonts.

Thanks,
Hitch