How to remove embeded fonts correctly?

[C4thie]

Hey!
Till now I was using original ebook files from bookstores and I didn't modify them. However lately I realized that many of them are not made in the best quality possible, and some books could definitely look better on my device. I also realized that some of them tend to have errors or for example: in one of recent book I bought one chapter had 1mb (!) and was not divided properly.

So I decided it may be good time to take care of it by myself. To make these ebooks look better on my Kindle & avoid errors, to make it working faster etc, etc.

I already learned how to resize book covers to fit whole screen. I "edit book" in Calibre to fix errors. I edit metadata, use polish function, etc, etc. Then I convert it to AZW3 (for my native language ebooks, to add hyphens, with Hyphenate This! plugin), and KFX for english books.
In AZW3 I also justify text and remove colors in styling tab (because some books was annoying with grey barely visible text).
I also change margin settings, to 0pt in left and right (Page Setup).
And I must admit that these changes already make ebooks look much better than before. And I think indexing works much faster (less battery consumption).

BUT!

I'm wondering about one more thing. Fonts. Those provided by publishers often do not suit me and I prefer to use fonts available on my Kindle.
How to get rid of them safely? Without accidentally damaging the ebook?

As I see, when converting, there's option "fonts" in styling tab. However even when I use it, when I edit ebook (after converting), then I see that fonts wasn't removed. It only removes "font-family" from some css, but not all. However maybe it's enough?
Btw, when I edit book, there's also "Manage fonts" and option to "remove selected fonts" and it actually works - it removes all embeded fonts. But is it safe to do it this way?

Which option should I use? Or maybe both are fine?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by C4thie

BUT!

I'm wondering about one more thing. Fonts. Those provided by publishers often do not suit me and I prefer to use fonts available on my Kindle.
How to get rid of them safely? Without accidentally damaging the ebook?

As I see, when converting, there's option "fonts" in styling tab. However even when I use it, when I edit ebook (after converting), then I see that fonts wasn't removed. It only removes "font-family" from some css, but not all. However maybe it's enough?
Btw, when I edit book, there's also "Manage fonts" and option to "remove selected fonts" and it actually works - it removes all embeded fonts. But is it safe to do it this way?

Which option should I use? Or maybe both are fine?

I deal with fonts manually. I delete the font for the mail text. I'll use the one I prefer. If any of the other fonts are a sans-serif font, I'll remove them and change the font-family to font-family: sans-serif;. If any of the other embedded fonts are a series font, they go without the need for another font to take their place. If any fonts are specialized such as a handwriting font, I'll keep it.

In the CSS, for the fonts I'm deleting, I remove the @font-family and the font-family for those fonts. If there are classes in the CSS that are just for changing the font and I've dumped the font, I'll delete the entire class.

I will also remove unused classes in both the HTML and CSS. Also, when I am done editing the eBook, I will also subset the fonts if there are any remaining.

[C4thie]

It seems to be best way, however it sounds like its time consuming :/

Btw, if I delete all embed fonts from ebook, then does it have any negative effects? Is there any reason not to do this?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by C4thie

It seems to be best way, however it sounds like its time consuming :/

Btw, if I delete all embed fonts from ebook, then does it have any negative effects? Is there any reason not to do this?

There are reasons not to do this. So don't just willy nilly delete embedded fonts. You really do need to check what fonts are embedded and what they are used for.

What I posted may sound like a lot. But once you are used to it, it's very easy and pretty quick.

[retiredbiker]

Using the "delete selected fonts" in the Editor is perfectly safe in the sense that it will not break the book. I mostly deal with quite old texts, so I use it all the time if somebody has tarted them up. Center align and italics is about as complicated as the old stuff gets. But JSWolf is right, some books are designed around different fonts for different effects, and you should be careful about blowing them away without checking.

[C4thie]

Ok, I'll do some tests then and see how it goes Ofc I'll keep original files just in case.

Also what bothers me, and maybe you know how to fix it.
When I open new book then it always set publisher font, ignoring my Kindle settings and I have to change it manualy and then its fine. But I guess it shouldnt work this way

Edit:
I found this thread on reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm...or_sideloaded/
With same problem, but noone replied there :/

Edit2:
Updated to 5.17.1.0.3 and it seems to be fixed

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by retiredbiker

Using the "delete selected fonts" in the Editor is perfectly safe in the sense that it will not break the book. I mostly deal with quite old texts, so I use it all the time if somebody has tarted them up. Center align and italics is about as complicated as the old stuff gets. But JSWolf is right, some books are designed around different fonts for different effects, and you should be careful about blowing them away without checking.

I read the book The Martian by Andy Weir. It has some of the worst fonts you can have for eInk. It had Open Serifs, Open Sans, and Open Mono. All very light weight fonts that look really bad on eInk. I deleted Open Serif, changed Open Sans to sans-serif, and changed Open Mono to monotype. That way, the fonts were good for eInk. I used my choice of body font and the system's sans-serif and monotype.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by C4thie

Ok, I'll do some tests then and see how it goes Ofc I'll keep original files just in case.

Also what bothers me, and maybe you know how to fix it.
When I open new book then it always set publisher font, ignoring my Kindle settings and I have to change it manualy and then its fine. But I guess it shouldnt work this way

Edit:
I found this thread on reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comm...or_sideloaded/
With same problem, but noone replied there :/

Edit2:
Updated to 5.17.1.0.3 and it seems to be fixed

What I do is I have a calibre library for the original eBooks and a library for my edits. That way if I want the original, I have it.

[Dopedangel]

for epubs I use this plugin to remove embedded fonts modify epub

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=154371

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

for epubs I use this plugin to remove embedded fonts modify epub

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=154371

How do you know if you want any of the embedded fonts? I've read some books where some of the embedded fonts were important. A blanket delete them all is not a proper solution.

[C4thie]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How do you know if you want any of the embedded fonts? I've read some books where some of the embedded fonts were important. A blanket delete them all is not a proper solution.

Btw, out of curiosity. If I read with bookerly font, and some ebook have additional fonts which for example imitates handwriting, then am I going to see it? Or do I have to read this book with publisher font set in settings?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by C4thie

Btw, out of curiosity. If I read with bookerly font, and some ebook have additional fonts which for example imitates handwriting, then am I going to see it? Or do I have to read this book with publisher font set in settings?

It works with KFX but not KF8.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What I do is I have a calibre library for the original eBooks and a library for my edits. That way if I want the original, I have it.

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔

Except I now put the original format files with the original file name into the data folder.

I used to keep them in a parallel universe ==>> D:/Calibre/Libraries/<library name>/.extras/<book number>

BR

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How do you know if you want any of the embedded fonts? I've read some books where some of the embedded fonts were important. A blanket delete them all is not a proper solution.

I don't if any books needs different fonts to tell a story is a book I am okay with not reading

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I don't if any books needs different fonts to tell a story is a book I am okay with not reading

Fonts are just a way to voice types of characters or items.
Monospace = olde CRT computer messages
Script = Handwritten
Emoticons

This lack of 'voice' is why I dislike TTS. (My EZReader had this feature)
Almost as bad as one of the Baen Davids reading their work (on a Baen CD).

To each their own.