Custom fonts in ebooks

[webroot]

This may be a question of personal preference but still If we try to explore how good it is to customize the fonts using CSS styles, From somewhere I got to learn that Serif is the best font for reading or long time reading, even the kindle formatting lays out strict guidelines on why not change the normal fonts.

Despite that some publishers insist on having an customized fonts for their EPUB ebooks, they may embed custom fonts or try to do it using CSS alone. I understand that having a custom fonts maybe required for particular ebooks type such as children s book or fixed layout epubs, and probably some non-English ebooks do not render well with default fonts.

Other than that do you think its worth having custom fonts, while reading do you override customized fonts from your device/app setting or allow reading them as is?

[meeera]

I strip embedded fonts and override specified fonts.

[Ripplinger]

Same as meeera, I remove all embedded fonts and set my reader to override with what's comfortable for my eyes, which is a bolder serif font.

[webroot]

if that is majority in that case webkit browser based ebook readers (device or app ) may not stand out agajnst plain old ebook readers. looks like ebook readers should not be fancy but many developers are trying to make.

[GeoffR]

I leave the publisher's embedded fonts in the book, but I usually override it with my choice of font on the device.

I like the books where the publisher has used an ornate embedded font for things like chapter headings, scene break ornaments, etc. If it is done right then I can override the font used for the main text but still see the pubisher's fonts used in those places.

Edit: Screenshots from a book where the publisher has got it right: First shot shows the book with the font set to document default, chapter heading and main text are rendered in the publisher's embedded fonts; the second with it set to Georgia, the publisher's font remains for chapter headings etc. but the reader's choice overrides the font used for the main text.

[webroot]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I leave the publisher's embedded fonts in the book, but I usually override it with my choice of font on the device.

I like the books where the publisher has used an ornate embedded font for things like chapter headings, scene break ornaments, etc. If it is done right then I can override the font used for the main text but still see the pubisher's fonts used in those places.

Edit: Screenshots from a book where the publisher has got it right: First shot shows the book with the font set to document default, the second with it set to Georgia. The publisher's font remains for chapter headings etc. but the reader can choose the font to use for the main text.

Nice explanation! I guess these fonted heading imparts magical effect while reading quite similar to images and there is no place for a custom font to be inside paragraphs.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by webroot

Nice explanation! I guess these fonted heading imparts magical effect while reading quite similar to images and there is no place for a custom font to be inside paragraphs.

I like the embedded font used for the paragraph text too, it suits the fantasy setting of this book, but I find the plainer Georgia more comfortable for extended periods of reading.

[webroot]

so maybe it is due to individuals font preferences, to me second font with georgia is bit difficult to read.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by webroot

so maybe it is due to individuals font preferences, to me second font with georgia is bit difficult to read.

Yes, individual preference of course. If the publisher has done it right then the main text can be overriden with whatever font the individual reader prefers if they don't like the publisher's choice.

But if the publisher tries to force the main text to always use the publisher's font then the result is that the reader will just strip all the fonts, and then the ornate headings etc. will be lost as well.

[webroot]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Yes, individual preference of course. If the publisher has done it right then the main text can be overriden with whatever font the individual reader prefers if they don't like the publisher's choice.

But if the publisher tries to force the main text to always use the publisher's font then the result is that the reader will just strip all the fonts, and then the ornate headings etc. will be lost as well.

"publisher done that right" what do you mean by that? can you please explain.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by webroot

"publisher done that right" what do you mean by that? can you please explain.

There has to be a way for the ereader device to know what is a paragraph, what is a heading, etc., otherwise it can't reliably override just the paragraph text without also overriding the header and other things.

The publisher doesn't have to do any thing special, they just need to use header elements (<h1>, <h2> etc.) for their headers, use paragraph elements <p> for pararaphs, etc.

Some publishers use <p> for both headers and paragraphs, or use <div> instead of <p> for paragraphs.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I leave the publisher's embedded fonts in the book, but I usually override it with my choice of font on the device.

I like the books where the publisher has used an ornate embedded font for things like chapter headings, scene break ornaments, etc. If it is done right then I can override the font used for the main text but still see the pubisher's fonts used in those places.

I read a lot of Star Trek eBooks and the publisher does embed fonts to give it a look like the paper version. I leave all of the fonts except the body font. I replace that with the font of my choice. I am find for any fonts used in the chapter title, sub headings, raised initial cap, etc. I just prefer a different font then the one the publisher has chosen to embed.

But, now that I have an H2O, I might try the publisher's choice of body font since I can change the line height and the weight of the font. With my T1, I had to take the font as is and it was too light. With Kobo Readers, you can patch the firmware to allow the advanced font control and it even works for the default embedded font.

[dwig]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I leave the publisher's embedded fonts in the book, but I usually override it with my choice of font on the device. I usually use the reader's options to do this, but occasionally have to recompile the ebook (re-convert with different options, manally edit CSS, ...) to make it comfortable to read.

I like the books where the publisher has used an ornate embedded font for things like chapter headings, scene break ornaments, etc. If it is done right then I can override the font used for the main text but still see the pubisher's fonts used in those places.

Edit: Screenshots from a book where the publisher has got it right: First shot shows the book with the font set to document default, chapter heading and main text are rendered in the publisher's embedded fonts; the second with it set to Georgia, the publisher's font remains for chapter headings etc. but the reader's choice overrides the font used for the main text.

I agree. I almost always prefer to select the body text's font and text attributes that work best with the device in hand.

In the examples, I much prefer the left-hand example. The right-hand is too dense looking and needs more leading (aka "line spacing",...) to compensate the font's larger x-height. But that is based on viewing the screen shots on a large monitor. The only true test is done by viewing on the actual device being used.

[Barty]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Screenshots from a book where the publisher has got it right: First shot shows the book with the font set to document default, chapter heading and main text are rendered in the publisher's embedded fonts; the second with it set to Georgia, the publisher's font remains for chapter headings etc. but the reader's choice overrides the font used for the main text.

I'm curious: which reader are you using that lets you override the paragraph font while keeping the header font? It's usually all or nothing.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Barty

I'm curious: which reader are you using that lets you override the paragraph font while keeping the header font? It's usually all or nothing.

Kobo Glo, although all Kobo e-ink devices do the same (assuming the publisher hasn't done something dumb like using a paragraph element for the header.)