View/use consistent actual font size

[Tawn]

When adjusting font size in reading settings, there's a slider and +/-
Is it possible to see the actual size set (e.g. 14px)? I generally leave the font at publisher default, but the size sometimes varies from one book to another and there should be an easy way to precisely reset it without trial/view/readjust.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Tawn

When adjusting font size in reading settings, there's a slider and +/-
Is it possible to see the actual size set (e.g. 14px)? I generally leave the font at publisher default, but the size sometimes varies from one book to another and there should be an easy way to precisely reset it without trial/view/readjust.

Yes, the size does vary because of the CSS used in the different eBooks. The best way to fix this is to load the eBook into the editor and check the CSS for any font size that would need to remove. But before you do that, go to Tools > Remove unused CCS rules to remove CSS that's not used. Now check for the font size and for the main text, it should not have a font size.

This way, all eBooks will be at the same font size when reading ePub. If you are reading KePub, then you'll find the font size to be very much smaller. There is a patch to make ePub & KePub be the same size on the slider.

[graycyn]

What I would really like to see Kobo do is display a NUMBER over EVERY SLIDER that corresponds to the adjustment made. I don't care if the number has any actual meaning in terms of points or em or px, in fact, percent, like they do for the brightness slider would be JUST FINE.

It would be oh-so-handy to be able to select a number that is close to what I generally read at, then fine adjust from there. My eyes are touchy, and get tired easily, so I need to fiddle with font size frequently.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by graycyn

What I would really like to see Kobo do is display a NUMBER over EVERY SLIDER that corresponds to the adjustment made. I don't care if the number has any actual meaning in terms of points or em or px, in fact, percent, like they do for the brightness slider would be JUST FINE.

It would be oh-so-handy to be able to select a number that is close to what I generally read at, then fine adjust from there. My eyes are touchy, and get tired easily, so I need to fiddle with font size frequently.

I don't think showing numbers would do any good since the sliders have no idea what the CSS in the ebook will do to the font size for instance. Unless every epub you read has exactly the same font sizes specified, any relationship between those numbers and what you see on screen will change with the CSS.

One recent book I was reading used 0.789em as the default font size (defined in the body and everywhere else (p, div, blockquote, etc.). The header tags were the only place that a different font size was specified and even that was relative to the body definition. I corrected this by a hack and slash job on the CSS but that's not an option most people would use.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I don't think showing numbers would do any good since the sliders have no idea what the CSS in the ebook will do to the font size for instance. Unless every epub you read has exactly the same font sizes specified, any relationship between those numbers and what you see on screen will change with the CSS.

One recent book I was reading used 0.789em as the default font size (defined in the body and everywhere else (p, div, blockquote, etc.). The header tags were the only place that a different font size was specified and even that was relative to the body definition. I corrected this by a hack and slash job on the CSS but that's not an option most people would use.

It would help where font size is either not specified or set at 1.00em/100%. Which is not THAT uncommon, I'm seeing that in many of my purchased ebooks, though not all.

Even with an oddball default font size, once discovering which number was right for reading in daylight on a title, I could then adjust my font larger at night for dark mode, but then easily be able to go back to my daylight setting the next morning. I have a good head for remembering numbers!

One can only hope that publishers will eventually make better ebooks, with more universal defaults for things like margin and font-size. I've got a library book now that's irritating me, because, when I wanted to read it last night with dark mode and the much larger text I need with that, I couldn't set left alignment on it. Ugh.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by graycyn

One can only hope that publishers will eventually make better ebooks, with more universal defaults for things like margin and font-size. I've got a library book now that's irritating me, because, when I wanted to read it last night with dark mode and the much larger text I need with that, I couldn't set left alignment on it. Ugh.

It's easy to say that the default font size should be 1em and no default text alignment be specified but hoping that this will become common practice? My personal belief is that is extremely unlikely to happen. The big publishers don't use their inhouse stylesheets consistently and for independently published ebooks, any consistency is purely coincidental.

OTOH, a bit of practice with an epub editor and you can develop a workflow that allows you to fix most epubs with a minimal amount of time spent.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by graycyn

It would help where font size is either not specified or set at 1.00em/100%. Which is not THAT uncommon, I'm seeing that in many of my purchased ebooks, though not all.

Even with an oddball default font size, once discovering which number was right for reading in daylight on a title, I could then adjust my font larger at night for dark mode, but then easily be able to go back to my daylight setting the next morning. I have a good head for remembering numbers!

One can only hope that publishers will eventually make better ebooks, with more universal defaults for things like margin and font-size. I've got a library book now that's irritating me, because, when I wanted to read it last night with dark mode and the much larger text I need with that, I couldn't set left alignment on it. Ugh.

Think you are asking for something different to what we all thought. And something that doesn't match the example you gave with the light level. You sound like you are asking to be able to enter the actual value in a field somehow. Which, personally, I would find useless and a bit painful. For all of theses, including the light level, I just adjust to what feels comfortable at the time. That does mean that sometimes I use a slightly larger or smaller relative font size.

I will disagree on the number of books that I see with something other that 1em (or nothing specified) as the font size. I think that well over 50% of the books I see from the stores are like that. I assume that when I open a book purchased from Kobo that I will need to adjust the font.

And for my curiosity, you say you are adjusting the font for Dark Mode. How much? I don't use DarkMode but I occasionally read with a larger font when tired, but, that is always done by tapping the right arrow once or twice. You make it sound like you are using a significantly larger font size in Dark Mode so are tapping somewhere on the bar.

[Tawn]

Originally Posted by DNSB

It's easy to say that the default font size should be 1em...

...which would be the sensible thing to set it at (and what sensible websites do). I assumed that kobo was overriding the css with the font size slider. Just as it must be doing with the font if not using publisher default. Then a point on the slider would correspond to a specific css unit, just like the light brightness shows an actual percentage number (e.g. 5%) rather than just a dot on a line. If the slider does not correspond to a specific css unit, then how does it work?

Originally Posted by DNSB

OTOH, a bit of practice with an epub editor and you can develop a workflow that allows you to fix most epubs with a minimal amount of time spent.

I mostly read (public) library books; AFAIK they cannot be edited. I haven't used kepub frequently, but maybe that's actually the biggest problem. I'll pay attention to if that's the case, and if so, perhaps consider using the patch.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Tawn

...which would be the sensible thing to set it at (and what sensible websites do). I assumed that kobo was overriding the css with the font size slider. Just as it must be doing with the font if not using publisher default. Then a point on the slider would correspond to a specific css unit, just like the light brightness shows an actual percentage number (e.g. 5%) rather than just a dot on a line. If the slider does not correspond to a specific css unit, then how does it work?


I mostly read (public) library books; AFAIK they cannot be edited. I haven't used kepub frequently, but maybe that's actually the biggest problem. I'll pay attention to if that's the case, and if so, perhaps consider using the patch.

Not quite right. The slider does not override the CSS set values, instead it is modifying them. That is a specific setting does not set a fixed font size but rather supplies a multiplier for the ebook's defined font size. Kobo very rarely disregards the ebook's values unless you are into patching the firmware. You can notice this with the right/left margins where you can increase the margin above the CSS set value but you can not decrease it below that value.

So if the font size slider is set to 25 (you can see those numbers in the Kobo eReader.conf file in the .kobo/Kobo directory under the [Reading] header as the ReadingFontSize value) and the ebook CSS is set to 1em/100%, the effective font size would be 25. If the ebook CSS sets 0.875em, the effective font size would be 21.875.

And yes, there are a lot of websites and ebooks that feel other default values are sensible.

[MGlitch]

Also it’s possible to edit library books through the same process you would go through to edit other books with DRM. Though some feel this is out of bounds for the tools since you don’t own even a license to the book rather you’re renting the license for free. Of course you should remove the book in the given time period of what your library allows.

Not looking to debate the morals or ethics of this, merely pointing out it is a thing which can be done. Do so or do not do so as you wish.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Think you are asking for something different to what we all thought. And something that doesn't match the example you gave with the light level. You sound like you are asking to be able to enter the actual value in a field somehow. Which, personally, I would find useless and a bit painful. For all of theses, including the light level, I just adjust to what feels comfortable at the time. That does mean that sometimes I use a slightly larger or smaller relative font size.

I will disagree on the number of books that I see with something other that 1em (or nothing specified) as the font size. I think that well over 50% of the books I see from the stores are like that. I assume that when I open a book purchased from Kobo that I will need to adjust the font.

And for my curiosity, you say you are adjusting the font for Dark Mode. How much? I don't use DarkMode but I occasionally read with a larger font when tired, but, that is always done by tapping the right arrow once or twice. You make it sound like you are using a significantly larger font size in Dark Mode so are tapping somewhere on the bar.

Nope, not asking to enter a value in a field. Would just like to see a number like the brightness slider has for a better reference.

I could also wish we could adjust font by, say, sliding a finger on the right side of the screen, like we can for the front light on the left side. Be nice not to have to go into the font menu at AT ALL!

That's a feature I'd happily cough up extra money for in a reader!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by graycyn

Nope, not asking to enter a value in a field. Would just like to see a number like the brightness slider has for a better reference.

I just don't see the point. The page is rendered as I change the font settings. I tap the slider until it looks like what I want. Same goes for the brightness. There are plenty of threads discussing what level of light to use. My attitude is "whatever is needed at that time".

I could also wish we could adjust font by, say, sliding a finger on the right side of the screen, like we can for the front light on the left side. Be nice not to have to go into the font menu at AT ALL!

One of the devices did support using two fingers and pinch, but, I think that was removed. Again, it's one of those things that I get surprised by. I don't change the font settings enough for it to worry me. Usually it is once per book. And then only if I haven't edited the book to clean up the code. Needing to set the font can be a trigger for that as it can mean other issues.

For the light it is different. I change it frequently and it basically depend on the lighting conditions for where I am reading.

That's a feature I'd happily cough up extra money for in a reader!

Then make sure you tell them. This is not an official Kobo support forum. There are no Kobo people here in any official way. You should assume that they will not see anything posted here.

[Deobulakenyo]

It would be awesome to have the current light slider on the left side of the screen then the right side slide for the font size

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Deobulakenyo

It would be awesome to have the current light slider on the left side of the screen then the right side slide for the font size

I'd hate that. I turn off the left slider. I don't find it a big deal to set font size, nor do my grandchildren.

[Sirtel]

I never use any sliders either, because of fingerprints. As a rule I try to keep my fingers off the screen entirely. I hate fingerprints on the screens of my ereaders.

As to the font size, I edit my books. So I select a font size when setting up a new reader and that's it. There's no need to adjust it, as all the books have the same base font size