Kobo File Formats

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The solution to the glyph issue is to install at least one glyph heavy font such as ChareInk and if you do come across a missing glyph, switch the font.

Easier solution, I can just read on a Kindle. Fortunately, Calibre with Extended Driver + kobo works just as well.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One reason KePub is slightly fast is because of less text on screen because of the forced overly large line height needed to avoid the top/bottom lines being cut off. This is a long standing bug in KePub.

But, I can't decide if it is funny because you can't possibly know or prove that, or that the fact that the minimum configurable line spacing on an untampered with device is exactly the same for both formats.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by John F

Which is a non-issue? If you get your kepubs from Kobo, they will most likely be correct, and if you are side loading kepubs, Calibre will get it correct.

I use Calibre for side loading, and I don't recall having any problems with footnotes.

Which is pretty much a fluke. Or means that Kobo have improved the footnote link detection algorithm.

Nothing in the process of converting a book to kepub (driver or conversion plugin) changes anything about the footnote links. If you are editing the books and fixing them, that's good. Hopefully book creators are doing a better job of this, so hopefully we will see less issues over time. And if they create epub3 with the correct coding for footnotes, then it should work all the time.

[John F]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Which is pretty much a fluke. Or means that Kobo have improved the footnote link detection algorithm.

Nothing in the process of converting a book to kepub (driver or conversion plugin) changes anything about the footnote links. If you are editing the books and fixing them, that's good. Hopefully book creators are doing a better job of this, so hopefully we will see less issues over time. And if they create epub3 with the correct coding for footnotes, then it should work all the time.

Thanks for the correction.

The only editing I do is image compression and remove unused CSS rules.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One reason KePub is slightly fast is because of less text on screen because of the forced overly large line height needed to avoid the top/bottom lines being cut off. . .

Nope. I don't use ultra-small line-heights, my line-height is exactly the same with both epub and kepub. Yes, I prefer epub, but it's pretty noticeable that kepubs are faster.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The solution to the glyph issue is to install at least one glyph heavy font such as ChareInk and if you do come across a missing glyph, switch the font.

Jon, I would not describe Charis SIL as a glyph heavy font. It does have support for Latin and Cyrillic but, as an example, it's Greek font support is very limited and other languages are unsupported. SIL's Gentium font has better coverage for Greek but the only SIL font that I would call glyph heavy would be SIL Unicode BMP Fallback which covers all of Unicode 6.1. However displaying a square box with the hex code for the glyph is not exactly useful for normal reading.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Jon, I would not describe Charis SIL as a glyph heavy font. It does have support for Latin and Cyrillic but, as an example, it's Greek font support is very limited and other languages are unsupported. SIL's Gentium font has better coverage for Greek but the only SIL font that I would call glyph heavy would be SIL Unicode BMP Fallback which covers all of Unicode 6.1. However displaying a square box with the hex code for the glyph is not exactly useful for normal reading.

Of all the eBooks I've read using ChareInk / Charis SIL, I'e never had an issue with a missing glyph.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Of all the eBooks I've read using ChareInk / Charis SIL, I'e never had an issue with a missing glyph.

Whereas I have run into several books that used glyphs that were not available. One series where the author loved posting quotes in Latin and Greek was a PITA to read using Charis SIL.

For instance: ἀνέχου καὶ ἀπέχου⁠—Ἐπίκτητος

Bear and forbear, endure and renounce, persist and resist. The first is likely the closest to a literal translation.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Whereas I have run into several books that used glyphs that were not available. One series where the author loved posting quotes in Latin and Greek was a PITA to read using Charis SIL.

For instance: ἀνέχου καὶ ἀπέχου⁠—Ἐπίκτητος

Bear and forbear, endure and renounce, persist and resist. The first is likely the closest to a literal translation.

No problem with that Greek line using ChareInk. But, ChareInk is made from Charsil SIL v5.0. Maybe the issue you had with Charis SIL was with an earlier version and that's been fixed since.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No problem with that Greek line using ChareInk. But, ChareInk is made from Charsil SIL v5.0. Maybe the issue you had with Charis SIL was with an earlier version and that's been fixed since.

The version is Charis 5.00, July 19, 2016.

I've attached sample screenshots of 4 languages using two fonts. Notice the differences in the glyphs displayed. Yes, it works much better if I use kepub since that will replace missing glyphs from those in other fonts. However, epub does let you see what a font supports.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No problem with that Greek line using ChareInk. But, ChareInk is made from Charsil SIL v5.0. Maybe the issue you had with Charis SIL was with an earlier version and that's been fixed since.

I added that Epictetus quote to the Greek language page. Oddly, I would disagree with you that it views well with Charis SIL v5.0. See the attached screenshots.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by John F

Does kepub still make it easier to tap on footnotes? I use to have a very hard time tapping on footnotes with epubs.

I can't recall the last time I read a book with footnotes, so I couldn't say.

[JSWolf]

@DNSB, I see what you mean about the glyphs. But I would think embedded fonts would be used for ePub where those sorts of glyphs are in the book.

[gavinjb]

Thanks for all the help, room for thought, going to be doing some testing of a few complex books I am converting from Kindle, but am leaning towards ePub now.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

@DNSB, I see what you mean about the glyphs. But I would think embedded fonts would be used for ePub where those sorts of glyphs are in the book.

Unfortunately(?), the author did not embed fonts. Basically, as long as he could see them on his computer and his iPad, he didn't realize that there might be an issue with viewing them on an ereader since his iPad was happy enough.