Sunrise for Sony Reader planned? - Page 2

Bob Russell · 10-01-2006, 01:39 PM

That's great Scotty! I really look forward to seeing that. Hopefully it will be easy enough to use that all of us can figure it out.

Sorry to hear about the Reader holdup. Hopefully it will be in your possession soon. I'm still waiting for mine also, but it's getting closer.

Laurens · 10-10-2006, 04:23 PM

*bump*

I'm going to explore the problem of converting HTML to a good-looking paginated layout over the next few weeks. I just bought a Sony Reader from geekraver and am awaiting its arrival. Luckily, there are several good Java libraries for creating PDF documents, so that should speed things up considerably. I'll keep you posted.

Bob Russell · 10-10-2006, 04:46 PM

Wonderful!! I really think that something like this will increase the attractiveness of the Reader a lot. If we're lucky, it sounds like we might even end up with more than one nice tool to choose from!

Slava · 10-10-2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

I'm going to explore the problem of converting HTML to a good-looking paginated layout over the next few weeks. I just bought a Sony Reader from geekraver and am awaiting its arrival. Luckily, there are several good Java libraries for creating PDF documents, so that should speed things up considerably. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you, Laurens! I was going to ask today if there will be version for Sony reader

Also if you can add option to embed fonts with PDF, it would be great. This is the only way now, to display non-english characters on Reader.

Alexander Turcic · 10-11-2006, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

*bump*

I'm going to explore the problem of converting HTML to a good-looking paginated layout over the next few weeks. I just bought a Sony Reader from geekraver and am awaiting its arrival. Luckily, there are several good Java libraries for creating PDF documents, so that should speed things up considerably. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks Laurens!!

Laurens · 11-12-2006, 02:16 PM

*bump*

Well, I have explored the PDF option exhaustively over the past two weekends (using HTMLDOC and iText) and have to conclude that PDF is not the way to go.

The main deal-breaker for me is that PDF text looks too faint and "skinny" on the Reader display, especially with serif fonts. I tried many font and weight combinations (regular, bold, semi-bold) and can't find a really satisfying setting.

LRF files, OTOH, look great, so that's the option I'm going to explore next. Hopefully Sony will release the proper BBeB specs soon.

Bob Russell · 11-12-2006, 03:10 PM

That's awesome! Both that you are still looking at Sunrise for the Reader, and also that you are leaning away from pdf... not a favorite format for me... and towards BBeB, which is not exactly a favorite format either, but it seems to be supported very well on the Reader as it's "bread and butter" format.

NatCh · 11-12-2006, 08:16 PM

I tried printing a Baen RTF file into the Librie' Printer today, with very mixed results. The pix showed up, but they were all quite small, and I couldn't get it to fill the page.

I had to quit after only a couple of tries, but it looks like you should not lower the page size, and you should bump the font size.

The EditLRFMetaGui app works a treat though. It let me edit the title/author/etc. painlessly.

ath · 11-13-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

The main deal-breaker for me is that PDF text looks too faint and "skinny" on the Reader display, especially with serif fonts. I tried many font and weight combinations (regular, bold, semi-bold) and can't find a really satisfying setting.

Have you looked at typefaces designed for small size or low resolution? Normal faces are usualy designed for 10-12 pts on paper, and don't necessarily work in lower resolution or contrast.

I've been using the Adobe typefaces in the 'Caption' optical size. This is designed for 6-8 pts size on paper, and so is both cleaner and wider than larger designed sizes when set in 11-12pt size. Add to that a sturdy typeface (I like Utopia), and it seems to work fairly well. (Adobe Garamond Premier is blacker than their older Garamonds, and also seems to do.)

I've not tried them on Sony Reader, though -- only the iLiad.

Laurens · 11-13-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ath

Have you looked at typefaces designed for small size or low resolution? Normal faces are usualy designed for 10-12 pts on paper, and don't necessarily work in lower resolution or contrast.

I tried dozens of fonts, but basically they all come out too faint. It looks similar to bare, non-antialiased fonts on the desktop. I'm pretty sure font-smoothing is not really possible with just 4 shades of gray. Maybe the Iliad has better PDF text rendering because it offers 16 shades? Anyway, BBeB text rendering is just noticeably better.

Laurens · 11-13-2006, 03:18 PM

Well, what do you know? Just got an e-mail from Sony about their "beta developer program". It says they'll (snail)mail me the "tools and documentation to create BBeB content".

NatCh · 11-13-2006, 03:23 PM

And you are a most excellent choice to bestow this power upon, Laurens, given that you're already developing content in an organized way.

Bob Russell · 11-13-2006, 03:39 PM

How awesome is that!?!! I am really thrilled to hear it!

kahm · 11-13-2006, 03:53 PM

Fantastic! Sounds like a program I will have to check out...

Incidently, lrf output also helps out Librie owners more than PDF output would. (My Librie is in the mail, but I'm pretty sure they still don't support PDF natively...)

igorsk · 11-13-2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

Well, what do you know? Just got an e-mail from Sony about their "beta developer program". It says they'll (snail)mail me the "tools and documentation to create BBeB content".

Why didn't I get one -_-.

11-12-2006, 02:16 PM	#21
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	PDF no go bump Well, I have explored the PDF option exhaustively over the past two weekends (using HTMLDOC and iText) and have to conclude that PDF is not the way to go. The main deal-breaker for me is that PDF text looks too faint and "skinny" on the Reader display, especially with serif fonts. I tried many font and weight combinations (regular, bold, semi-bold) and can't find a really satisfying setting. LRF files, OTOH, look great, so that's the option I'm going to explore next. Hopefully Sony will release the proper BBeB specs soon.

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10-01-2006, 01:39 PM	#16
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	That's great Scotty! I really look forward to seeing that. Hopefully it will be easy enough to use that all of us can figure it out. Sorry to hear about the Reader holdup. Hopefully it will be in your possession soon. I'm still waiting for mine also, but it's getting closer.

10-10-2006, 04:23 PM	#17
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	bump I'm going to explore the problem of converting HTML to a good-looking paginated layout over the next few weeks. I just bought a Sony Reader from geekraver and am awaiting its arrival. Luckily, there are several good Java libraries for creating PDF documents, so that should speed things up considerably. I'll keep you posted.

10-10-2006, 04:46 PM	#18
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Wonderful!! I really think that something like this will increase the attractiveness of the Reader a lot. If we're lucky, it sounds like we might even end up with more than one nice tool to choose from!

11-12-2006, 03:10 PM	#22
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	That's awesome! Both that you are still looking at Sunrise for the Reader, and also that you are leaning away from pdf... not a favorite format for me... and towards BBeB, which is not exactly a favorite format either, but it seems to be supported very well on the Reader as it's "bread and butter" format.

11-12-2006, 08:16 PM	#23
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I tried printing a Baen RTF file into the Librie' Printer today, with very mixed results. The pix showed up, but they were all quite small, and I couldn't get it to fill the page. I had to quit after only a couple of tries, but it looks like you should not lower the page size, and you should bump the font size. The EditLRFMetaGui app works a treat though. It let me edit the title/author/etc. painlessly.

11-13-2006, 03:18 PM	#26
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	Well, what do you know? Just got an e-mail from Sony about their "beta developer program". It says they'll (snail)mail me the "tools and documentation to create BBeB content".

11-13-2006, 03:23 PM	#27
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	And you are a most excellent choice to bestow this power upon, Laurens, given that you're already developing content in an organized way.

11-13-2006, 03:39 PM	#28
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	How awesome is that!?!! I am really thrilled to hear it!

11-13-2006, 03:53 PM	#29
kahm Member Posts: 18 Karma: 54 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Device: 505/Librie/Zaurus/iPhone	Fantastic! Sounds like a program I will have to check out... Incidently, lrf output also helps out Librie owners more than PDF output would. (My Librie is in the mail, but I'm pretty sure they still don't support PDF natively...)

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