How to change font size?

[Mike L]

Can anyone give me a simple step-by-step instruction for increasing the size of the text in an ebook?

I have a book in Kindle / Mobi format, the text of which is a couple of points smaller than in I would like. I know I can change the size on the Kindle itself, but that would affect all the books on the device; I'd have to constantly reset the size every time I go into or out of this particular book.

I imported the book into Calibre, then went to Convert Individually / Look and Feel. The resulting dialogue asks for "base font size" (which is preset to zero) and "font size key" (which is blank).

My problem is that I don't know what to enter into those fields.

I'm not worried about rescaling all the fonts throughout the book. I just want to make the body text a couple of points larger.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Mike L

Can anyone give me a simple step-by-step instruction for increasing the size of the text in an ebook?

I have a book in Kindle / Mobi format, the text of which is a couple of points smaller than in I would like. I know I can change the size on the Kindle itself, but that would affect all the books on the device; I'd have to constantly reset the size every time I go into or out of this particular book.

I imported the book into Calibre, then went to Convert Individually / Look and Feel. The resulting dialogue asks for "base font size" (which is preset to zero) and "font size key" (which is blank).

My problem is that I don't know what to enter into those fields.

I'm not worried about rescaling all the fonts throughout the book. I just want to make the body text a couple of points larger.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hover your mouse over the field area for tips.
I use base 18
the wizard button gives more info and options.
basically, when the CSS calls for the use of xx-small the first key value gets used. xx-large, the last value. you can elect to be non-liniear on the values in between

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Mike L

I'm not worried about rescaling all the fonts throughout the book. I just want to make the body text a couple of points larger.

I have older eyes and I change all of my books to

Base Font Size: 16pt.
Font size key: 16,16,16,16,17.5,17.5,18,18

The fourth 16 in font size key should match the base font other than that you can adjust the rest as you like.

[cybmole]

but why not leave the book as-is & use the e-reader device font options ???

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by cybmole

but why not leave the book as-is & use the e-reader device font options ???

My Sony 505 only had 3 scaling options and leaving things at 12 just wasn't an option for my older eyes. Moving the default from 12 to 16 gave me two levels that I could easily read. So far I have avoided needing reading glasses to read my ereader.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cybmole

but why not leave the book as-is & use the e-reader device font options ???

My PEz has 5 settings.
I tweak the cont-size: in the calibre (sometimes calibre3) selector in the CSS to 1.2em (was 1em), I still use font zoom 3 on my PEz (that appears to be about the same size as my DT copy)

[ThR]

I started using xx-small,x-small,small,medium,large,x-large,xx-large as font-size-definitions instead of using "hard-coded" font-sizes with numbers or "em"-definitions (manual in sigil). As result, I have epubs which I can use on verious device using the standard internal possibilites of the devices for displaying the books in various font-sizes without side-effects.

Add question: Is it possible to use this font-size-difinitions within calibre conversion?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ThR

I started using xx-small,x-small,small,medium,large,x-large,xx-large as font-size-definitions instead of using "hard-coded" font-sizes with numbers or "em"-definitions (manual in sigil).

This discussion is talking about calibre's font scaling. This discussion does not include any "hard-coded" font-sizes.
Using:
Base font size 12pt
Font size key 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 24, 36

Would be the same as using:
Base font size Medium
Font KeySize xx-small, x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large

Originally Posted by ThR

As result, I have epubs which I can use on verious device using the standard internal possibilites of the devices for displaying the books in various font-sizes without side-effects.

You have the same end result of virtually every ePub coming out of a conversion using calibre (whether you use font scaling or not).

I suppose a book could be hard coded with un-scalable font sizes but I haven't run across one in over 8500 conversions. There are no side effects of using the above listed Base font key and Font size key except to have fonts the way you want them to be. They are still scalable on every device.

Originally Posted by ThR

Add question: Is it possible to use this font-size-difinitions within calibre conversion?

I don't know if you can list the actual words vice the numbers but there is zero need for this ability. Read up in the manual on this feature.

[ThR]

@Walt
Thank you für clearifying. I will give it a try. I dit it manually until now, because calibre shows 8 font-sizes (standard setting) and there are only 7 keywords.

With "hard-coded" I meant using font sizes in pt. I'd made tests with ebooks using pt for font-size in one book and the key-words in another version of this book: the books were looking different after using the readers ability to show the text larger or smaller. And - the books were shown more identical on different devices with different screen sizes with the keywords for font-size as with using font-size in pt or em.

For me, the results were better using the keywords instead of using pt or em. But that may be a personal predilection.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ThR

@Walt Thank you für clearifying. I will give it a try. I dit it manually until now, because calibre shows 8 font-sizes (standard setting) and there are only 7 keywords.

That confuses me too. I used the big chart down at the bottom of this page as a guide for my post.

Originally Posted by ThR

With "hard-coded" I meant using font sizes in pt.

I knew what you meant, I have never seen a book formatted that way. It certainly would prevent font scaling on most devices from working if they were formatted that way.

Originally Posted by ThR

For me, the results were better using the keywords instead of using pt or em.

em is completely scalable and seems to be the measure of choice for ebooks. Read this page for a explanation between pt, px, em and percentage.

[ThR]

Thank you for the links, Walt. The second I've read before (on another site in german). But after reading the first - I think I have to overthink my strategy of font-sizing. ;-)

[Mike L]

Thanks to all of you who replied. All very interesting and helpful.

Originally Posted by dwanthny

I have older eyes and I change all of my books to

Base Font Size: 16pt.
Font size key: 16,16,16,16,17.5,17.5,18,18

I followed your advice, Walt, and it worked perfectly. Many thanks.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by cybmole

but why not leave the book as-is & use the e-reader device font options ???

Because that's a global option, and I only want to change one book.

If I only read one book at a time, I would do as you suggested. But I tend to have two or three on the go, and I didn't want to have to keep switching font size every time I go into the particular book that has the small type.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Mike L

Because that's a global option, and I only want to change one book.

If I only read one book at a time, I would do as you suggested. But I tend to have two or three on the go, and I didn't want to have to keep switching font size every time I go into the particular book that has the small type.

I believe that option is one of the per/book option that shows the default on the first conversion, and then the "last used" from then on.

Conversion Preference setings = starting point.
Per book conversion settings = override and are saved
Restore button on the book conversion screen, erases remebered settings and grabs the current Preferences.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

That confuses me too. I used the big chart down at the bottom of this page as a guide for my post.

( the context above is how do 8 values in font size key map to only seven descriptive values )

so I read the whole thread & the link.

is the 8th value of font size key irrelevant/ ignored , as the majority view is value 7 maps to xx-large.

can anyone give an example of the 8th number affecting a conversion please ?