PRS-350 Any 350 user knows how to display traditional Chinese characters?

[E-Cafe]

Hi,

I have recently purchased the Sony PRS-350 and I have finished reading several books on it with pleasant. Now I am having trouble to read books in traditional Chinese but I am not sure if it has something to do with my e-reader, Calibre or PRS+. I am wondering if someone can help me to resolve the problem as one of my reasons to get this e-reader is for reading Chinese novel/poetry on the go.

First of all, this is the background of my e-reader:
Sony PRS-350 with the latest firmware 1.0.00.14080
Calibre 0.8.34
PRS+ 2.0.17rc3

I am trying to convert some Traditional Chinese document from Word in Calibre using utf-8 encoding.

I tried saving the WORD document as ".RTF" files. It looks fine in Calibre but it showed up as squares on my PRS-350.

Since I am able to read Traditional Chinese PDF which I had previously downloaded from the "E-Books" forum, I tried to convert my Word Document to PDF through Calibre. I am then able to read the first 10 pages of the file on the PRS-350 and the rest of the book are empty pages. (Then I did a search here and found this old thread "https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133920" but I do not know how to add 仿宋 (fongsong) in OpenOffice).

Then I have also tried converting to EPUB, MOBI, ....... they all display well in Calibre but not the 350. I also tried installing and removing PRS+ but the problem persists. (then I found this thread "https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64510&page=99#1480" about adding fonts for the 900. I tried to understand from this old thread about "mounting Chinese fonts" on 350 but I am completely confused as the discussion was for different model(s) of Sony e-reader(s). Also, some "script" files are no longer available for download).

Does someone have experience with or know how to reading Traditional Chinese on PRS-350? The fact that the converted files read fine in Calibre but not the 350 really troubles me! Is there something I did wrong with the Calibre conversion? I am okay to save the file in PDF so the Traditional Chinese fonts are embedded in the file. Or is it something I need to with PRS+ to make the Chinese display properly? I would greatly appreciate if someone can shed me some light on this issue! I really like this e-reader and right now this is the only (BIG) complaint.

Thanks in advance.

[seajewel]

I'm not sure if it works for Chinese characters, but if you load fonts on to the PRS-350 and use a CSS style sheet pointing to those fonts, and the fonts include chinese characters, they should display in the book. This works for Korean characters for me, but because it does not change the menu font, only the epub fonts, book titles and such in the menu still display as squares.

[seajewel]

Originally Posted by seajewel

I'm not sure if it works for Chinese characters, but if you load fonts on to the PRS-350 and use a CSS style sheet pointing to those fonts, and the fonts include chinese characters, they should display in the book. This works for Korean characters for me, but because it does not change the menu font, only the epub fonts, book titles and such in the menu still display as squares.

Wanted to add: you don't need to change the style sheet of the epub itself, I mean the css file stored in the Reader itself that you can choose via PRS settings.

see this site:

http://code.google.com/p/prs-plus/wiki/InstallGuide

[E-Cafe]

Hi seajewel,

Thanks for your suggestion but I still am not certain about how to add/load fonts onto the PRS-350. Would you mind to educate me what is a CSS style sheet?

I have also read the site (http://code.google.com/p/prs-plus/wiki/InstallGuide) but aren't those instructions for Sony e-reader PRS-505? Do they apply for PRS-350 as well? I am afraid of bricking my e-reader.

Also, I am still puzzled by being able to read Traditional Chinese on the first ten pages of the e-books but not the rest. If it is a problem of the font, why would the Chinese characters display properly on the first ten pages?

[Mark Nord]

Originally Posted by E-Cafe

Hi seajewel,

Thanks for your suggestion but I still am not certain about how to add/load fonts onto the PRS-350. Would you mind to educate me what is a CSS style sheet?

Use the search feature for more information. In general the CSS file is holding format-information and is solely used by epub-format

I have also read the site (http://code.google.com/p/prs-plus/wiki/InstallGuide) but aren't those instructions for Sony e-reader PRS-505? Do they apply for PRS-350 as well? I am afraid of bricking my e-reader.

It is still valid for all pre-T1 models.
Puting additional fonts (to be used with epub's) is simply creating a folder in the reader InternalMemory (IM). This is the removeable drive - named READER - shown in your File-Browser when connecting your PRS+650 to USB, and copying some *.ttf or *.otf fonts into.

Also, I am still puzzled by being able to read Traditional Chinese on the first ten pages of the e-books but not the rest. If it is a problem of the font, why would the Chinese characters display properly on the first ten pages?

As neither the stock-fonts, nor the enhanced fonts provided with the various CustomFirmWares (CFW) support chinese glyphs, only formats with embedded fonts will show up correct. (This should be true for PDF and EPUB, both with embedded fonts).
And because this font-files are rather huge, this may lead to memory-problems, as not showing pages higher then xy.

If you are familar with linux and shell-scripts you may try to use the "mount --bind" trick, to replace the build in system fonts.
After that you should be able to read UTF-8 encoded Text-files.

Another way would be to convert your texts to epub with calibre and
A) embed the font -> files will become bigger
B) copy the neede *.ttf file onto the reader and reference it in the CSS file.

See this post of kartu here

please note: when you place your *.ttf file in a folder /fonts/<yourfile.ttf> in IM
then the CSS reference will be src: url(res:///Data/fonts/<yourfile.ttf>;

[E-Cafe]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply and information. Before I started this post, I had done a search for post of related topics. However, the posts I had found were either dated with missing attachment files, or for different Sony e-readers with warning on potential harm on other models, or unresolved. I have yet to find a post with definite solution.

I have read through these threads but they are for different models and required special procedure for flashing that particular models:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...00&postcount=2

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=28447&page=18

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66102

The listed threads are for PRS-X05 and PRS-X00.

I am still confused why my PDF files created in Calibre only displaying embedded Traditional Chinese properly on the firs 10 pages.

I have previously downloaded this PDF file (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26938) and I have completed reading all 1292 pages without any problem. All Traditional Chinese characters displayed fine on all pages. And there was no memory problem or freezing.

I have played around in Calibre extensively but I have yet to successfully creating a working PDF with embedded Traditional Chinese. I have found from trial-and-error that if I first convert my e-books to "*.rtf" files in Calibre, then convert the "*.rtf" to "*.pdf" in OpenOffice, then I have no problem displaying Traditional Chinese on all pages on my PRS-350.

However, this process takes a lot of time, especially if I decide to convert all my Chinese books and documents. So if possible, I'd rather have them in EPUB and using enhanced fonts which supports Traditional Chinese.

If someone has the edited CSS file (*.ttf) for displaying Traditional Chinese, would you please share with me and post it here? Thank you for your help.

[Analogus]

E-Cafe:

When you find a solution and/or propriate fonts let us know. I could add the fonts/CSS to my collection of font packages (http://erhartc.bplaced.net/ereader/index.php).

Did some research but trying to read chinese epubs leads in crashing the reader-application.

A.

[E-Cafe]

Analogus,

Originally Posted by Analogus

E-Cafe:

When you find a solution and/or propriate fonts let us know.

A.

I would not mind to post it here if I had the enhanced fonts. So far I just convert the file through Calibre then OpenOffice as posted in #6. But this "solution" doesn't display filename in Traditional Chinese.

Thanks for your collection of font packages. Keep us update if you have acquired new font package.

E-Cafe

[bookmeal]

I was searching for tons of eReader that can read trad. Chinese. Actually I have spoken to Sony representative online regarding that, and they said their eReader cannot read Chinese.

So far, I know benQ nReader, and iriver can read Chinese, without hacking.


edit: there's also a brand called Greenbook, but I don't suggest, the screen get broken easily, and they don't cover screen on their warrantly. The price of getting fix is almost the same as buying a new one. I used to have one, and then also find several user online with the same frustration.

[Analogus]

Success!

I think I have a ready made solution for reading chinese ebooks (EPUB). Try to use this package from my website:
Chinese Font Package

Try it out and give feedback cause I don't understand chinese and don't have more than one chinese ebook to test it out.

How to install? Use the link in my signature.

A.

[E-Cafe]

Analogus,

I really appreciate the help you offered and the page you created for custom font packages for E-PUB files for the PRS-X50 readers! Thank you very much.

I am very excited to report that I have downloaded the Chinese Font Package (DroidSansFallback) from your website and I am able to read Traditional Chinese E-PUB files smoothly!! I have only tried it with few E-PUB files and they all work!

I followed the instruction to put the font package on the 350. Then I just go to "Settings > PRS+ Settings > Book Viewer > User EPUB Style (CSS File) " and checked "DroidSansFallback.css". After rebooting the reader, I am able to read the Chinese E-PUB.

I notice while at the Home screen & Books screen, the names of the ebooks are shown as rectangles rather than proper Chinese characters. Do you observe the same thing with your Chinese ebook? Or is there any settings I need to adjust in PRS+?

I really recommend your Font Package website to people with PRS-X50 readers. I also think it deserves to be a sticky!

Thanks again and Happy Chinese New Year!!

[Analogus]

Thank you for the 'flowers'!

Good to hear that the package is working fine in other ebooks.
Besides: it's not neccesary to restart the reader (just if you install the the fonts for TXT, RTF & LRF).
The names of the books cannot displayed in chinese until you alter the system-fonts. I was not able to provide functional fonts in chinese for the interface of the reader. Maybe in near future.

A.

[JOHNLIN]

I just bought T2. Not sure if your way works? Your suggestion?
Thanks in advance.