formatting issues

pvdbogaard · 06-19-2012, 07:55 AM

Downloaded a technical book. In all three formats (pdf, epub, mobi).

PDF at 100% character size give a result as it should be (in my view). However the fonts is a bit small. Using 125% or higher and the tables look distorted. It is not clear anymore which text belongs to what column/row.
This does not change when changing the orientation from vertical to horizontal (longest side as top of page)

MOBI is absolutely unworkable when dealing with tables. Text from cells and rows flows as one very loooong sentence.

epub; using Coolreader: There is a notion of columns, however this is far from neatly formatted.
Using fbreader: one long sentence like in mobi
Using pdf reader: with 100% character size a two column display is selected. Not enough space for the tables, making them unreadable. At larger font size it is more or less like using Coolreader.

I used the above on my laptop with Amazon Kindle reader software. The mobi looks perfect.
I used the above epub on the laptop with a epub reader plugin in Firefox: perfect.
Adobe PDF with Preview (laptop is a Mac): perfect

The above makes me believe the implementation of the readers in the Onyx is far from perfect when it comes to handling documents of this nature. Is there anything I can do about these layout issues?

Currently also using this on an ipad. Here it is as on the laptop. However I love the e-ink screen ....

pvdbogaard · 06-21-2012, 08:50 AM

just loaded some PDFs to read. Reading a small letter can be done, but with the docs loaded the character quality used is far from good. Is it possible to install another PDF reader, or can I tackle this issue by adding fonts?

When I compare the font quality to how these docs are displayed on my wifes iPad3 I am not getting a positive feeling...

Hope you can help, since I have only 1 day left or testing out the Onyx M92. Right now with all these reading quality issues I am not certain I like it enough to keep it...

Find this a bit sad, since the E-ink screen is so much better than that backlit display used on tablets. Silently hoping that this M92 can be used as kind of external display for the ipad when it comes to ereading functionality.

MatthiasR. · 06-21-2012, 09:03 AM

Hi,

I read a lot of technical stuff (A4 or similar) and papers (sometimes 2 columns).
Normally, hiding the margin does the trick for me (see zoom options).
Reflowing - that is what you do, when you change the font size - works okay for text only imho. Tables and images are placed anywhere, which is not acceptable (but this is the cost for using pdf).

If zooming does not help, you can try font embolding under tools. Level 1 still works for most texts, from level 2 the characters (at normal zooming level) get adjoined.

Hope I could help.

Matthias

pvdbogaard · 06-21-2012, 10:00 AM

Thanks for your answer. Tried the "hide margin" but bot really succesfull. Not sure why you call an inability to handle tables and images "the cost for using pdf" The display on the ipad is fantastic. If an ipad can deal with pdf, why shouldn't an ereader be able to deal with it? I do not mind the screen flicker, nor the lack of color.
I do not find any option "font embolding" Using 20120607 firmware. Would I be better of downgrading to an earlier font?

MatthiasR. · 06-21-2012, 11:53 AM

Hi,

why does "hide margin" not work for you? Did you try manually specifying the area you want to view with the "selection zoom" or the "zoom by two points"?

Actually it is called "glyph embolden" and not "font embolden". You can find this option under the menu tools (open some pdf --> press home button --> tools --> glyph embolden).

My remark considered reflowing of pdfs in general and not only the reflow of the M92's pdf reader. I am currently not aware of any software being able to handle pdf reflow consistently good. I guess you don't reflow on an ipad but zoom and scroll more interactively?

regards

pvdbogaard · 06-21-2012, 12:12 PM

The hide margin does work, however it not the solution for my problem. It seems to be a font drawing issue. Not sure if the pdf files include the font data they use, or if the renderer tries to map it to the fonts on the ereader.
The doc I try to read can be found at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/da...up-1593252.pdf

MatthiasR. · 06-21-2012, 12:38 PM

Just checked the pdf on my M92 with fw 20120224.
Imho, the pdf is shown as it should be. Considering table 1 on page 9 I did only notice that the caption "TABLE 1 : SUMMARY OF MEASURED ZFS-BASED BACKUP AND RESTORE PERFORMANCE" is drawn very lightly, but still readable. Choosing glyph embolden level 1, everything looks nice and perfectly readable. The font of the text is imho the same as when shown using pdf x-change viewer and adobe pdf on windows.

Sorry, I guess I cannot help you.

pvdbogaard · 06-21-2012, 02:02 PM

Thanks for the trouble, Matthias. I am wondering if it is "just" the firmware (assuming this includes the Linux installation with the apps installed)?

I have set the margins per your advise. Keeping level 0 for the glyph gives a more overall impression of sharpness, although too many character become very thin on one or more sides (top and bottom of the 'o'; left part of the 'A'; etc). This thinness is reduces when going to level 2 for the glyph setting, but it takes a little bit of sharpness away.

Starting on page 7 the left margin is almost perfect to the uttermost left of the display. Switching to the next page: ok; switching to again the next page and there is a margin (this is the table 1 page). Now going back and the previous page also has a margin. Back ones more and the margin is gone, an the letters seem to be a tiny bit larger with more interline space.
Continuing forward, the page with Figre 4 on it uses the full width of the display again, after which the above seems to start again.

Do you experience the same irregularities?

MatthiasR. · 06-21-2012, 04:26 PM

Indeed, I experience the same behavior. That's weird. I guess this depends on when the pdf reader / firmware calculates the actual borders. I noticed that hide margin does not work perfect on all pdfs, as sometimes even small parts of the text are cutoff. As a workaround I then set the zoom by myself (selection or 2 point zoom, or even just 150%/175%).
Wonder what might cause this erratic behavior. Next time I find a pdf for which hide margin does cutoff parts, I'll write a bug track for it (see https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Boox_M92_wishlist ).

06-19-2012, 07:55 AM	#1
pvdbogaard Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Onyx M92	formatting issues Downloaded a technical book. In all three formats (pdf, epub, mobi). PDF at 100% character size give a result as it should be (in my view). However the fonts is a bit small. Using 125% or higher and the tables look distorted. It is not clear anymore which text belongs to what column/row. This does not change when changing the orientation from vertical to horizontal (longest side as top of page) MOBI is absolutely unworkable when dealing with tables. Text from cells and rows flows as one very loooong sentence. epub; using Coolreader: There is a notion of columns, however this is far from neatly formatted. Using fbreader: one long sentence like in mobi Using pdf reader: with 100% character size a two column display is selected. Not enough space for the tables, making them unreadable. At larger font size it is more or less like using Coolreader. I used the above on my laptop with Amazon Kindle reader software. The mobi looks perfect. I used the above epub on the laptop with a epub reader plugin in Firefox: perfect. Adobe PDF with Preview (laptop is a Mac): perfect The above makes me believe the implementation of the readers in the Onyx is far from perfect when it comes to handling documents of this nature. Is there anything I can do about these layout issues? Currently also using this on an ipad. Here it is as on the laptop. However I love the e-ink screen ....

06-21-2012, 12:38 PM	#7
MatthiasR. M92 user Posts: 27 Karma: 12002 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Germany Device: Onyx M92	Just checked the pdf on my M92 with fw 20120224. Imho, the pdf is shown as it should be. Considering table 1 on page 9 I did only notice that the caption "TABLE 1 : SUMMARY OF MEASURED ZFS-BASED BACKUP AND RESTORE PERFORMANCE" is drawn very lightly, but still readable. Choosing glyph embolden level 1, everything looks nice and perfectly readable. The font of the text is imho the same as when shown using pdf x-change viewer and adobe pdf on windows. Sorry, I guess I cannot help you. Last edited by MatthiasR.; 06-21-2012 at 12:45 PM. Reason: spelling..

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Some formatting issues with ePub...	CTgreen	Conversion	10	05-08-2012 01:38 PM
iPad formatting issues	Mygrrls	Calibre	11	03-25-2012 05:48 AM
Formatting issues	solloron1	Kindle Formats	5	04-12-2011 02:01 PM
PDB formatting issues	Guido Henkel	Calibre	8	02-11-2010 10:12 PM
PDF to RTF-formatting issues	Rick C	Workshop	3	03-20-2008 10:04 AM

06-21-2012, 08:50 AM	#2
pvdbogaard Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Onyx M92	just loaded some PDFs to read. Reading a small letter can be done, but with the docs loaded the character quality used is far from good. Is it possible to install another PDF reader, or can I tackle this issue by adding fonts? When I compare the font quality to how these docs are displayed on my wifes iPad3 I am not getting a positive feeling... Hope you can help, since I have only 1 day left or testing out the Onyx M92. Right now with all these reading quality issues I am not certain I like it enough to keep it... Find this a bit sad, since the E-ink screen is so much better than that backlit display used on tablets. Silently hoping that this M92 can be used as kind of external display for the ipad when it comes to ereading functionality.

06-21-2012, 09:03 AM	#3
MatthiasR. M92 user Posts: 27 Karma: 12002 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Germany Device: Onyx M92	Hi, I read a lot of technical stuff (A4 or similar) and papers (sometimes 2 columns). Normally, hiding the margin does the trick for me (see zoom options). Reflowing - that is what you do, when you change the font size - works okay for text only imho. Tables and images are placed anywhere, which is not acceptable (but this is the cost for using pdf). If zooming does not help, you can try font embolding under tools. Level 1 still works for most texts, from level 2 the characters (at normal zooming level) get adjoined. Hope I could help. Matthias

06-21-2012, 10:00 AM	#4
pvdbogaard Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Onyx M92	Thanks for your answer. Tried the "hide margin" but bot really succesfull. Not sure why you call an inability to handle tables and images "the cost for using pdf" The display on the ipad is fantastic. If an ipad can deal with pdf, why shouldn't an ereader be able to deal with it? I do not mind the screen flicker, nor the lack of color. I do not find any option "font embolding" Using 20120607 firmware. Would I be better of downgrading to an earlier font?

06-21-2012, 11:53 AM	#5
MatthiasR. M92 user Posts: 27 Karma: 12002 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Germany Device: Onyx M92	Hi, why does "hide margin" not work for you? Did you try manually specifying the area you want to view with the "selection zoom" or the "zoom by two points"? Actually it is called "glyph embolden" and not "font embolden". You can find this option under the menu tools (open some pdf --> press home button --> tools --> glyph embolden). My remark considered reflowing of pdfs in general and not only the reflow of the M92's pdf reader. I am currently not aware of any software being able to handle pdf reflow consistently good. I guess you don't reflow on an ipad but zoom and scroll more interactively? regards

06-21-2012, 12:12 PM	#6
pvdbogaard Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Onyx M92	The hide margin does work, however it not the solution for my problem. It seems to be a font drawing issue. Not sure if the pdf files include the font data they use, or if the renderer tries to map it to the fonts on the ereader. The doc I try to read can be found at http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/da...up-1593252.pdf

06-21-2012, 02:02 PM	#8
pvdbogaard Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: Onyx M92	Thanks for the trouble, Matthias. I am wondering if it is "just" the firmware (assuming this includes the Linux installation with the apps installed)? I have set the margins per your advise. Keeping level 0 for the glyph gives a more overall impression of sharpness, although too many character become very thin on one or more sides (top and bottom of the 'o'; left part of the 'A'; etc). This thinness is reduces when going to level 2 for the glyph setting, but it takes a little bit of sharpness away. Starting on page 7 the left margin is almost perfect to the uttermost left of the display. Switching to the next page: ok; switching to again the next page and there is a margin (this is the table 1 page). Now going back and the previous page also has a margin. Back ones more and the margin is gone, an the letters seem to be a tiny bit larger with more interline space. Continuing forward, the page with Figre 4 on it uses the full width of the display again, after which the above seems to start again. Do you experience the same irregularities?

06-21-2012, 04:26 PM	#9
MatthiasR. M92 user Posts: 27 Karma: 12002 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Germany Device: Onyx M92	Indeed, I experience the same behavior. That's weird. I guess this depends on when the pdf reader / firmware calculates the actual borders. I noticed that hide margin does not work perfect on all pdfs, as sometimes even small parts of the text are cutoff. As a workaround I then set the zoom by myself (selection or 2 point zoom, or even just 150%/175%). Wonder what might cause this erratic behavior. Next time I find a pdf for which hide margin does cutoff parts, I'll write a bug track for it (see https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Boox_M92_wishlist ).

Advert

Advert