Force sans serif on Kindle apps and devices

[scruffs]

Rather than bother with custom fonts, I'd like to force Kindle apps and Kindle devices to open a book in sans serif rather than a serif font.

The trick must be in CSS fallback, but pointers would be appreciated. Tests I have tried have worked in KP3 but failed once uploaded to KDP.

THX chaps

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by scruffs

Rather than bother with custom fonts, I'd like to force Kindle apps and Kindle devices to open a book in sans serif rather than a serif font.

The trick must be in CSS fallback, but pointers would be appreciated. Tests I have tried have worked in KP3 but failed once uploaded to KDP.

THX chaps

Just pick a sans serif from the font list and you'll be reading with sans-serif.

[scruffs]

Thanks JSW - you are always first with a response!

What I wanted to do was ensure that san-serif is displayed when the book is opened (rather than the serif default. iBooks as well, so in CSS I have:

font-family: sans-serif, "Helvetica", "San Francisco";

Will that do it? It seems to revert back to the serif default when I publish.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by scruffs

Thanks JSW - you are always first with a response!

What I wanted to do was ensure that san-serif is displayed when the book is opened (rather than the serif default. iBooks as well, so in CSS I have:

font-family: sans-serif, "Helvetica", "San Francisco";

Will that do it? It seems to revert back to the serif default when I publish.

You want to force your readers to read with sans-serif, regardless of their preferences?

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You want to force your readers to read with sans-serif, regardless of their preferences?

As a reader, I would hate that.

[scruffs]

Users can always select a different font, as they can now. So they can override.

But telling a book designer to use the same fonts is like telling motor manufacturers to make all their cars the same colour.

So, for clarity, I am looking to override the (awful) serif default.

[Sirtel]

It's a bad idea and will annoy your readers for sure. The best practice is not to define the body font in the css at all and leave the font choice in the hands of your readers. You can define the font used in headlines or in specific parts of text (like a letter, for example). But don't force your general font preference on your readers, it will only irritate them.

[hobnail]

Don't forget to add a lovely background color to all of the pages by using some css on the body tag.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by scruffs

Thanks JSW - you are always first with a response!

What I wanted to do was ensure that san-serif is displayed when the book is opened (rather than the serif default. iBooks as well, so in CSS I have:

font-family: sans-serif, "Helvetica", "San Francisco";

Will that do it? It seems to revert back to the serif default when I publish.

The the body style, you can use...

  font-family: sans-serif;

But that uses the default sans-serif font.

Can this be overridden on older Kindles such as the K2, DX, K3, K4, Kindle Touch all with significantly older firmware?

Also, when I see an eBook that is set to use a sans-serif font, I think that whoever made it hasn't a clue.

[scruffs]

Thanks, JSW! I know it is the default sans, but that is better than serif for this particular book.

Design is much maligned - right up until people make a consumer choice!

[jhowell]

I am curious why you want this ability (and as an Amazon customer I am glad that you do not have it.)

[scruffs]

I am removing nothing from the consumers. I am merely specifying the default font family for the book.

[jhowell]

As things stand now I as a consumer can pick the font I want to be used for all books I read with one of the choices being to let the publisher set the font. It seems that you want to reverse that and have the publisher make the default choice that the reader would need to override for each book. That would be taking something away from the customer.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by scruffs

I am removing nothing from the consumers. I am merely specifying the default font family for the book.

As I said, poor idea, but unfortunately one many overeager book designers do. Ebooks really don't need any default font specified, unlike paper books.

[scruffs]

You are entitled to your opinion, of course. I base mine on 30 years' experience in design and understanding what users want.