Calibre Reader Ignores Background Color?

JimmXinu · 01-24-2021, 06:11 PM

I was testing some of my own code using CSS body { background-color: #66ff66; ...} which is an obvious bright green background.

But the Calibre book reader doesn't show me that green.

I see it in the Calibre book Editor, and setting the cover from the epub also shows green--just not in the reader.

If I go into the reader's Color preferences, I can change the background, but it appears to ignore the "Override all book colors: Never" setting.

I'm seeing this on Win10 in Calibre v5.6 (portable) and v5.10.1 (64bit), with reader launched from Calibre GUI, from file extension association in the OS and from the Content Server.

Calibre v2.85.1 (portable) did show the green.

I did check for any existing threads or bug reports about this and didn't find any.

Minimal example epub is attached.

ownedbycats · 01-24-2021, 06:31 PM

In the example file, the green background also doesn't appear in the preview pane of 5.10.1's ebook-edit.exe, while it does in 3.48's.

(also, I laughed at the description on the title page)

thiago.eec · 01-24-2021, 06:43 PM

Tested here on 5.10.1 and 4.23 and it didn't work on any. Using !important makes it work, though.

JimmXinu · 01-24-2021, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

In the example file, the green background also doesn't appear in the preview pane of 5.10.1's ebook-edit.exe, while it does in 3.48's.

Strange. I do see the green in ebook-edit (AKA Calibre book editor) as I reported before.

ownedbycats · 01-24-2021, 07:05 PM

Side-by-side comparison on Windows 10 Home (19041).

BetterRed · 01-24-2021, 08:18 PM

The one of the left may be a Dark Matter effect

BR

kovidgoyal · 01-24-2021, 09:51 PM

Yes, body background is under the control of the user, not the book creator. If you really want to override body background color, wrap the contents of body in a div with a background.

JimmXinu · 01-25-2021, 11:16 AM

Interesting.

I know I tested using body {background-color: ...} in a lot of different readers several years ago and they must have mostly worked, otherwise I wouldn't have included that as the way to change background in FFF.

Trying it now a few places, I see that color works in Calibre Edit book preview and Calibre's "Set the cover for the book from the selected format" (AKA from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta.get_metadata()), plus partially in Apple iPad's Books app, but not any other apps or readers that I tried.

Which I guess is a good thing to know. I'll have to take that make note of that in the default FFF CSS.

JSWolf · 01-25-2021, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yes, body background is under the control of the user, not the book creator. If you really want to override body background color, wrap the contents of body in a div with a background.

Would it be possible to remove the user control, leave the background as white and allow background colors to wor without diving it?

01-24-2021, 06:31 PM	#2
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 9,021 Karma: 62040591 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	In the example file, the green background also doesn't appear in the preview pane of 5.10.1's ebook-edit.exe, while it does in 3.48's. (also, I laughed at the description on the title page) Last edited by ownedbycats; 01-24-2021 at 06:33 PM.

01-24-2021, 07:05 PM	#5
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 9,021 Karma: 62040591 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Side-by-side comparison on Windows 10 Home (19041). Attached Thumbnails

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Background color in Calibre 4 viewer	jbacelar	Calibre	10	10-07-2019 09:21 PM
Calibre PDF Output: Adding Background Rgb colors customization options and Font Color	Lodan	PDF	7	02-17-2019 09:09 AM
Css for Calibre viewer background-color	Cjammi	Calibre	5	03-10-2017 12:09 PM
Calibre's reader ignores pagebreaks?	Joseph Picard	Conversion	3	06-01-2012 09:46 PM
Any epub reader for PC allows me to change text and background color?	ttluisa	General Discussions	5	05-11-2010 11:04 PM

01-24-2021, 06:43 PM	#3
thiago.eec Guru Posts: 950 Karma: 1183425 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Goiânia - Brazil Device: iPad, Kindle Paperwhite	Tested here on 5.10.1 and 4.23 and it didn't work on any. Using !important makes it work, though.

01-24-2021, 08:18 PM	#6
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,771 Karma: 27405072 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	The one of the left may be a Dark Matter effect BR

01-24-2021, 09:51 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,149 Karma: 22670164 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, body background is under the control of the user, not the book creator. If you really want to override body background color, wrap the contents of body in a div with a background.

01-25-2021, 11:16 AM	#8
JimmXinu Plugin Developer Posts: 6,439 Karma: 4276871 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Midwest USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite(10th)	Interesting. I know I tested using body {background-color: ...} in a lot of different readers several years ago and they must have mostly worked, otherwise I wouldn't have included that as the way to change background in FFF. Trying it now a few places, I see that color works in Calibre Edit book preview and Calibre's "Set the cover for the book from the selected format" (AKA from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta.get_metadata()), plus partially in Apple iPad's Books app, but not any other apps or readers that I tried. Which I guess is a good thing to know. I'll have to take that make note of that in the default FFF CSS.

Advert

Advert