# Do the letters fade...? (I have discovered something, and read update.)



## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

I have noticed a couple of times that the letters have faded as I read from my Kindle 2?  I never had this problem with my Kindle 1.  I had to press Alt + G every time I changed the page.  Does anyone know if this is a longterm problem?  I'm scared.


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## Arkhan (Feb 17, 2009)

I haven't seen any fade so far. Mine can look a little washed out and I do get some ghosting at times. I am curious what Alt G does though.


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

Haven't noticed any fading letters......I have noticed ghosting through my screen savers though


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

I called Customer Service, and the CS rep helped me reset it, and it looks fine.  It only happened a couple of times, and I have managed to fix it, but I don't want it to become a continual problem.  

I have also asked about the left-justification feature available on Kindle 1, and the CS rep put me on hold to speak to others in the CS team about it, and she said that that feature will come up in an update.  (Now that's good news.)  She also advised me that if more customers email the request to them, they will be more than sure to apply that feature on the Kindle 2 sooner.  Trust me, it makes reading from the Kindle less annoying.  I know that not all books work with the left-justification feature, but many do.  It never hurts to add that feature.  

So call or email CS for that feature if you haven't done so yet.  I apologize for digressing, but I decided to kill two birds with one baseball bat, and update you guys about the left-justification feature.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

ElLector said:


> I called Customer Service, and the CS rep helped me reset it, and it looks fine. It only happened a couple of times, and I have managed to fix it, but I don't want it to become a continual problem.


You may want to keep track of whether this occurs across the board, or only on certain books. I've seen it happen only with certain letters in certain fonts--which only show in two of the books I have on the K2. My suspicion is that it's the book formatting and not a problem with the Kindle itself. On the other hand, if a reset fixes it...... 

I should see if those books are mobi or topaz formats; now to remember which ones they were!


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

Hi VictoriaP, 

I shall certainly keep track.  I think that 2-year warranty might be a good idea after all.


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## thumbz (Mar 8, 2009)

i also been having problems with faded letters on the kindle 2.. im curious what did the cs rep do to help u?


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

I noticed it with the last book I read, but I assumed it was because I as well into the battery by then. Once charged everything looked good. Now I'm curious...


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## Raiden333 (Feb 13, 2009)

I was reading a newspaper this afternoon and my letters suddenly got really faded as well. I just powered it down (not standby and not a full reset) and when I turned it back on 15 minutes later it was fine. I'm glad to hear I'm not alone with this issue.


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

Okay, I have discovered something. Okay, I'm sure you have seen the ad where you see the woman at the beach reading her Kindle with no problems at all. Well, reality struck for me! I think my Kindle is defective, or everyone's kindle is defective. I seriously hope not, though.

I took my lunch break at work today, and decided to happily enjoy reading my Kindle 2 outside on a sunny day, so, as I turned on my Kindle to read a book, the words were faded! I step back into the clinic, and refreshed the page, and it went back to normal. I decided to go outside a second time on this oh-so beautiful sunny morning-I say it with emphasis-and lo and behold the words faded again! The sunshine has been fading the words. I proved it to myself by changing the pages, and the words got more faded. I went back indoors, and the fading disappeared. Question: Will I be able to read my Kindle at the beach? Or is my Kindle 2 just plain old defective?

I'm calling CS. 

*Update:* I'm getting a new one. Customer Service is very good. He told me that the device is defective, so I will be getting the new one March 12. That is fast, man. Again, my friends, for those who are suffering from the same problem with your Kindle, and if you happen to be in a sunny area, turn your Kindle on and see if the words fade. I hope I have helped bringing this problem to the forefront. (Oh, and before I forget, he also mentioned that it is probably a problem with the contrast.)


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Yes, the sunlight issue is a known problem for a small percentage of K2s.  Mine isn't one of them, I've tested it several times--so any letter fading isn't related in my case.  Glad to hear CS is getting you a new one right away!

I am letting the battery run low again before I recharge to see if the power level is related. So far, all the letters are still fine, and I still can't remember what I was reading this last time I saw the problem.  Hopefully the issue resolved itself, but if not, hopefully I can provide some further data on the conditions that cause it.


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

VictoriaP said:


> Yes, the sunlight issue is a known problem for a small percentage of K2s. Mine isn't one of them, I've tested it several times--so any letter fading isn't related in my case. Glad to hear CS is getting you a new one right away!
> 
> I am letting the battery run low again before I recharge to see if the power level is related. So far, all the letters are still fine, and I still can't remember what I was reading this last time I saw the problem. Hopefully the issue resolved itself, but if not, hopefully I can provide some further data on the conditions that cause it.


Yeah, I confirmed it today. I said to myself, "This isn't making any sense." I knew there had to be a problem with the device. I'm glad that CS responded quickly. Sometimes, it depends on the CS rep too. This morning, I dealt with a CS rep that was HORRIBLE. She was trying to evade the problem by telling me that it was NOTHING at all, and that it was normal. Well, she was wrong. I'm glad that I got one that actually knew what was wrong, and took care of the problem right away. Now, I hope that this problem won't happen again with my new order. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


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## thumbz (Mar 8, 2009)

goodluck with your new kindle...i also have had the same problem and i am expecting a new one tomorrow as well


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## Raiden333 (Feb 13, 2009)

This makes perfect sense! When I was reading the newspaper I mentioned, I was outside in direct sunlight as well.

Unfortunately, I'm taking a greyhound to the next state over for spring break, so I can't call CS and get mine replaced till afterwards!


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## jsutula (Feb 10, 2009)

I recall this same behavior with my first gen Kindle. I always figured it was just a downside of e-ink technology, despite Amazon constantly bringing up the ability to read in direct sunlight in their ads. Text was still legible and it wasn't a big deal for me, but I have a feeling with the slightly lower overall contrast of the Kindle 2 screen (reported elsewhere in the forum and I've noticed this as well on my Kindle 2), the effect would definitely be more pronounced as described here. I'll see how my Kindle 2 behaves tomorrow.


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

No fade here........some ghosting however!


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

(Laughing to myself) I think Amazon is going to have to rethink that ad with the woman at the beach reading her Kindle. I could just imagine my fellow Kindle owner thinking to herself, "Hmm, ahh, it's a beautiful day today. The sun is out, and everything is fine and daddy. No problems here! It's just me me and my Kindle," and as she turns her Kindle on, and gets to her text, "What the _expletive_!?! Where are the words?"

Okay, _thumbz_, let's keep our fingers crossed, and hope that this problem won't happen again.


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## thejackylking #884 (Dec 3, 2008)

have also asked about the left-justification feature available on Kindle 1

What is this feature?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

thejackylking said:


> have also asked about the left-justification feature available on Kindle 1
> 
> What is this feature?


Justification is the margin on the *right* hand side of the text. Fully-justified (or right-justified) means all the lines/letters line up. Think of a newspaper column or magazine. "Ragged right" (or left-justified, meaning they are only justified on the left-hand margin) is what you see in many books or word-processed documents.

On the Kindle, when something is fully-justified, the letters in the line may be spaced funny to stretch them out to the margin. It can be annoying to read.

On the K1, you can change this, although it is not universal. It will not work on some books which has to do with how the ebook file was formatted in the first place. But if it is changeable, here's what you do:

1. Bring up the font menu.
2. Press Alt-J. This will add an option for justification to the font menu.
3. Choose left or full justification. If it works for the book you are reading, the justification will change.

This feature is presently not available on the K2.

L


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## jsutula (Feb 10, 2009)

Just tested in sunlight with my Kindle 2: I noticed the fading after refreshing the page. To me, it looks more like little highlights in each letter, sort of streaky. It's about the same as it looked on my first gen Kindle. Refreshing or turning the page out of the sunlight works as expected, no streaky letters.


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## ElLector (Feb 13, 2009)

jsutula said:


> Just tested in sunlight with my Kindle 2: I noticed the fading after refreshing the page. To me, it looks more like little highlights in each letter, sort of streaky. It's about the same as it looked on my first gen Kindle. Refreshing or turning the page out of the sunlight works as expected, no streaky letters.


My only problem with that is that it's supposed to work fine even under sunlight. The CS rep even told me that. Did the woman in the ad have to refresh her page as she read at the beach in the sunlight?

You deserve the Kindle that the woman at the beach owned. Somehow, hers is better than everyone elses.


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

1. Bring up the font menu.
2. Press Alt-J. This will add an option for justification to the font menu.
3. Choose left or full justification.  If it works for the book you are reading, the justification will change.

This feature is presently not available on the K2.

I've done this too after playing the kindle for a while.  I still think k1 is a better of the two.


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

kevindorsey said:


> I've done this too after playing the kindle for a while. I still think k1 is a better of the two.


Thanks man. I like both of them equally. My sis loves her K2 but I'm perfectly fine with the K1.


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## Ignatius (Feb 22, 2009)

I've been meaning to test my Kindle for this for days, but I can't even remember the last sunny day we had!


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## dixielogs (Dec 14, 2008)

we finally had some sunny days and I went outside to read.  lo and behold, my words disappeared.  After I came here and realized it was not just me, I email Amazon who replied back that I should call.  They immediately offered t overnight me a new one.  My new one should arrive today, but there is no sun in the forcast to test it out.  I hope to see the sun again by Monday!


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Glad you got a replacement.   I read in my hammock last weekend with bright sunshine and had no problem. Amazon CS rocks in my opinion, I have been very satisfied anytime I contacted them.


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