# Kindle 2 Font Testers - Please read



## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

In an effort to collect useful market research for Amazon regarding the Kindle 2 fonts, I would like testers to use this discussion topic to post feedback on the alternate fonts that you have tested.

Please indicate the name of the font, the size(s) you use for reading, and your impressions comparing that font to the native fonts shipped with the K2. If you use a different size for the alternate font than you used for the native fonts, please note this as well.

Additionally, if you have special font requests due to issues with your vision , feel free to post those as well. It will be useful for Amazon to understand the special needs of people using the Kindle.

Note: for those who have already contributed in other topics, if it's not too much of an inconvenience, your feedback posted again here would be most useful.

Thank you for your feedback.
-Ted

P.S. The font install files are found here:
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## Law. Sorreneson (Mar 18, 2009)

Are you kidding , we would be more than happy to post our feedback if it helps; you've _already_ helped so many Kindle users "optimize" their own reading experience. Lots of us are truly grateful.

Now to business:

1) I like the Arial Round Narrow best at font size 4 line spacing ALT + 1.

2) I'll have to rank the newest "flavor," Tall Font, a close second. It's great because it is a couple of shades DARKER than the original K2 text; it's a fraction taller at font size 3; and it seems a bid narrower, which allows me to fit more words on each line. I'm currently reading with this font on size 3 with line spacing ALT + 3. I'm betting that in a week, it'll be my favorite.

3) Bold Narrow Native is great as well, but it has been trumped by the Tall Font. Bold Narrow Native's only weakness was that at font size 3 it was slightly smaller than the K1's size 3.

- Keep up the good work, Ted-san; we are all the richer for your font-artistry!


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

Ted,

I'm new here but a consummate and relentless tweaker! Thanks so much for your efforts. I noticed right off that the K2 was not as contrasty as I'd like (been an owner for a whole week!).

I'm pretty set on using Size 1 for now (not a fan of page turns). I may move to Size 2 later.

So far I've tried:

*cmodNarrow*: Very nice, I think I prefer serifs, but not sure yet

*Arial Round Narrow* : Also VERY nice and legible. Not sure I want to read for extended periods sans serifs, but we'll see.

*Droid*: OK, I've tried this one now and think it's my favorite so far. I'd prefer a serif font but I think it just looks clearer than the cmodNarrow at this point. *EDIT:* I've found some of the letters a bit muddy. Particularly bothersome are the exclamation marks on Size 1, they look identical to an L.

*Georgia2*: I've now moved bnacked to a serif font. I fond serif fonts better for extended reading. Just put this one in but it looks very nice so far. It is a tad big even on Size 1.

Thanks again.


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## SKMurphy (Apr 26, 2009)

tedsan - I am using your Droid fonts and I read at type size 3.  I sometimes read at size 4 if I am tired, but I prefer for most reading.  I found the fonts on my Kindle 2 to be too light and was delighted to find out the fonts could be changed.  I was a previous owner of Kindle 1 and the difference in the font darkness between the Kindle 1 and 2 was very noticeable.  I originally made my own fonts, but had a problem with the quality of the fonts when I went to the Amazon store (they were fuzzy for some reason).  I next tried your fonts, found that the font issue with the Amazon store went away (much clearer), and really like the darkness of the fonts you provide.  I also tried the Narrow Ariel fonts on size 3, but they seemed to be a little too small for my liking, so I went back to the Droid fonts.  I also like the style of the Droid fonts. I wish Amazon allowed you to pick from a variety of fonts, but the font hack will have to do I guess. 

I only have one problem with your Droid fonts.  I find the fonts on the main screen (the listing of my books) to be too dark or bold.  If these were lightened slightly, the Droid font hack would rate a 10 out of 10.  Since I spend most of my time reading and not looking at the main screen, this issue is not so bad that I will unstall the hack.  I was close to returning my Kindle until I found out I could modify the fonts darkness.  At that point, I decided to keep the Kindle and I am happy I did.  My big worry is Amazon modifies their firmware to disable the font hacks.  As long as the firmware continues to work, I will be happy.  

Thanks again for all of your hard work and I hope this helps.


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## Spad (Mar 30, 2009)

The Arial font works great for me. My only problem is that I have many, many MOBI conversions and, as you know, they don't render perfectly. Fortunately, the damage is so minor compared to the vast improvement in readability that I can easily live with it. Do you think this is something that Amazon will find relatively easy to remedy, or should I simply avoid the MOBI format to the extent possible.

I hope Amazon appreciates your efforts as much as we all do, Ted. Many of us would have returned our Kindles were it not for your efforts. I'll be writing to Amazon directly to express these sentiments and I encourage all others to do likewise. IMO, you deserve to be financially rewarded.

With sincere thanks,

Spad


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## sbell1 (Mar 31, 2009)

I use the bold narrow native on size 4. This is the same size I used with the original font.

The text certainly wasn't unreadable before...but is so much better (darker) now.

Thank you!


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

I'm a bit confused here.  Why is there mention of; "Droid Bold" "default Droid", etc.  Is there a "bolding" feature on the Kindle I've missed?  I was under the impression that each font was simply a single set.  This also begs the question, why is the .bin file for Droid 6mb while the other fonts are all under 1mb?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

The Droid font is a "unicode" font - that has many more characters than a normal English character set, hence the large size.

As for the references to bold etc - I believe that's a holdover from my naming conventions. As I modified off the shelf fonts, I add notations to indicate what I did to them. You are correct that there's single sets of fonts that are loaded. Each set contains a regular, a bold, an italic and a bold-italic font.

So, for example, the Droid Bold font is one that I ran through a font editor and had all the characters made a bit thicker, hence making them bolder.

As for the question about MOBI conversions, I haven't experienced that, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that issue.

Regarding the home screen display - they appear to display it in a large, bold format. Unfortunately, there's no control over that rendering. It's a compromise of making the entire font set bold enough but not too bold. That's what I've been experimenting with in the 'tall' font. 

Clearly though, there's a variety of preferences that vary reader-to-reader, so it's already becoming clear that Amazon really should provide a handful of fonts so that readers can select whichever one suits their needs best.
Ideally, there's be customization, just like supported by most computers, so you could set the font and size for the home screen and other areas. But that's really icing. 

As for compensation - my compensation is your happiness. But if Amazon wanted me to be a beta-tester or consultant on the design of the K3, I wouldn't complain!


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## Sweet-P (Apr 26, 2009)

I really appreciate your effort to help resolve this issue with Kindle 2 fonts that Amazon is so obviously ignoring. 

As for the font preferences, I think I like the cmodBold and Droid the best, after that I like the arialRndNrw. 
When using the Droid, I set the font size to 2 or 3. When using the cmodBold, I like 3. When using the arialRndNrw, I like the size to be 4 with the spacing set to 1 or 2. As one other person stated previously, the Droid would be perfect if it didn't make the menu on the Home screen so overly dark. I personally prefer to read with serif fonts. 

These fonts a MUCH NICER, darker and easier to read than Kindle 2 native fonts. The letters with curves are more definitive and sharper. I wear bifocals, so the improvised fonts are extremely helpful. I doubt I would have kept the Kindle if this option was not available. Thanks so much!


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## chevauchee (Mar 29, 2009)

I had my Kindle about a week before I tried the hack, spent a couple days trying the various fonts out, settled on Arial for a week and spent last week unhacked for the update. Using the default font, I mostly read on size 3. This was frustrating because I could almost outread the page turns, but size 2 was too small.

Of your fonts:
Bold Native & Bold Narrow Native were both distinct improvements, allowing me to read comfortably at size 2. I would give a slight edge for Bold Narrow as better looking.
I tried Droid Bold and could read at size 1, but I also disliked the appearance of the home screen. 
Arial Round Narrow is my Goldilocks font so far -- sharp enough for me to mostly read on size 1 (may bump to size 2 if I've been reading for a prolonged period) and the home screen doesn't look heavy.

Overall, I prefer the cleaner look of the two sans-serif fonts, but I find all of them much better than the stock font.

I have not tried Large or Tall since I do prefer reading on the smallest size possible. If I get a chance to demo them for my cousin with retinitis pigmentosa (tunnel vision), I will report back. Finally, I want to thank you for making these available as my Kindle is definitely more enjoyable with the hack.


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## ladynightshade (Apr 2, 2009)

Law. Sorreneson said:


> Are you kidding , we would be more than happy to post our feedback if it helps; you've _already_ helped so many Kindle users "optimize" their own reading experience. Lots of us are truly grateful.
> 
> Now to business:
> 
> ...


Law, you read my mind! I would like to second Law's post for lack of better wording.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I received my K2 on Feb 25th and was happy with the font it came with and the contrast. I would read on font size 4, which was the size I used on my K1. Then, yesterday, out of curiosity, I did install the font hack. I tried a few and for the past 24 hours, have been reading Droid on font size 3. I am a little amazed because 3 always seemed to small to me, on the K1 and K2. It's nice having more words on a page and not having to change screens so often. 

Last night, I did get tired and bumped it up to 4, but this morning I am back to 3.

Thanks for this, Ted. Great work.

L


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## BookBinder (Jan 21, 2009)

Having vision problems, I need and use fonts 5 or 6.  They work for me more comfortably.  I would like the print darker.


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## Anthony34 (Mar 18, 2009)

I LOVE the ArialNarRound because it feels like a "smooth" read. Hard to explain, but it's like speed reading, the words flow without stop or stutter. It's great for blogs and newspapers with it's urgent, sans-serriff-informational vible! Haven't tried the TALL or DARK yet, but I also like the bold native - definitely an improvement upon the native serriff font.

Honestly, I don't think darkening/lightening is as much of an issue with font sizes 5, 6 (maybe size 4). Anything that improves the 1, 2, 3 - standard-size print in publications (novels, newspapers, blogs) - would be HUGE. So although I'm in love with my new ArialNarRound, my eyes still rove and yearn for that "perfect font."

Anyway, Mr. Ted-san, your work confirms what many of us knew all along: *The Kindle 2 is lighter than the K1 on font sizes 1, 2, 3:*

_"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

- Arthur Schopenhauer: Three stages of Truth_


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## mel5051 (Apr 8, 2009)

I tried arial narrow and didn't like it, but then tried arial round and its perfect! I read on size 3 lines spacing 1 or 2


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## FlannelE (Mar 18, 2009)

I'm torn between Bold Narrow Native and the new "TALL" (which I think is just a taller version of Bold Narrow Native?). While I like the slightly larger "TALL" font size, I do notice a slight fuzzy, bleed in the text. It's dark enough, but doesn't look as clear n' crisp as the Bold Narrow Native.

Anyway, all these new fonts look TONS better than the original K2's light text.  I guess beggers can't be choosers, but I'm hoping Ted-san goes "a la carte" and provides MULTIPLE fonts for our reading consumption! Dude is an absolute GURU...

Oh, some vital statistics: size 3 font. line spacing at 4.


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## Sweet-P (Apr 26, 2009)

After playing around with the fonts some more last night and today, I have come to a final conclusion of what I like best. 

My first choice is the Droid, text size 3, spacing 3. 
My second choice is the arialRndNrw, text size 4, spacing 3.
My third choice is the cmodBold, text size 3, spacing 2 or 3. 

They both look excellent. I will probably change between them intermittently just for a different reading experience. 

I appreciate so much what you have done, Ted. Thank you for taking over where Amazon left off (and should have done) and making the Kindle an excellent e-reading device.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

I've tried all of the fonts and have settled on the cMod Bold as my favorite with the cMod Large as a close second.  I used to read at size 4, 5, or 6 on my K1, depending on the time of day and how much I'd been reading that day.  On the K2, I was forced to use size 6 and even that was difficult for me.

With many of the new fonts, I can go down as low as size 3 comfortably.  This is wonderful and has made my Kindle experience nothing but fun again!

P.S.  I won't see my Mother until June again, but I'm hoping the cMod Large or the Georgia Bold font on size 6 will allow me to buy her a Kindle 2.  She has macular degeneration and was not able to see the text on the K1 or the K2 last time I showed it to her.  She even had trouble with Lg. Print books from the library.  This could be life transforming for her to be able to read again.  Thank you so much, Ted.  You have no idea how profoundly this could affect some readers!


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## ILoveMyKindle (Mar 13, 2009)

S.Quick here!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Georgia Font.  It is PERFECT!  Thank you so much.  The other fonts were awesome, and they were very bolded which was good for the contrast issue.  But the Georgia Font is bolded just the right amount, and it is a very pretty font.  I love it!!!  Thank you so much.


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## ILoveMyKindle (Mar 13, 2009)

I do have one question:  When I tried out each of the fonts, I would uninstall the previous font before installing a new one.  Was that necessary?


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## BBMountain (Apr 3, 2009)

I wondered the same thing (if fonts need to be uninstalled before trying another one.)  Yesterday I tried out a new font without uninstalling the previous one & everything seems to be just fine  
Thane


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## sbell1 (Mar 31, 2009)

Georgia font is my new favorite!  I was reading at size 4 but dropped down to 3 with the Georgia font. 

It is just bold enough and very easy on the eyes.

Thanks Ted


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## K.L. Christy (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks for continuing to provide excellent fonts; I'm so glad that you didn't stop "experimenting" after the initial fonts.  It shows that you are really committed to making the Kindle 2 the best that it can be!  

My Favorites:

1.  TALL

2.  ArialRoundNarrow

3.  Native Bold

4.  Georgia  (I'm not loving it as much as others since it looks both wispy and fuzzy; but certainly BETTER than the original K2 font)

- Look forward to testing the next batch


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Seems y'all figured out the uninstall question - the official answer is 'no', you don't need to uninstall before installing a new one.
Glad you like the fonts. Thanks for the input and thoughts. We're collecting good information here. Hopefully Amazon will take advantage of this "free market research" and return the favor by building in an easy font selection routine.

What I'd REALLY like to see them do is allow us to install a number of fonts into our K2, maybe by just dropping the fonts into a "fonts" folder. Those fonts would then show up on a menu somewhere, so that at any time, the user could simply select a new font of their choice. Doing so, I believe, would fully address the font issues people are having and help them leapfrog ahead of the competition.
This would also encourage 3rd parties to develop superior fonts for the Kindle. Who knows what people could do if they just opened up the system this little bit?

Another request - if anybody has a K1 and a K2, could I bother you to take a screen grab (alt-shift-G) of the same document on the K1 and K2 and email them to me? Send me a private message and I'll give you my direct email address.
Cheers!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

<sigh> My laptop screen is tiny, and sometimes hard to read, and so I just clicked on this thread thinking it said "Food Testers"... oh well.


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## BruceS (Feb 7, 2009)

Using the original Kindle 2 fonts, I need to select size 6 for comfortable reading.

Using your cmodLarge fonts, I can read comfortably with size 3.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Thank you for letting us know we don't need to uninstall the fonts every time we want to change them. I have been doing that. This will save me time when checking the new ones you offer.

I prefer the Arial. I normally read my Kindle on size 3-5 (the more tired I am, the higher it goes) Since using the Arial, I've only used the 3 or 4.

I've tried the others and found most of them too bold for my taste.

I also wish Amazon would allow owners to choose custom fonts from a list. It would make it easier.

Then again, I'm also wishing and waiting for folders/tags.. <sigh>


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

BruceS said:


> Using the original Kindle 2 fonts, I need to select size 6 for comfortable reading.
> 
> Using your cmodLarge fonts, I can read comfortably with size 3.


I've had the same experience, Bruce. Isn't it great?!


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Susan in VA said:


> <sigh> My laptop screen is tiny, and sometimes hard to read, and so I just clicked on this thread thinking it said "Food Testers"... oh well.


Ha ha ha! Susan, whenever food is involved, I'm there too!


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## Zeronewbury (Feb 20, 2009)

I have not yet received the 2.0.3 update.  Do the fonts need to be removed in order to get that update?


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Zeronewbury said:


> I have not yet received the 2.0.3 update. Do the fonts need to be removed in order to get that update?


My experience, (and as luvmy4brats has said is her experience), is that the update downloads to your Kindle but won't install automatically with the font hack present. You can see it if you hook your Kindle up with the USB cable. I moved the Kindle update file out of the root directory and uninstalled the font hack and when I did the 'Update your Kindle', the Kindle update automatically downloaded again. I was then able to install it the usual way and re-install the font hack. Worked like a charm for me.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Seems y'all figured out the uninstall question - the official answer is 'no', you don't need to uninstall before installing a new one.
> Glad you like the fonts. Thanks for the input and thoughts. We're collecting good information here. Hopefully Amazon will take advantage of this "free market research" and return the favor by building in an easy font selection routine.
> 
> What I'd REALLY like to see them do is allow us to install a number of fonts into our K2, maybe by just dropping the fonts into a "fonts" folder. Those fonts would then show up on a menu somewhere, so that at any time, the user could simply select a new font of their choice. Doing so, I believe, would fully address the font issues people are having and help them leapfrog ahead of the competition.
> ...


Dumb question After you do the screen grab, where do you find the 'grabbed' file.

Also, do you want pictures of the K1 text compared to the K2 original text?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

The files are placed in your "documents" folder that you can see when you connect it with a USB cable.
I don't remember how they're named but I do remember that it's pretty obvious once you see them.
Close-up pictures would be useful, though not necessary. If you try to take photos, save them at the highest quality and get as close as you can. Ideally, the pixels will show. But mainly, I'm looking to compare the digital data stored when you do the screen grab.
Thanks!

Modified:
I should have given more details.
Size 1 on both K1 and K2. I'm going for "worst case". If you have a magazine or something with a title, maybe some italics and regular text, that would be great. Otherwise, just a page of plain, small text.

Modified 10:16pm, 4/27/2009
Thanks to "DD", I have a pair of screen grabs to compare. Just a couple minutes with Photoshop proved that *the digital rendering of the fonts on the K1 and K2 are exactly the same.* The only difference is a change in word-to-word spacing, but the characters are *identical*

I had read this previously, but wanted to be sure. By exactly the same, I mean the same size, shape and font smoothing. The pixel values are the same four values.

Given that the fonts are identical, the only possible difference between the K1 and K2 rest in the implementation of the rendering of the digital data onto the E-Ink display.

I am not in the habit of "trash talking" vendors. However, in this case, I must express my utter disappointment at their customer service script. Telling people that the K2 has added gray values making the fonts clearer and better defined is (edited)incorrect. Shame on you Amazon!!!

So this should settle all arguments regarding the difference between the K1 and K2:
- The fonts are identical
- The font smoothing is identical
- The only possible difference is in the display technology - how the pixels are "written" to the screen.

Clarification: 7:37am, 4/28/2009
When I say the "fonts are identical", I am not saying that they _look_ identical. I mean the underlying digital data are the same. Same for font smoothing. They _look_ different but the underlying data are identical.
This is a subtle but important difference. I think I was interpreted elsewhere as saying that there's no difference between the K1 and K2. Clearly there are visual difference, it's just that they're not caused by difference in the fonts, they're caused by the display technology.

As an analogy, it's like you're looking at the same DVD on a number of different monitors. Some monitors are sharper than others even though the images sent by the DVD are exactly the same.


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## rogerinnyc (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks again for these wonderful fonts!

For now, I think my favorite is your new Georgia one, at size 3, spacing 4

Close runner up -- and perhaps better if I want to go smaller -- is Arial Round, at size 4, spacing 3

Rounding out the top 3 is your new Tall font, at size 3, spacing 2 (but also goes nicely to size 4 and spacing 3 if you want larger).

At the above settings, I get 18 lines per page with Georgia, 19 lines with Arial and 17 lines with Tall.

For all of them, I must say I love my Decal Girl Kindle 9000 skin -- it really helps create the illusion of a whiter background.


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## Law. Sorreneson (Mar 18, 2009)

I love all the fonts, but after careful consideration, I get the most out of the _Airal Round Narrow _ (size 4; linespacing ALT + 1). It just "jumps off the page" and reads silky smooth, yet bold enough. This is a unique font, and adds a different "personality" to the kindle.

I actually wouldn't mind it a tad lighter (10-15%) or to see how other tweaks would effect this handsome typeface: less jump between size 3 and 4; thinning; condensing, making it taller, etc. Seriff has received much of the mastercraftsman's attention; Sans Seriff would benefit from your deft touch as well.

But alas, the Kindle Alchemist (you, Ted-san  ) must have other obligations...(the one on your arm looks HAPPY...patient). Funny, it really should've been Amazon working this hard all along. If they had burned a tenth of the midnight oil you've been kindling...


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> The files are placed in your "documents" folder that you can see when you connect it with a USB cable.
> I don't remember how they're named but I do remember that it's pretty obvious once you see them.
> Close-up pictures would be useful, though not necessary. If you try to take photos, save them at the highest quality and get as close as you can. Ideally, the pixels will show. But mainly, I'm looking to compare the digital data stored when you do the screen grab.
> Thanks!
> ...


This finding is especially disappointing, as one of the main reasons I opted to buy the K2 when I already had a K1 is because of the promise of the improved greyscale producing a sharper display.

Am I right in concluding that Amazon will be able to fix this with a software update? (That is, if they ever get around to admitting that the problem exists.)

Again, thanks for all your work, Ted.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

DD - the additional grayscales on the K2 are real, just not in the fonts. Image display does take advantage of the finer gradations and there may be other places that they use the 16 gray scale to improve the display.

More questions for the K2 population 
- How much ghosting do you notice on your screen? 
- How much does pressing Alt-G improve your display?


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Ted,
I haven't had a chance to play with the fonts yet, but I definitely will.  I am not crazy about the display on my K2.  I have to read at a 4 or 5 instead of 2 or 3 just to get the text clear.
I definitely notice more ghosting on my K2 than my KK.  It seems to be worst on the lower third of the screen.
Alt-G does seem to help a bit, but at the next page turn, the ghosting is back - I read quickly so Alt-G on every page would slow me down significantly.
Thanks for spending your time on this and being willing to share.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> DD - the additional grayscales on the K2 are real, just not in the fonts. Image display does take advantage of the finer gradations and there may be other places that they use the 16 gray scale to improve the display.
> 
> More questions for the K2 population
> - How much ghosting do you notice on your screen?
> - How much does pressing Alt-G improve your display?


I don't notice any ghosting in the text but notice it on the screensavers when I put the K2 to sleep after reading.

I notice an improvement when I do alt-G but it has to be done on every page.


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## vermontcathy (Feb 18, 2009)

I only notice a little ghosting - up top on the title bar, and across the bar at the bottom, when coming out of a screensaver. Alt-G does make my text darker/bolder in most cases. The strange thing for me is that as I'm changing pages, some pages come out darker and some come out lighter. It's as if some pages automatically had been "alt-g'ed". It's not a huge difference, but it is noticeable. I'd almost rather all pages just be uniform, even if it's lighter. I get some nice dark pages of text and think, "Hey, this is great!" then another page will be a little lighter. It makes no sense to me.

Cathy


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## Surfmom66 (Mar 24, 2009)

Tedsan - I really like the clean look of the Arial Round Narrow. Thanks. My question is, how hard would it be to come up for a hack using the font, Helvetica. I know all of us that do like that clean look would probably fall in love with that even more.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

I actually did that, so I've got the files around.

I've posted it for you now though I've not extensively tested the aesthetics. But at first glance, it is quite clear and dark.

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helvetica_install.bin


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

The only font I have tried so far is the Droid Bold since I really prefer San Serif fonts.  What an improvement!  Even font size 1 is legible. Thank you! Thank you!


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## Surfmom66 (Mar 24, 2009)

tedsan said:


> I actually did that, so I've got the files around.
> 
> I've posted it for you now though I've not extensively tested the aesthetics. But at first glance, it is quite clear and dark.
> 
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helvetica_install.bin


Thank you, tedsan. As a graphic artist, I truly love that font. Very clean lines and easy to read. Thank you again. You rock!


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I tried all of the fonts, and I like the Default Bold font best.... I thought I would prefer the Arial, but I do not like Arial when it is rounded, I prefer the classic Arial font best; it's what I use almost exclusively for my documents. 

The ghosting on my Kindle is not an issue for me. Sometimes I do refresh the first page once it comes out of sleep to remove the ghosting from the screensaver, but I have never noticed any ghosting when flipping pages.


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## elmoglick (Apr 22, 2009)

Ted,

I think you've hit paydirt with the new Helvetica.  It's beautiful.  Blows all the others away, IMHO.  It's dark, it's spaced nicely, even the underline shows up properly  .  

I have mine set at size 4, spacing 4, which provides a very enjoyable 17 lines per page.  Size 3, at spacing 5, is outstanding too.  The size differential across the entire range is just right, too.

Outstanding work, Ted.  This really should have been the default Kindle font.

El


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## BBMountain (Apr 3, 2009)

I'm a complete newbie concerning fonts, and am just starting to learn about some of them.  Of the fonts available to install, which of them are serif, and which are sans serif (or doesn't it even break down that way?)?  I think I prefer serif and would like to compare knowing in advance which are which!


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

OK, I tried the Helvetica and you guys are right - it's even easier to read than the Droid!

BBMountain, serif fonts are the ones that have little feet at the bottom of the letters.  On Ted's site, the Native and Georgia fonts are serif fonts.  It's really a personal preference on fonts.  I just find the clean line fonts easier to read.


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## TroyMich (Apr 8, 2009)

Hi, Ted-San!
Thank you for all of your efforts on our behalf! I have tried several of the fonts and enjoy Georgia the best!

Here are a few pictures of the results!

I also have installed the DecalGirl Kindle 2 Skin - Solid State Black - which helps very much! The pictures can be seen here:

http://www.pbase.com/ferriolo/kindle_2

I am looking forward to trying your latest version of this Georgia2. I will check it out soon!

Frank


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

good pictures, looks great.
The Georgia2 is exactly the same as the normal Georgia but I moved the characters up a fraction so the underline would actually be under the characters. There appears to be a bug in the font code on the Kindle so it doesn't respect a value in the font file that specifies where the underline goes.

And to follow-up on the serif question - you have three choices, the Georgia and two versions of the original Kindle font. One is bold and one is bold and narrowed slightly for more "dense" typography.

Finally, thanks to SurfMom for the Helvetica suggestion. I seems that's a real winner for people.

See now, all Amazon needs to do is put a folder on the Kindle called "fonts" where we can store whatever fonts we want, and a menu item to select from these fonts. Then each user could select their own font and not have to bother Amazon about this any more!


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

I like the Helvetica, but I went back to the Droid for one reason. The lower case 't' seems to butt into any letter it's on the left of - often looking like it's joined. 

This is at 3 and 4 sizes. 

Any chance you could move it over a pixel? (or whatever it would be to better delineate the space.)


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Try this
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helvetica2_install.bin

Rather than modify the one that others are using, there's an experimental helvetica2. This has th slightly enlarged version, moved up so that the underline has a little gap and the t has a little space.
Looking at a number of fonts, including Droid, they're defined to have 't' be extremely tight. I'm not sure why it doesn't look the same but clearly there's something else at play.


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Thank you Tedsan - I will try it out and let you know!


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## FlannelE (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi Ted-san,

Just wondering what the difference is between Arial Round Narrow (@ size 4) and Helvetica 2 (@ size 3). They look very similar, but I wanted to make sure, appreciate the subtle differences...

- thanks!


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Helvetica 2 is very very nice! Letters are nicely space now and v ery readable. Thank you Tedsan!!!


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## FlannelE (Mar 18, 2009)

Ted-san,
Thanks for responding to the font-addicted...like brokers checking NASDAQ!


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## BBMountain (Apr 3, 2009)

This might be a stupid question, but is it possible to store all of the new fonts on the Kindle itself?  I was thinking if it would work to create a "fonts" folder on the Kindle, store all of the fonts in it, and then one would just have to move their desired font's .bin file out of the folder into the root directory and then update.  Would this work or would a "foreign" folder mess up the Kindle?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

BBMountain said:


> This might be a stupid question, but is it possible to store all of the new fonts on the Kindle itself? I was thinking if it would work to create a "fonts" folder on the Kindle, store all of the fonts in it, and then one would just have to move their desired font's .bin file out of the folder into the root directory and then update. Would this work or would a "foreign" folder mess up the Kindle?


That's _exactly_ what I would like them to do. A fonts folder and a menu option that lets you choose which font you want would truely improve the Kindle.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> That's _exactly_ what I would like them to do. A fonts folder and a menu option that lets you choose which font you want would truely improve the Kindle.


The logical place would be on the font size selection pop-up menu accessible with the Aa button. How hard could that be?


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Ted, I know you are probably bombarded with requests, but have you thought about the Helvetica 2 font done as you did the Large font (125% larger)?  I love the clean look of the Helvetica but need it a little larger and darker to be able to read at size 4 comfortably.  Just a suggestion.  I know you must be so-o-o busy.  Thank you for all you have already done.


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## MeganW (Dec 28, 2008)

I just tried the font hack last night (where have I been?!?) and am amazed!  So far I've only had time to try the Arial and Helvetica 2 fonts, and LOVE the Helvetica 2 font.  Wow.

I want to join in with everyone and thank you, Ted, for all of the work that you've done (and it sounds like are still doing!) to make our Kindle 2 experience even better.  I read a post last night from someone saying it took their K2 experience up to a 10/10, and I wholeheartedly agree!


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## BBMountain (Apr 3, 2009)

Ted:  Yes...it would be GREAT if we could both store the fonts on the Kindle & have a menu to select them.  But seeings how that isn't possible right now, would it mess up the Kindle if I created a fonts folder on the Kindle to store the fonts and then just dragged out the one I wanted to use into the root directory & then do the usual update to install the font?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

DD said:


> Ted, I know you are probably bombarded with requests, but have you thought about the Helvetica 2 font done as you did the Large font (125% larger)? I love the clean look of the Helvetica but need it a little larger and darker to be able to read at size 4 comfortably. Just a suggestion. I know you must be so-o-o busy. Thank you for all you have already done.


Give this a shot
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helveticaL_install.bin

Keep in mind, on these large fonts, they also make the home screen text larger which means that your book titles can get cut off. I imagine this is less important than actually being able to read the text, but it is a consideration. Unfortunately, I have no way of controlling individual elements - the font replacement is for all text on the K2.


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## Anthony34 (Mar 18, 2009)

MeganW said:


> I just tried the font hack last night (where have I been?!?) and am amazed! So far I've only had time to try the Arial and Helvetica 2 fonts, and LOVE the Helvetica 2 font. Wow.
> 
> I want to join in with everyone and thank you, Ted, for all of the work that you've done (and it sounds like are still doing!) to make our Kindle 2 experience even better. I read a post last night from someone saying it took their K2 experience up to a 10/10, and I wholeheartedly agree!


10/10 Stars...I wholeheartedly agree as well! Important to note the many people who were complaining about LIGHTER text and poor contrast still LOVED their Kindles. We just wanted Amazon to work on this one flaw. They never did. Ted-San has. How many people can say that they've actually made the world a better place? It's not hyperbole to say that Ted-san has improved the quality of many kindle users' lives - whether by a decimal point, fraction, or a whole number. Truly a stark contrast (no pun intended) to Amazon's lethargic, tone-deaf, out-of-touch response...

What I like best of all is Ted-san's STILL HARD AT WORK. I really appreciate the *detailed notes, descriptions * that follow each choice of font. Such a nice, professional touch!
Speaking of "professional," how has this guy flown by Amazon's HR radar. HIRE THE MAN, already! (or consult with him as you might learn a thing or two):

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

tedsan said:


> That's _exactly_ what I would like them to do. A fonts folder and a menu option that lets you choose which font you want would truely improve the Kindle.


I did this very thing. But - I still have to do the moving on my computer - but i keep the fonts I like in a fonts folder and then copy them to the root directory to change/update.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Anthony34 said:


> 10/10 Stars...I wholeheartedly agree as well! Important to note the many people who were complaining about LIGHTER text and poor contrast still LOVED their Kindles. We just wanted Amazon to work on this one flaw. They never did. Ted-San has. How many people can say that they've actually made the world a better place? It's not hyperbole to say that Ted-san has improved the quality of many kindle users lives - whether by a decimal point, fraction, or a whole number. Truly a stark contrast (no pun intended) to Amazon's lethargic, tone-deaf, out-of-touch response...
> 
> What I like best of all is Ted-san's STILL HARD AT WORK. I really appreciate the *detailed notes, descriptions * that follow each choice of font. Such a nice, professional touch!
> Speaking of "professional," how has this guy flown by Amazon's HR radar. HIRE THE MAN, already! (or consult with him as you might learn a thing or two):
> ...


Thanks for the very kind words. The best part of this is that it's very, very simple to make these changes given the font editor and the font hack that was developed by Andrei Pushkin. What I'm doing is a small part of the solution. But I've always been user-interface-centric, so when something is within my control, I have a compulsion to "fix" it. Even better if it can be put into the hands of those who need it. My skill is in closing the loop between user and engineer so as to rapidly zero in on optimal solutions.

And you are all a critical part of the equation. Without your feedback, I'd just be another engineer putting something untested out there. You've helped refine the solutions so that now we have a precise set of fonts that Amazon knows makes their actual users happy. So your feedback is (hopefully) laying the framework for even better reading devices in the future. If these solutions get incorporated and widely used in the future, then each of you will have played a role in making lives better.

If Amazon doesn't take all our work to heart, then one of their more responsive competitors will take the ball and run with it. I hope not, because Amazon has done so much right with the Kindle.


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## Eilene (Oct 29, 2008)

I just downloaded the Helvetica 2 fonts & I LOVE it!! What a difference!! It's amazing! Now I really, really LOVE my Kindle!! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!


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## ILoveMyKindle (Mar 13, 2009)

I just tried the Helvetica.  I do like it much better than the Arial Round Narrow which seems a bit too bold for my taste....although it's better to be too bold than too light, right?!.  Anyway, like I was saying....I do like Helvetica better than the Arial Round Narrow, but my heart still belongs to the Georgia font.  It's a perfect boldness and such a pretty font.  So, my vote is still for Georgia at this time....although I'm positive I will continue to test each new one Ted-san sends out (if there are anymore).  

Thank you, Ted-san.  Ditto what everone else has been saying about how you're making things so much better for us.  I sincerely hope Amazon pays attention.  

Sincerely,
S. Quick


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Give this a shot
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helveticaL_install.bin
> 
> Keep in mind, on these large fonts, they also make the home screen text larger which means that your book titles can get cut off. I imagine this is less important than actually being able to read the text, but it is a consideration. Unfortunately, I have no way of controlling individual elements - the font replacement is for all text on the K2.


Oh, my goodness, you are fast. I was out all day and just got home to find this Helvetica Large. I couldn't wait to get it on my Kindle. It is beautiful! I would like it a tiny bit darker on size 4 and lower (is it my imagination or is the large serif font darker?). But this is so clean and yet large enough for those who need larger text but don't always want to go up as high as size 6 to start out. This gives me some room to maneuver - starting off at size 4 and then progressing to size 5 later in the day if needed. This is a great alternative to the serif large font for those who want a cleaner look and I think it will be even easier than the large serif for my Mom to read at the largest size.

Thank you again, Ted. You are a marvel!


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

DD said:


> Oh, my goodness, you are fast. I was out all day and just got home to find this Helvetica Large. I couldn't wait to get it on my Kindle. It is beautiful! I would like it a tiny bit darker on size 4 and lower (is it my imagination or is the large serif font darker?). But this is so clean and yet large enough for those who need larger text but don't always want to go up as high as size 6 to start out. This gives me some room to maneuver - starting off at size 4 and then progressing to size 5 later in the day if needed. This is a great alternative to the serif large font for those who want a cleaner look and I think it will be even easier than the large serif for my Mom to read at the largest size.
> 
> Thank you again, Ted. You are a marvel!


Unfortunately the fonts don't know what size they are so there's no way to adapt them to certain size display. However, if you want the large font made bolder, I could certainly do that, keeping in mind that every display will be even bolder. Let me know. Since that version has a specific use for you, I'd be happy to try making it bolder if that would make it more usable for you.
Also, what do you mean by "lower"?


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## gyoung (Apr 30, 2009)

I have been using the Bold/Narrow/Native font with a size 4, and enjoy it very much.  I find this allows me to read while I walk or am in relatively poor light areas.  Thanks.//George

Okay, I have changed my mind.  I found that the Georgia2 font was not only clear, but I was able to read at size 3, and actually squeezed a few more letters in each line with clarity.  The Helvetica is nice, but I prefer the serifs for reading.  I use arial on tacoma on my email for the smaller sanserif, but it just isn't the same for extended reading.  Thanks again.//George


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Unfortunately the fonts don't know what size they are so there's no way to adapt them to certain size display. However, if you want the large font made bolder, I could certainly do that, keeping in mind that every display will be even bolder. Let me know. Since that version has a specific use for you, I'd be happy to try making it bolder if that would make it more usable for you.
> Also, what do you mean by "lower"?


By lower, I mean size 4 font and down (sizes 1, 2, 3, and 4). The large fonts at size 5 and 6 seem bold enough. I hope I'm using the right terms here. Is 'bolder' the same as 'darker'? Maybe I mean to say 'darker' (as in more contrast). You would know better than I.

I love the clean look of the sans serif Large Helvetica. It would be really perfect for me if it were bolder (darker?) so that I don't have to always start out reading at size 5 or 6. I read a lot and my eyesight is growing worse even though I have my prescription changed often. I usually start out on size 4 and work up to 5 or 6 by the end of the day. I don't mind the home page being bolder or cutting off some of the titles. It's reading the pages where I strain.

I've been told I'm starting to have cataracts and will have to consider surgery in the near future. I've loved to read all my life but have never had the time I would like. Wouldn't you know it, now that I've finally retired from teaching and have all the time in the world to read, it's growing more difficult for me! When the K1 came out, I thought it was like a miracle. The light text on the K2 was a disappointment but your work has made it even better than the K1. You have no idea how many lives you have touched. For those who have a love of reading but have some difficulty with their eyesight, you are a miracle worker. I know you say it is a simple thing and it would be simple for Amazon to implement it. But, for me personally, what you have done is no small thing. Truly, I can't thank you enough.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

DD said:


> By lower, I mean size 4 font and down (sizes 1, 2, 3, and 4). The large fonts at size 5 and 6 seem bold enough. I hope I'm using the right terms here. Is 'bolder' the same as 'darker'? Maybe I mean to say 'darker' (as in more contrast). You would know better than I.
> 
> I love the clean look of the sans serif Large Helvetica. It would be really perfect for me if it were bolder (darker?) so that I don't have to always start out reading at size 5 or 6. I read a lot and my eyesight is growing worse even though I have my prescription changed often. I usually start out on size 4 and work up to 5 or 6 by the end of the day. I don't mind the home page being bolder or cutting off some of the titles. It's reading the pages where I strain.
> 
> I've been told I'm starting to have cataracts and will have to consider surgery in the near future. I've loved to read all my life but have never had the time I would like. Wouldn't you know it, now that I've finally retired from teaching and have all the time in the world to read, it's growing more difficult for me! When the K1 came out, I thought it was like a miracle. The light text on the K2 was a disappointment but your work has made it even better than the K1. You have no idea how many lives you have touched. For those who have a love of reading but have some difficulty with their eyesight, you are a miracle worker. I know you say it is a simple thing and it would be simple for Amazon to implement it. But, for me personally, what you have done is no small thing. Truly, I can't thank you enough.


got it, try this:
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helveticaBL_install.bin

I haven't actually tried it on my Kindle as I'm about to go to bed, but it should work fine. Let me know how that works for you.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> got it, try this:
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files/update_helveticaBL_install.bin
> 
> I haven't actually tried it on my Kindle as I'm about to go to bed, but it should work fine. Let me know how that works for you.


Ted, you mean you actually sleep? I don't know how you get the time with all the work you do!

Seriously though, this darker Helvetica is perfect! I can easily read at #4 and this gives me some room to increase the font size later in the day as my eyes tire.

I can't wait to try this one and the serif Large font in size 6 with my Mom. It would mean a lot of page turns, but that is only a flick of the finger and it is worth it to restore the joy of reading to her. Thank you so much!


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## Demoman (Apr 30, 2009)

Could someone please tell me step by step on how to do this hack and upgrade the fonts?

I haven't done a hack before and don't want to mess up my Kindle.

Thanks


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Folks, I had a great suggestion to gather up the positive feedback and put it all neatly on one page so that Amazon could see that this effort is making a positive change in peoples' lives. 
If you *do not* want me to use your quote, just let me know!

All the best,
-Ted


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Demoman said:


> Could someone please tell me step by step on how to do this hack and upgrade the fonts?
> 
> I haven't done a hack before and don't want to mess up my Kindle.
> 
> Thanks


Hi, Demoman. Welcome to the Kindleboards. This is from tedsan's website:

"Individual font files are installed by placing a single of the the update_xxx.bin file into the top level directory of the Kindle 2 through a USB connection. 
Note: download one of the new font .bin files (e.g. update_arialRndNrw_install.bin) from the website and save it somewhere on your computer. Each .bin file represents one new font. Connect your Kindle 2 to your computer with the USB cable. Open Windows Explorer. Your Kindle will appear as a drive in the file listing. Drag the saved .bin file to the drive letter that represents your Kindle. (Don't put it in any of the subfolders on the Kindle, only in the 'root directory', the main drive - on my PC it is called Drive (FKindle.) Dismount your Kindle from the computer using the "safely remove hardware" choice in your toolbar.

The Kindle 2 is then to be updated to install the new fonts. This is done as follows: Note: these steps are self explanatory
From the "home" screen, press "menu" 
Select "settings" 
Press "menu" 
Select "Update Your Kindle"
The Kindle will go through the installation procedure and restart itself. Don't use the slider or the menu 'restart option' to do this. This causes an infinite reboot cycle. Just let the Kindle do its thing when you go through the update process. I've done this hundreds of times now without a single glitch."

I've detailed the instructions in my notes (in blue) above. Remember, this font is only for use on the Kindle 2.
After you do this you should have the new font on your Kindle 2.

You can try other fonts by repeating the procedure above with a different font .bin file. You don't have to uninstall the last font in order to do this.

To uninstall the hack completely and return to Amazon's default font, repeat the procedure above using the 'update_uninstall.bin' file instead of one of the new font .bin files.

I hope I've made this clear. Have fun and enjoy the results of Ted's hard work!


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Folks, I had a great suggestion to gather up the positive feedback and put it all neatly on one page so that Amazon could see that this effort is making a positive change in peoples' lives.
> If you *do not* want me to use your quote, just let me know!
> 
> All the best,
> -Ted


Great idea, Ted!


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## ILoveMyKindle (Mar 13, 2009)

No problem!!!  I encourage it, Ted-san.  And just in case they aren't paying any more attention to the "Amazon: Please make the text darker on Kindle 2!" thread....maybe you could include some supporting quotes from there too.  Your suggestion to apply a font menu will not take anything away from others who appear content with the original font/contrast.  It's a win/win/win (win for those who are content, a win for those who are not, and a win for Amazon to be the hero).  But, as I've said before, there are people out there who don't know about these discussions and they are just settling due to a lack of information.  Then there are others who do know about these discussions but still see no problem...and hooray for them.  However, once given the choice, I bet my next paycheck the majority would take well advantage of a font menu and leave the original font in the dust.  Again, thank you.

Sincerely,
S. Quick


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Ted-San, not sure if you have this info or not, but Jeff Bezos does read his e-mail. He has someone else answer it, but from what I understand he does read it. I sent him a thank you letter concerning the K2 when it was released and his executive assistant answered thanking me and assuring me that Jeff reads his e-mail.  His e-mail is: [email protected] - pretty obvious, I just guessed and was right.

Might be a good idea to send him an e-mail about this? Just a thought.


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## BruceS (Feb 7, 2009)

Demoman said:


> Could someone please tell me step by step on how to do this hack and upgrade the fonts?
> 
> I haven't done a hack before and don't want to mess up my Kindle.
> 
> Thanks


Check the web site https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files for the files to install various fonts as well as instructions on how to do the install.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

wilsondm2 said:


> Ted-San, not sure if you have this info or not, but Jeff Bezos does read his e-mail. He has someone else answer it, but from what I understand he does read it. I sent him a thank you letter concerning the K2 when it was released and his executive assistant answered thanking me and assuring me that Jeff reads his e-mail. His e-mail is: [email protected] - pretty obvious, I just guessed and was right.
> 
> Might be a good idea to send him an e-mail about this? Just a thought.


Thanks for the pointer. I just sent a brief message to him. I've also taken the sage advice and created a page of reader comments about the fonts. I did a little bit of snipping of comments and may have missed some good ones (takes a long time to re-read all these comments!) but I think I've captured the essence of your feedback.
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-feedback

Thanks again to everybody!
-Ted


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Thanks for the pointer. I just sent a brief message to him. I've also taken the sage advice and created a page of reader comments about the fonts. I did a little bit of snipping of comments and may have missed some good ones (takes a long time to re-read all these comments!) but I think I've captured the essence of your feedback.
> https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-feedback
> 
> Thanks again to everybody!
> -Ted


Nice page! Hope it gets a look by Amazon.


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## Demoman (Apr 30, 2009)

DD said:


> Hi, Demoman. Welcome to the Kindleboards. This is from tedsan's website:
> 
> "Individual font files are installed by placing a single of the the update_xxx.bin file into the top level directory of the Kindle 2 through a USB connection.
> Note: download one of the new font .bin files (e.g. update_arialRndNrw_install.bin) from the website and save it somewhere on your computer. Each .bin file represents one new font. Connect your Kindle 2 to your computer with the USB cable. Open Windows Explorer. Your Kindle will appear as a drive in the file listing. Drag the saved .bin file to the drive letter that represents your Kindle. (Don't put it in any of the subfolders on the Kindle, only in the 'root directory', the main drive - on my PC it is called Drive (FKindle.) Dismount your Kindle from the computer using the "safely remove hardware" choice in your toolbar.
> ...


Thanks piece of cake, works great.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Demoman said:


> Thanks piece of cake, works great.


Great! Aren't the fonts great?!


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## auntmarge (Dec 4, 2008)

I've tried all the hack fonts now except the large Helvetica, and FWIW, here are my comments:

Droid: distracting, too crowded
Arial Round Narraw: very bold, would be good in sun
CmodBold: ugly but legible
CmodLarge: couldn't find comfortable size/space combination
CmodNarrow: pretty good, better than native bold
Goergia2: EXCELLENT.  The one I'm using, set at size 2 and spacing 5
Georgia Bold: Excellent
Helvetica 2: Quite readable 
Helvetica: Too squat and bold
Tall fonts: OK

Will be looking forward to trying more fonts as they come.  Thank you Ted!!!


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## ak rain (Nov 15, 2008)

Demoman said:


> Could someone please tell me step by step on how to do this hack and upgrade the fonts?
> 
> I haven't done a hack before and don't want to mess up my Kindle.
> 
> Thanks


I am with you there and could use some instruction. is there a picture to see what the difference is?
too shy to try
sylvia


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

ak rain said:


> I am with you there and could use some instruction. is there a picture to see what the difference is?
> too shy to try
> sylvia


See my earlier reply to Demoman:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7233.msg151015.html#msg151015


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## Jason in MA (Apr 28, 2009)

Anyone know what the difference between "Georgia" and "Georgia 2" is?  I assume Ted-san could answer this for me.  

Thanks in advance.

Jason


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## pawnslinger (May 1, 2009)

I have had my Kindle 2 for a few weeks now and I was able to read the normal fonts - with difficulty.  My vision is quite poor... due to diabetes, my maculars are in very bad shape.  I am 20/800 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye.  Normally I have to use an aid like ZoomText in order to read text on the computer screen.

Today I downloaded the Helvetica2 file from the link you provided and I am now able to use the font 3 instead of the native font 4.  This of course gives more text on-screen at one time.  And is very clear and easy to read.

I think Amazon ought to offer such fonts as a matter of course to anyone that wishes them.  Why not?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Jason Shafer said:


> Anyone know what the difference between "Georgia" and "Georgia 2" is? I assume Ted-san could answer this for me.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Jason


Yes sir. Georgia2 and Georgia are the same except Georgia2 is raised up because the original was sitting right on the underline due to a bug in the Kindle rendering code.


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## Jason in MA (Apr 28, 2009)

tedsan said:


> Yes sir. Georgia2 and Georgia are the same except Georgia2 is raised up because the original was sitting right on the underline due to a bug in the Kindle rendering code.


Thanks for the quick response!

I love Georgia by the way. Finally found my favorite. I use it on font size 1, spacing 4. It's perfect. Keep up the good work, and if you come up with any new classic serif type faces, let me know! They're my favorite.

Jason


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Jason Shafer said:


> Thanks for the quick response!
> 
> I love Georgia by the way. Finally found my favorite. I use it on font size 1, spacing 4. It's perfect. Keep up the good work, and if you come up with any new classic serif type faces, let me know! They're my favorite.
> 
> Jason


Serif fonts for the Kindle are particularly difficult because they're so lightweight. I looked through several thousand fonts before choosing that one. And even so, I had to add to the boldness for reasonable contrast on the Kindle. If you have a favorite, suggest it and I'll see how it works.

I have to give Amazon credit on the choice of Caecilia, as it's definitely one of the boldest, most clearly defined serif fonts out there. If you look at it on a PC, it looks too bold for many things. Unfortunately, you have to be really anal, like me, looking at characters pixel-by-pixel, in order to determine how well it will work on the Kindle. Once you know what to look for, it's pretty easy, but I'm bleary-eyed from the last couple weeks for jousting with fonts.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Hello Ted-san!  Thank you so much for taking the time to put all this together!  I certainly hope Amazon takes your hard work into consideration shortly.

I've finally gotten around to working my way through the hack & this thread.  I have 20/20 vision, but have found the fuzziness of the native font to be distracting. I'm an extremely fast reader, so my personal quest is for a font that I can read at smaller sizes to minimize page turns & preserve battery life. My particular K2 has a relatively light screen compared to some, no fading issues, and is surrounded by a dark skin.

You asked about ghosting:  Mine usually has some ghosting of the screensaver after awakening, and occasional minimal ghosting from menus or the home screen.  I've gotten in the habit of hitting Alt+G every time I enter a book, this darkens the overall text significantly and clears any residual imaging from the previous screen.  Ghosting does not return on my unit with regular page turns.

Original font:  Usually read on font size 2, no changes to line spacing (20 lines per page on the test book I'm using).  Font size three when reading hands free, or when tired.


First impressions of fonts tried:

cmodNarrow--liked on size 2, home page becomes almost distractingly dark against the light Kindle screen.  Will try for longer periods.
Droid--love the look of this one, except for the letter "i". Unfortunately, the dot on the lower case I runs into the rest of the letter on size two, and is nearly indistinguishable from the lower case L.
Arial Round Narrow--Looks nicest at size 3.  Will be trying this one for longer periods.
Georgia2:  Very attractive & legible even at size 1. 
Helvetica2:  Clean & legible at size 2, just not for me.
Tall:  Size 1 too small, size 2 too large.  (I feel like Goldilocks!)

I'm looking forward to trying any other introduced as I haven't yet found my ideal, but this is certainly an improvement.  I've left it on cmodNarrow for some extended reading; at size 2 with standard spacing, I'm getting one extra line per page--a small gain.  The darker font is definitely clearer in lower (indirect) light though!


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I installed the Bold Narrow Native font and really like it. I may try another later, but this one is nice. I'll wait a couple of days before trying another one. Thanks for doing this.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

VictoriaP said:


> Droid--love the look of this one, except for the letter "i". Unfortunately, the dot on the lower case I runs into the rest of the letter on size two, and is nearly indistinguishable from the lower case L.


Yes, I had the same problem with Droid and it finally got distracting enough that it was bothering me. I installed Helvetica2 this morning and so far, I am very happy with it.

L


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Overall I love Helvetica2 - but while reading today's USA Today I noticed it doesn't display accented o correctly. (o with a tilde) It displays a question mark instead.  Irritating, but not a game changer.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

wilsondm2 said:


> Overall I love Helvetica2 - but while reading today's USA Today I noticed it doesn't display accented o correctly. (o with a tilde) It displays a question mark instead. Irritating, but not a game changer.


Hmm, that's odd. I looked at the font and it has that character defined. Sometimes, there are multiple versions of the same character.
Is this an article that I can get online normally? Maybe I can look at it and figure out what's going on.


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Here's the online article - http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-04-30-mexico-flu_N.htm It showed up in the President's name, the o in Calderon should be accented. However, I was reading the Kindleized version. (I d/l the Friday edition for .75 every week)

In the first paragraph the name Jose has an accented e that does display correctly.


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## elmoglick (Apr 22, 2009)

tedsan said:


> Serif fonts for the Kindle are particularly difficult because they're so lightweight. I looked through several thousand fonts before choosing that one. And even so, I had to add to the boldness for reasonable contrast on the Kindle. If you have a favorite, suggest it and I'll see how it works.


Ted,

If you get a chance, a slightly bolded version of your excellent Helvetica would be great. I'm on my 5th K2 at this point and it appears to be free of the sunfade defect, but (alas) the text is noticeably lighter than my previous two. A slightly bolder Helvetica might just do the trick and save me a request for Kindle #6.

Is the font editing process something we might have some luck with? What tools do you use?

Thanks,
El


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

DD said:


> Hi, Demoman. Welcome to the Kindleboards. This is from tedsan's website:
> 
> "Individual font files are installed by placing a single of the the update_xxx.bin file into the top level directory of the Kindle 2 through a USB connection.
> Note: download one of the new font .bin files (e.g. update_arialRndNrw_install.bin) from the website and save it somewhere on your computer. Each .bin file represents one new font. Connect your Kindle 2 to your computer with the USB cable. Open Windows Explorer. Your Kindle will appear as a drive in the file listing. Drag the saved .bin file to the drive letter that represents your Kindle. (Don't put it in any of the subfolders on the Kindle, only in the 'root directory', the main drive - on my PC it is called Drive (FKindle.) Dismount your Kindle from the computer using the "safely remove hardware" choice in your toolbar.
> ...


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

Can you provide me with the same directions  for a Mac?
thanks


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

corkyb said:


> Can you provide me with the same directions for a Mac?
> thanks


Sorry, I dont know anything about Macs but I'm sure someone here does.


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

As I was reading through all the posts, I was trying to make a mental note of which was the most popular.  Of course I lost track a couple pages ago.  (I figure if all of you have checked them out, then I don't have to)

Has anyone (Ted?) been keeping track of the preferred font?


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

Maybe poll would be good? What everyone like the best and when choice has changed you can change the vote too?


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

corkyb said:


> Can you provide me with the same directions for a Mac?
> thanks


There's virtually no difference between PC & Mac on this one, other than you don't need to use Windows Explorer to navigate on your computer.  Save the .bin file to your desktop (don't unzip it). Connect the K2 to the Mac with your USB cable. Move the .bin file over to the Kindle. Eject the Kindle, and strictly follow the updating instructions from the section below DD's blue highlighted text.

General comment: You will need to do the same thing with the Uninstall .bin file every time an update from Amazon comes out and then reinstall the new fonts, so if you're not comfortable with working on your computer or with altering the system on your Kindle (which this does), please be cautious. There's nothing difficult about this hack, Tedsan has done a terrific job of making it as easy as possible, but like any other hack, you need to follow the instructions carefully.



kim said:


> As I was reading through all the posts, I was trying to make a mental note of which was the most popular. Of course I lost track a couple pages ago. (I figure if all of you have checked them out, then I don't have to)
> 
> Has anyone (Ted?) been keeping track of the preferred font?


I'd love to see if Ted has seen a pattern--I went through both threads this morning & it sure seems to me like everyone has a different preference. I don't know why I was surprised! LOL


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Shizu said:


> Maybe poll would be good? What everyone like the best and when choice has changed you can change the vote too?


A poll sounds like a great idea.

I've been keeping mental note of the feedback but haven't actually been counting. My gut tells me that the Helvetica family is most popular as a sans-serif font and Georgia for serif. But with variations in sizing and boldness depending upon a combination of factors including the contrast of one's screen, visual acuity, time of day/fatigue and lighting conditions.

I think the feedback clearly shows the importance of having many options available!

Regarding editing fonts oneself, I've been using FontCreator. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy, since it has tools that take the entire font and can scale it, bold it, etc. The process is just a little tedious as you then have to do four variations - regular, italic, bold and bold-italic. Those files are then renamed so that the font-hack uses them. You run a command that "compiles" the .bin file. As a programmer, it wasn't difficult for me to do. I'm not sure if it would make sense to someone without some programming or technical background.

If you're interested, I'd suggest reading through blogkindle.com
http://www.blogkindle.com/unicode-fonts-hack/
if you can figure it out from Andrei's instructions, then go for it. If you don't understand the directions, stay away or you'll likely brick your Kindle!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I'd be happy to set up a poll (I'll start a new thread). Ted, what are the names of all the fonts?

L


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Leslie said:


> I'd be happy to set up a poll (I'll start a new thread). Ted, what are the names of all the fonts?
> 
> L


Thanks L, I'm running out of town, so this is great.
Here's a copy from the download page with descriptions of each.

update_Droid_fonts_install.bin: installs the Unicode Droid fonts. The font has been modified to slightly increase the boldness of the default Droid font. 
update_arialRndNrw_install.bin: installs a modified version of the Arial Round font. The font has been made bolder and narrower for a more dense text display. This may be too bold for many readers, but it shows the most dramatic improvement in the readability for low-light conditions.
update_cmodNarrow_install.bin: installs a slightly bolded, narrower version of the native Kindle 2 fonts. This font is particularly useful. In side-by-side tests with two Kindle-2 readers, the narrow font in size 3 shows the same amount of text on the screen as the native font in size 2 but with greater clarity.
update_cmodBold_fonts_install.bin: This set of fonts are the native fonts where the plain font has been replaced by the bold font and the bold font has been made slightly bolder.
update_cmodLarge_fonts_install.bin: The original K2 font scaled to 125% of it's normal size. Allows even larger, bolder font scaling for those needing extra-large type, specifically those with vision issues, macular degeneration, cateracts, etc.
update_tall_fonts_install.bin: The K2 font scaled vertically by 115%, horizontally by 105%. Slightly bold, but thinned out a bit to be as thin as possible while retain good legibility at the smallest sizes. Some characters tweaked for greater clarity.
update_georgia_install.bin: This is a bolded, taller version of the Georgia font. It is a more traditional serif font, bolded just enough to ensure high definition on the K2 display. Because it is a serif font, it is not as bold as many of the other replacement fonts. It is intended to provide more of a traditional book font.
update_georgia2_install.bin: This is identical to Georgia but raised up so that it doesn't sit on the underline. There appears to be a bug in the Kindle rendering code where it ignores the font metrics as to where the underline is supposed to be drawn.

update_helvetica_install.bin: Standard Helvetica font. This is the same font used by the Kindle for menus and other sans serif displays.
update_helvetica2_install.bin: Helvetica stretched vertically 110% and horizontally 105%.
update_helveticaL_install.bin: helvetica2 expanded 125%. May be good for those with visual impariment who require "large print" books.
update_helveticaBL_install.bin: a bolder version of the large Helvetica font.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I have a question. When you keep trying new fonts, dropping the bin files into the root folder and leaving the other ones in there, how do you go back to one you tried earlier? uninstall bin? that gets rid off all the files? Or just deleting the fonts not needed from the directory? 

Just curious


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Atunah said:


> I have a question. When you keep trying new fonts, dropping the bin files into the root folder and leaving the other ones in there, how do you go back to one you tried earlier? uninstall bin? that gets rid off all the files? Or just deleting the fonts not needed from the directory?
> 
> Just curious


You can just keep switching fonts by dropping the .bin file for the font into your root directory and going through the update steps. No need to use the uninstall.bin file in between. You only need that if you are removing the font hack completely and then you can just delete the superfluous files left behind in the root directory after the uninstall.


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## ak rain (Nov 15, 2008)

i did notice that there were some odd files hanging out after uninstalling font. should I delete? how do I know I am not deleting a original kindle file? 
Sylvia


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

ak rain said:


> i did notice that there were some odd files hanging out after uninstalling font. should I delete? how do I know I am not deleting a original kindle file?
> Sylvia


I'd like to know this as well.

Also is it necessary to delete any of these files after running the update_uninstall.bin to go back to the original fonts before applying an Amazon update or does one just have to run the update_uninstall.bin and be good to go?


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Okay another question or potential problem.

I've run the following files successfully:

update_helvecta2_intall.bin
update_uninstall.bin
udate_georgia_install.bin

but.......the install keeps failing when I try the:

update_georgia2_install.bin

Other than that, *HOLY CRAP*, I can't believe how much darker and more legible the text is. I didn't really have any problems with the original Kindle 2 fonts but I'm not giving up the georgia fonts now that I have them.

I was able to drop it down a font size as well.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

DD said:


> You can just keep switching fonts by dropping the .bin file for the font into your root directory and going through the update steps. No need to use the uninstall.bin file in between. You only need that if you are removing the font hack completely and then you can just delete the superfluous files left behind in the root directory after the uninstall.


But if the file is already in the root directory, then what. What I mean is, lets assume I go through the list and drop one after another and update and see if I like it. So all the bin files at that point are in the root directory. How do I go back to the font I tried 5 other fonts ago. Am I making sense? Do I drop that file in the directory again, even though its technically already there?


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## elmoglick (Apr 22, 2009)

Atunah said:


> But if the file is already in the root directory, then what. What I mean is, lets assume I go through the list and drop one after another and update and see if I like it. So all the bin files at that point are in the root directory. How do I go back to the font I tried 5 other fonts ago. Am I making sense? Do I drop that file in the directory again, even though its technically already there?


Each .bin file is deleted from the root directory when the update has completed. There can only be one update bin file there at a time, in order to properly update.

El


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

elmoglick said:


> Each .bin file is deleted from the root directory when the update has completed. There can only be one update bin file there at a time, in order to properly update.
> 
> El


Thank you very much, now I get it.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

You've all been busy today!

re: extra files on Kindle - after you uninstall, you can delete all those files. Andrei told me they're just housekeeping files that you don't have to worry about. Also, there are no official Kindle files in the root directory, so you can delete all the files. Just don't accidentally delete the folders!

I'm not sure what's going on with Georgia2. Is anybody else having trouble with that one? Perhaps the file got corrupted?

There's no reversion to last font. You just reinstall. Use uninstall when you want to go back to the native fonts.


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## elmoglick (Apr 22, 2009)

tedsan said:


> I'm not sure what's going on with Georgia2. Is anybody else having trouble with that one? Perhaps the file got corrupted?


I just downloaded it and installed it, and it works just fine on my Kindle.

El


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## Anthony34 (Mar 18, 2009)

Ted-san, an intriguing proposition has been raised by auntmarge in another thread:

Can the gray background be HACKED? You know, to make it lighter, like a book. Is it even possible from an engineering stand point?

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7442.0.html


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

elmoglick said:


> I just downloaded it and installed it, and it works just fine on my Kindle.
> 
> El


I may have to download again and retry it. It was really weird it started the update, paused and said it failed. Tried it 2 or 3 times with the same result.


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## ELDogStar (Dec 19, 2008)

tedsan said:


> You've all been busy today!
> 
> re: extra files on Kindle - after you uninstall, you can delete all those files. Andrei told me they're just housekeeping files that you don't have to worry about. Also, there are no official Kindle files in the root directory, so you can delete all the files. Just don't accidentally delete the folders!
> 
> ...


I did and am using Georgia 2 just about 90 minutes ago.
Seems fine!

Eric


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Okay, re-downloaded the georgia2 font and tried it again.  Worked this time, go figure.

BTW love the font!


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Anthony34 said:


> Ted-san, an intriguing proposition has been raised by auntmarge in another thread:
> 
> Can the gray background be HACKED? You know, to make it lighter, like a book. Is it even possible from an engineering stand point?
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7442.0.html


Highly unlikely. Honestly though, I'm just using the font hack created by someone else. However, from what I know of the technology, the 'white' that we get represents full reflectivity from the white pigments in the E-Ink. My microscopic analysis of the screen shows that white really does represent basically full white that is possible.
However, since there appears to be variation from screen to screen, it _may_ be that on the darker screens that the electrostatic field that is applied to bring the white pigment granules to the surface may be inadequate to fully bring them up. But, this is mere speculation, and without microscopic analysis of "light" and "dark" screens, I couldn't say.


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## tlrowley (Oct 29, 2008)

Ted-san, I really appreciate what you've done for Kindle users in creating/massaging these fonts.  It makes a tremendous difference in readability.  

I have a question about changing the line spacing when using the font hacks, though.  It seems that I can't change the line spacing down to the lowest level (1 or 2).  I understand that some of the fonts have been made taller, and I wouldn't question the line spacing not being possible at 1 or 2, but I see the screen redraw at the smallest font spacing, and then immediately redraw back to a larger spacing size - 3, I'd guess.  If the Kindle can compose the smaller line spacing for a split second, why would it immediately redraw at the larger spacing.  Is it that there are spacing errors that I can't see on the quick flash?

Anyhow, not a big problem.

Again - ありがとうございました。


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

tlrowley said:


> Ted-san, I really appreciate what you've done for Kindle users in creating/massaging these fonts. It makes a tremendous difference in readability.
> 
> I have a question about changing the line spacing when using the font hacks, though. It seems that I can't change the line spacing down to the lowest level (1 or 2). I understand that some of the fonts have been made taller, and I wouldn't question the line spacing not being possible at 1 or 2, but I see the screen redraw at the smallest font spacing, and then immediately redraw back to a larger spacing size - 3, I'd guess. If the Kindle can compose the smaller line spacing for a split second, why would it immediately redraw at the larger spacing. Is it that there are spacing errors that I can't see on the quick flash?
> 
> ...


The line spacing issue is a mystery. I've looked into it to no avail, even modifying the font itself to a smaller box, which does allow closer spacing but still not the spacing 1 or 2. Like you say, it can show it for a minute, so why does it spring back to a larger spacing? Sounds like a rendering bug to me!


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## tlrowley (Oct 29, 2008)

Yeah, I blame Amazon, too


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## Tranquil Ape (Mar 19, 2009)

Ted, first of all, this is awesome... the work your doing is a great service to the community... second, was wondering if italics and bold forms of fonts had any problems? i know there was another font hack a while back and they did have a decent font but i opted not to install it as i would have lost the ability to have italics?  I have no idea how fonts files are set up so not sure if im even asking the question in the correct manner, i hope this makes sense...getting ready to install helvetica2 

thanks again


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Tranquil Ape said:


> Ted, first of all, this is awesome... the work your doing is a great service to the community... second, was wondering if italics and bold forms of fonts had any problems? i know there was another font hack a while back and they did have a decent font but i opted not to install it as i would have lost the ability to have italics? I have no idea how fonts files are set up so not sure if im even asking the question in the correct manner, i hope this makes sense...getting ready to install helvetica2
> 
> thanks again


No problems with italics as a general rule. For each font family on the Kindle (there are three - serif, used for reading; sans-serif, used for page titles and navigation stuff; and monospaced, used nowhere in general but I've seen it pop up a few places), there are four variations:
regular
italic
bold
bold-italic

So, for each font that I've adapted for Kindle use, I need to load in each of these four variations and adjust their boldness so that they are legible. I've made myself a document with all the styles for quick comparison and all the fonts I've uploaded are usable for all styles.

To answer your real question - there are no problems with the fonts I've uploaded for any standard reading style. some special characters (accented one in certain cases) appear to display incorrectly, but I've been getting very few reports of problems. I'm not sure why other font have had issues.


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## Tranquil Ape (Mar 19, 2009)

Georgia2 is AWESOME, always leaned toward more traditional fonts and im probably biased but it looks fantastic! and Dark!! im about ready to send you a check!!  lol...  installing some of the others now to give a look see


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

If you have installed fonts and are using one, please go to the poll and let us know what you are using. These are helpful data.
Thanks!

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,7441.0.html is the thread with the poll.

L


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## Gregor (Feb 28, 2009)

Still playing with it and trying to decide which one I like best.  They're all a vast improvement over the original!

This whole process reminds me of when Tivo was introduced.  A few adventurous souls opened the box up and sifted through the hard drive to see what could be done with it.  Tivo was very generous in allowing any hack that did not affect payment for services, and people came up with quite a few useful tricks.  As time went on, Tivo eventually locked down the software, but they did add a feature where folks could add features.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I don't have any comment yet, because I am just now taking the plunge.
Will move slowly and cautiously and report after I have tasted (or tested) them all.
Thanks so much.


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## Bricktop (May 3, 2009)

Georgia 2, currently in the smallest size.  And THANK YOU!!!


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

New fonts for testing.
There is a selection of new fonts available for testing thanks to a board member who suggested and provided the raw font files. These files are on the download page, and are as follows:

Diavolo bold - a bold, stylized, sans-serif font from Exljbris Font Foundry. 
Lucida sans demibold - This is An attractive, sans-serif font. 
Myriad Web - an older Adobe font that looks extremely similar to Helvetica, only better! This is the font that I'm currently using.
Verdana - one of the standard Microsoft fonts, again modeled after Helvetica but with smoother curves and more open loops.

Enjoy, and don't forget to "vote" (oops, poll needs to be updated)

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## chevauchee (Mar 29, 2009)

Anyone else having difficulty installing Lucida? I coud install all the others (and Diavolo is quite spiffy, but a bit too crowded on size 1 for comfortable reading IMO), but my 'Update Your Kindle' menu option remained greyed out when I tried Lucida. I even tried unistalling the hack and deleting the associated files without luck.

*Edit:* I deleted my copy of the file instead of overwriting it and downloaded it again. Installed fine this time.


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## FlannelE (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks Paulette and Ted-san.  When I hear those 3 magic words ("more new fonts"), my life gets a whole lot better!

After installing the 4 new fonts, I have to say that I'm still partial to Helvetica 2

1) Helvetica 2 at size 3 (line spacing 3) - nearly perfect, text jumps off the page.

2) Verdana

3) Arial Narrow Round

4) Georgia 2

5) Myriad (a tad too dark)

6) Lucida (a tad too dark)

7) Diavlo (a bit too...stylized and very dark at #4)


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## Sweet-P (Apr 26, 2009)

How many people have gotten the fonts edit from Ted-San? He has done quite an outstanding job of providing readable fonts for us who have had problems with the lighter text of the Kindle 2. He has many fonts to choose from to suit just about anyone's need for improved readability on the Kindle. He has helped make my Kindle perfect, and I think it would be nice to make a contribution to Ted for his time and effort in making our Kindle reading experience so much more enjoyable, something Amazon has fallen short of and should have done for us.

So I'd like to encourage all you people who now have a better Kindle, thanks to Ted-San, to consider sending a little *thank you contribution* to him for his generosity. *Come on--let's show him our appreciation! * 

Contact information for Ted can be found at his web site: 
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

Thanks, Ted! 

Paulette (Sweet-P)


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## e2c (May 6, 2009)

Just tried Helvetica and Georgia - Tedsan, you're a genius! Thanks *so much* for all your hard work on this project... And you're right, Amazon should provide font choices as part of the package.

Fwiw, the Georgia looked a bit crowded on my K2's display until I messed around with the guttering. Now it's just right.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

e2c said:


> Just tried Helvetica and Georgia - Tedsan, you're a genius! Thanks *so much* for all your hard work on this project... And you're right, Amazon should provide font choices as part of the package.
> 
> Fwiw, the Georgia looked a bit crowded on my K2's display until I messed around with the guttering. Now it's just right.


The guttering How do you adjust the guttering?


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

Sweet-P said:


> So I'd like to encourage all you people who now have a better Kindle, thanks to Ted-San, to consider sending a little *thank you contribution* to him for his generosity. *Come on--let's show him our appreciation! *
> ...
> Thanks, Ted!
> 
> Paulette (Sweet-P)


Ditto that! Drop Ted a Fiver!


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## sbell1 (Mar 31, 2009)

How do we send a thank you contribution?


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

sbell1 said:


> How do we send a thank you contribution?


This page has a PayPal Donate button https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## Morpheus Phreak (May 6, 2009)

I'd personally like to see Garmond make it in one of these days (Stephen Kings official typeset).

I have a copy of the font on my system if you'd like to peek at it tedsan


hmm...looking at it though it only has 3 variations, regular, bold. italic, no bold-italic.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I just installed the Helvetica2 font, then went to look at the book I am currently reading:



The font did not update. I thought perhaps I did something wrong with the install, so I downloaded the .bin and tried again. Still the font did not change. Then I looked at several other books on the Kindle, and sure enough, the font had changed to Helvetica. Went back to _Don't Be Afraid_, the font is not Helvetica. Not sure if it was Georgia, which I installed previously, or the default Kindle font.

Anyone else have this anomaly with any Kindle books?


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## Christina (Feb 4, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> I just installed the Helvetica2 font, then went to look at the book I am currently reading:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks like that book is in Topaz format, in which the fonts seem to be embedded, so that the font hack will not affect them.


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## e2c (May 6, 2009)

DD said:


> The guttering How do you adjust the guttering?


alt + shift + [choose number, 1 through 9]


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Christina said:


> It looks like that book is in Topaz format, in which the fonts seem to be embedded, so that the font hack will not affect them.


Which is a shame, since the Topaz books on my K2 are the worst offenders when it comes to inconsistent text density. Thankfully the majority are in other formats.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Christina said:


> It looks like that book is in Topaz format, in which the fonts seem to be embedded, so that the font hack will not affect them.


No doubt you are right, I should have looked at that first. If this is indeed a Topaz book, it is very well formatted. Not like the last few I have read, which really looked like photocopies of paperbacks.


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## lisa.m (May 6, 2009)

Thank you so much! I am a new kindle owner and was a little disappointed in the light text/low contrast. I wasn't sure if I would be able to justify keeping the kindle. I discovered your fonts when doing some google searches about darker text for the kindle. I didn't realize it was such a problem and I thought I had researched the device quite well before purchasing. Anyway, you've made it such a pleasure for me to read my kindle. Amazon should be more than grateful to you because otherwise I might have been sending mine back.

Thank you very much and I sent you a donation via paypal to show my appreciation for all of your efforts!

Oh, my font of choice at the moment is Georgia2. I LOVE it!!!


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

e2c said:


> alt + shift + [choose number, 1 through 9]


Oh, you mean the line spacing. I never heard it called 'guttering' before. Thanks. I love the line spacing feature and make good use of it.


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## elmoglick (Apr 22, 2009)

e2c said:


> alt + shift + [choose number, 1 through 9]


The correct typographic term is actually "leading", which means line spacing.

El


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

After trying "cmodNarrow", "Lucida_Demi", "georgia2", and "tall_fonts", I've settled on "georgia2" as the one I like best for book-reading. (The "cmodNarrow" would be my 2nd choice.)


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

elmoglick said:


> The correct typographic term is actually "leading", which means line spacing.
> 
> El


Thanks. I love to collect these kinds of little known (for most people) facts. My brother calls me "The Queen of Useless Information". Not that your information is useless. Well, you know what I mean - little known information.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

DD said:


> Thanks. I love to collect these kinds of little known (for most people) facts. My brother calls me "The Queen of Useless Information". Not that your information is useless. Well, you know what I mean - little known information.


I worked at one of the first computerized typesetting companies quite a few years ago, so now I can add "carding", "feathering", and "kerning" to the (mostly) useless information you can gather.


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

NogDog said:


> I worked at one of the first computerized typesetting companies quite a few years ago, so now I can add "carding", "feathering", and "kerning" to the (mostly) useless information you can gather.


Ha ha. Thanks, NogDog!


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## Gretchen Z (Feb 28, 2009)

Ted-san - thanks so much for all your help!  The lack of contrast was something I was willing to live with because I loved everything else about my K2.  But now, due to all your hard work, I don't have to.  Because I was hesitant to mess with my baby, I just got around to installing my first font last night... and I'm amazed at the difference!   Ahhhhh, so much easier on the eyes.  It's like reading on my K1 again!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

So far I've only installed the bold native to improve on the original, because for two months I've been pleading "if only the font were darker...", and now it is.  Next I'll start playing with the other fonts, then I'll take the poll.  

But for now, on to the most important thing... a contribution on your site!  
Thanks agin!


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Gretchen Z said:


> Ted-san - thanks so much for all your help! The lack of contrast was something I was willing to live with because I loved everything else about my K2. But now, due to all your hard work, I don't have to. Because I was hesitant to mess with my baby, I just got around to installing my first font last night... and I'm amazed at the difference! Ahhhhh, so much easier on the eyes. It's like reading on my K1 again!
> Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> So far I've only installed the bold native to improve on the original, because for two months I've been pleading "if only the font were darker...", and now it is. Next I'll start playing with the other fonts, then I'll take the poll.
> ...


Gretchen, you're very welcome! It's been great to see how much this has improved the reading experience for people. We all love our Kindles, we just want to be able to read them!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

tedsan said:


> Gretchen, you're very welcome! It's been great to see how much this has improved the reading experience for people. We all love our Kindles, we just want to be able to read them!


Ditto on the thanks here!


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## Sweet-P (Apr 26, 2009)

*No one appreciates Ted's work more than I do!  If you only knew how dedicated he is to helping us enjoy our Kindles...

Many, many thanks, Ted!
~P*


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Sweet-P said:


> *No one appreciates Ted's work more than I do!  If you only knew how dedicated he is to helping us enjoy our Kindles...
> 
> Many, many thanks, Ted!
> ~P*


Agreed indeed!!! I've told him before, but thank you, thank you, thank you, Ted!


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

DD said:


> Agreed indeed!!! I've told him before, but thank you, thank you, thank you, Ted!


You folks are too good to me! Thank you. 
And a special thanks again to those who have contributed to the font editor fund! I've almost gotten enough to pay for the font editor that made all this possible. It's been a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to "meet" you.

Cheers!
-Ted


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## Sweet-P (Apr 26, 2009)

tedsan said:


> You folks are too good to me! Thank you.
> And a special thanks again to those who have contributed to the font editor fund! I've almost gotten enough to pay for the font editor that made all this possible. It's been a great experience and a wonderful opportunity to "meet" you.
> 
> Cheers!
> -Ted


*Come on, people....let's give to Ted so he can get that program and give us more BEAUTIFUL fonts for our Kindles!! *


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## Katydid (Oct 28, 2008)

DD said:


> Hi, Demoman. Welcome to the Kindleboards. This is from tedsan's website:
> 
> "Individual font files are installed by placing a single of the the update_xxx.bin file into the top level directory of the Kindle 2 through a USB connection.
> Note: download one of the new font .bin files (e.g. update_arialRndNrw_install.bin) from the website and save it somewhere on your computer. Each .bin file represents one new font. Connect your Kindle 2 to your computer with the USB cable. Open Windows Explorer. Your Kindle will appear as a drive in the file listing. Drag the saved .bin file to the drive letter that represents your Kindle. (Don't put it in any of the subfolders on the Kindle, only in the 'root directory', the main drive - on my PC it is called Drive (FKindle.) Dismount your Kindle from the computer using the "safely remove hardware" choice in your toolbar.
> ...


Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tedsan. And you too, DD. I just discovered this thread and was reluctant to try this font hack because--while I'm not quite computer illiterate--I'm not the most computer-savy person.

Like a number of other people here, I have eye problems (a stupid rare corneal disease). I upgraded from the KK to the K2 because Amazon's preview made it look like the K2 background was white instead of grey, which would give it more contrast. I was sorely disappointed.

I have downloaded the Georgia2 font and am now able to read with font size 4 instead of 6. What a pleasure. I am most grateful to you Tedsan. I need to test drive several of the fonts before I make a final decision as to my favorite.

I love KindleBoards!


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Katydid said:


> Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tedsan. And you too, DD. I just discovered this thread and was reluctant to try this font hack because--while I'm not quite computer illiterate--I'm not the most computer-savy person.
> 
> Like a number of other people here, I have eye problems (a stupid rare corneal disease). I upgraded from the KK to the K2 because Amazon's preview made it look like the K2 background was white instead of grey, which would give it more contrast. I was sorely disappointed.
> 
> ...


So glad Ted's font enhancements (I think 'hack' sounds so pedestrian)  helped you like they help me. I love the helveticaBL. It is so dark and crisp, I can read on size 3 or 4 when I used to have to use size 6, even with the K1. This has made life so much easier.


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## veeboo (Apr 9, 2009)

My favorite font changes on a weekly basis (because Ted keeps adding more fonts! A good thing!)

I keep going back to Helvetica2 though...

I would be more than happy to contribute Ted!


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## Katydid (Oct 28, 2008)

You're so right, DD.  Enhancement is a much better word.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Eh, a hard-core programmer won't be insulted by "hack" (even if "hacker" has acquired the same connotation as "cracker" in general usage). Just don't call it a "kludge".


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Hey font-testers!

My wife had an idea - since there's so much about the Kindle in the press these days, she suggested that I put together an article to send to the national papers about how the Kindle has made reading more possible/enjoyable for readers with visual disabilities/issues, especially with the font enhancement. When she read your comments, she said "you really need to expand public awareness of this beyond the few hundred people reading the boards." 

It sounds like a great idea to me! So if you've got a story that you'd like to share, could you post a short paragraph. I'll have my wife pick some of these and put together an article for us.

She also suggested that we have a picture of someone reading the Kindle to "humanize" the article a bit more. That sounded like an excellent idea also. So if any of you are willing/able and interested, maybe you could send a picture or two. Maybe one front view reading and another from the side showing the screen and some text) as well as the reader.

She also suggest we strike while the poker is hot and gave me a deadline of collecting the quotes and pictures in the first few days of the week.

Thanks for your help!
-Ted


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## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

tedsan said:


> Hey font-testers!
> 
> My wife had an idea - since there's so much about the Kindle in the press these days, she suggested that I put together an article to send to the national papers about how the Kindle has made reading more possible/enjoyable for readers with visual disabilities/issues, especially with the font enhancement. When she read your comments, she said "you really need to expand public awareness of this beyond the few hundred people reading the boards."
> 
> ...


Great idea, Ted, to get this out in the public more. (Smart wife!). Below in brackets is a comment you can use that summarizes all of the comments I've made in the past:

[ I've been told I'm starting to have cataracts and will have to consider surgery in the near future. I've loved to read all my life but have never had the time I would like. Now that I'm retired and have all the time in the world to read, it's growing more difficult for me! When the Kindle 1 came out, I thought it was like a miracle. I could read for hours without eyestrain and the nice crisp text and adjustable font sizes made it easy.

The light text on the Kindle 2 was a disappointment, a step backwards for me. Your font enhancements have made it so much easier for me to read. You have no idea how many lives you have touched. For those who have a love of reading but have some difficulty with their eyesight what you have done is almost miraculous. My Mom has a visual impairment due to Macular Degeneration. She can't even read the large text books from the library. Your Helvetica Bold large text at size 6 is going to restore the joy of reading for her.

If Amazon would give Kindle 2 owners a choice of font style and boldness in addition to the size choice, it could open up the world of books for many people who would otherwise not be able to read. Plus, by expanding the market to include those with vision issues, Amazon will sell more Kindles! ]

Hope you can use this. Sorry, I have no pictures. I left my camera charger up North and we won't be back up there until next week.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I love the fact that I can change the font size "on the go" with the Kindle. I had a torn retina in one eye which was repaired by laser surgery (where "repaired" means they stop it from tearing any further). However it still has "stuff" floating around in it as an after-effect. That along with being pretty badly near-sighted and with astigmatism, my sight is so-so at best, sometimes tends to have a vertical double or ghost image, and sometimes has significant "floaters" in my damaged eye that can mess things up. Being able to adjust the font size to the current state of my trouble-making eyes can be a real blessing. And your darker fonts generally allow me to go maybe one size smaller now for the same readability, which is great in that it means less paging and somewhat better page formatting, in general.


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## tamborine (May 16, 2009)

Ted, you're my new idol!  

I changed to Georgia 2 - what a difference! And I have a dark colored DecalGirl skin coming soon, so it'll get even better.

Thanks so much for providing this for us!

I wish I had good story for your wife to pass on to Amazon, but unfortunately, my only problem is that I'm getting old. I'm 50 and super nearsighted. Now I've developed presbyopia too. Rather than wear contacts & use reading glasses, I have monovision contacts (one lens for distance, the other for reading). So consequently I don't have the sharpest eyesight under any conditions. I've only had the K-2 for 2 days, but I wasn't liking the screen contrast, and had to use a gigantic font and turn the page after a couple of sentences. Your fix has made a wonderful improvement and will definitely increase my enjoyment of my new toy!!

(zipping away to donate now!!)

Maryann


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## veeboo (Apr 9, 2009)

Any updates on that article Ted-san?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

veeboo said:


> Any updates on that article Ted-san?


Life's gotten in the way... Hopefully I'll be able to get back to it soon.


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## veeboo (Apr 9, 2009)

Completely understand! Was just wondering because you've been quiet lately. Hope everything is well- let us know if we can help in any way!


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## DavidSherwood (May 28, 2009)

Thank you for providing a choice of fonts for my Kindle. All of your fonts that I have tried are better than the Kindle font because that are darker which makes better contrast and easier reading. My favorite is ComicSans. I was going to vote in the poll but found my choice not listed! I guess with a name like “Comic” you get no respect! This font happens to be my favorite on my computer. It is a pleasure to have it on my Kindle. I hope if Amazon every does provide font choices, ComicSans is not left out because it is assumed to be a joke.


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## Abouna (Apr 24, 2009)

DavidSherwood said:


> Thank you for providing a choice of fonts for my Kindle. All of your fonts that I have tried are better than the Kindle font because that are darker which makes better contrast and easier reading. My favorite is ComicSans. I was going to vote in the poll but found my choice not listed! I guess with a name like "Comic" you get no respect! This font happens to be my favorite on my computer. It is a pleasure to have it on my Kindle. I hope if Amazon every does provide font choices, ComicSans is not left out because it is assumed to be a joke.


I didn't see ComicSans in the list?


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Well, according to blogkindle (the creator of the original "font hack"), Amazon has changed the code updating routines so his font updater does NOT work with the the Kindle DX.

On the positive side, Andrei (blogkindle's author) says the text looks darker. But, of course, no folders, no fonts.

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

-T


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

Just wanted to send out my THANKS to Ted on the great font hack!  I have to admit I was somewhat nervous about loading the font hack onto my K2 but after reading all of the really great reviews, I decided to give it a try and WOW what a difference.  The text is darker and much crisper than the original K2 fonts.  I actually loaded the lucinda font and I LOVE IT!  My only question is if the smart people that own Kindles can figure this stuff out, why can't Amazon?  I am guessing it is only a matter of time until one of the Kindle owners figures out how to put folders onto Kindle.  Amazon, are you listening?  Thanks Ted for your time and effort and I am truly happy with the results.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Awesome. I'm glad to be "part of the solution!"


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## tbergman (Jul 6, 2009)

This weekend I tried out a variety of Ted's fonts and found them to be a great improvement. I have, for now, settled on cModBold. 

I have a suggestion for a further improvement. As everyone knows, there are 6 font sizes available. I find that size 1 and size 6 are not particularly useful. 1 is too small, 6 too big, At the same time, I find that I would really like a size between 2 and 3, 3 and 4 etc. What I'd like to see is a font set that takes 6 even steps between what is currently size 2 and size 5.
I find myself frequently changing sizes with differing lighting conditions and would like a little more granularity.
Is this even possible? I don't know how sizes are selected.

Thanks,

Tom


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

tbergman said:


> At the same time, I find that I would really like a size between 2 and 3, 3 and 4 etc.


I'd like an extra size between 3 and 4. When my eyes get tired with 3, I find the jump to 4 to be too much. I wouldn't want to take away the size 6 for folks who need it, but I'd like a 3.5 size.


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Unfortunately, when we create fonts, we only load a single size and the Kindle scales that for display, so to do specifically what you ask for requires the Kindle to actually change their software.

HOWEVER, this has been a common request, so I created larger versions of some of the fonts. For example, cmod large is 125% scaled version of the standard font. This makes size 1 more like size 2 etc.
Likewise, Helvetica2, HelveticaL and HelveticaBL are larger and bolder versions. 

I'd suggest trying some of these larger sizes. They'll allow reading at size 1, which is more like size 2 or 3. Then you of course get the larger sizes as you select on the Kindle menu. it's not perfect, but it does help a bit and serves as a reasonable compromise.

-Ted


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ted. . .any enhancements in the works for the DX?


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## Wildgift (Jun 24, 2009)

Wow. I downloaded and installed the Georgia font, and what a HUGE improvement!  I was a bit worried about the prospect of a bricked kindle, but the directions are really easy and spot on.  It took about 5 minutes from download to reading the new font.  Many, many thanks!


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

tedsan said:


> HOWEVER, this has been a common request, so I created larger versions of some of the fonts. For example, cmod large is 125% scaled version of the standard font. This makes size 1 more like size 2 etc.
> Likewise, Helvetica2, HelveticaL and HelveticaBL are larger and bolder versions.
> 
> I'd suggest trying some of these larger sizes. They'll allow reading at size 1, which is more like size 2 or 3. Then you of course get the larger sizes as you select on the Kindle menu. it's not perfect, but it does help a bit and serves as a reasonable compromise.
> ...


Ted, this is a great idea. I'm off to try it now... Thanks! 

*Edited to update*: I tried the cmod large, and it offered a good choice of reading fonts, but it made the menu items too large (when in the home screen). So I tried the tall version instead and it was perfect. I can use Size 2 now when my eyes are rested, then go up to size 3 when they're tired. It's smaller than the normal size 4, but larger than 3 - right in the middle. Perfect for me. Thanks again for suggesting this.


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I wish there were more fonts for K1.  I need some choices


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hi Ted,

Just to give you an update. I just downloaded and installed the Helevetica2 ("currently the most popular font") on my DX. The whole process worked flawlessly and took about 3 minutes from beginning to end. The font looks great. Thanks again for all your hard work and making our Kindles a little more readable!

Leslie
Global Mod


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Got any pictures, Leslie?  

And I'm pretty sure there's a dedicated DX font hack thread around here somewhere. . . . .


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## tedsan (Mar 3, 2009)

Excellent - thanks for trying it out.
I'll keep converting the fonts and should have them all ported to the DX in the next few days.
-Ted


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Got any pictures, Leslie?
> 
> And I'm pretty sure there's a dedicated DX font hack thread around here somewhere. . . . .


Unfortunately, Alt-G for screen shots doesn't seem to work on the DX and I don't think taking a picture with my iPhone would be very clear.

L


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## Miranda7 (Jun 8, 2009)

I'm very happy with the style, size, spacing and boldness of the K2 native font, however, more contrast/darker color would be nice.  Do any of these fonts do ONLY this (improve contrast/darkness)?  Or do they all achieve this result by changing the size, spacing or boldness?


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

Miranda7 said:


> I'm very happy with the style, size, spacing and boldness of the K2 native font, however, more contrast/darker color would be nice. Do any of these fonts do ONLY this (improve contrast/darkness)? Or do they all achieve this result by changing the size, spacing or boldness?


Miranda,

One of the following two fonts seem to be what you're looking for:

*cmodBold*
(This set of fonts are the native fonts where the plain font has been replaced by the bold font and the bold font has been made slightly bolder.)

*cmodNarrow*
(installs a slightly bolded, narrower version of the native Kindle 2 fonts. This font is particularly useful. In side-by-side tests with two Kindle-2 readers, the narrow font in size 3 shows the same amount of text on the screen as the native font in size 2 but with greater clarity.)

They're available here: 
https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

I am bumping this thread so that it will be easier to find later this week.  I still can't find the step by step instructions on installing the font hack, but I am sure it is in here somewhere!  LOL


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> I am bumping this thread so that it will be easier to find later this week. I still can't find the step by step instructions on installing the font hack, but I am sure it is in here somewhere! LOL


Go to the Ted's website.

Figure out which font you want and download it to your computer, then copy it to your Kindle with the USB cable. Make sure it is in the root directory, not one of the folders.

From there, follow Ted's instructions:

The Kindle 2 is then to be updated to install the new fonts. This is done as follows:

1. From the "home" screen, press "menu"
2. Select "settings"
3. Press "menu"
4. Select "Update Your Kindle"

That's it. It is very easy.

Here's a link to the website.

https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Thank you, Leslie!

Can I put more than one font in the root folder at a time?  Or will it only support one extra font at a time?


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## chevauchee (Mar 29, 2009)

Only one at a time. However, you can just drop a new one into the folder when you want to try a different font without removing the last one you tried.


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Cool!  And then can you just remove all but the one that you like?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

KindleKay (aka #1652) said:


> Cool! And then can you just remove all but the one that you like?


Yes, at the same website, Ted has an uninstaller utility. I installed/uninstalled a couple of different fonts before settling on Helvetica2.

L


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## Miranda7 (Jun 8, 2009)

BookishMom said:


> Miranda,
> 
> One of the following two fonts seem to be what you're looking for:
> 
> ...


Thanks, I tried both of those, but I don't want to change the character thickness or spacing, I like the openness of the default. I thought the clarity issue had something to due with rendering grayscale. Do any of the font enhancements address this issue specifically and improve clarity/contrast/darkness without changing the actual spacing?


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## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

Miranda7 said:


> Thanks, I tried both of those, but I don't want to change the character thickness or spacing, I like the openness of the default. I thought the clarity issue had something to due with rendering grayscale. Do any of the font enhancements address this issue specifically and improve clarity/contrast/darkness without changing the actual spacing?


I think Ted explains how the new fonts are rendered on his website. Follow the link I posted above and look around for that info. I hope you find what you're looking for.


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## Morpheus Phreak (May 6, 2009)

Miranda7 said:


> Thanks, I tried both of those, but I don't want to change the character thickness or spacing, I like the openness of the default. I thought the clarity issue had something to due with rendering grayscale. Do any of the font enhancements address this issue specifically and improve clarity/contrast/darkness without changing the actual spacing?


The only method currently available to Kindle users is to actually change the font characteristics themselves...either by using a new font, or altering the current font.

Also (at least in my case) I found that once I got used to the CMod Narrow it grew on me quite a bit. I tried to go back to the default and it just didn't look right anymore.


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