koreader settings

following grokking koreader are the settings—and importannly, their menu location—currently used on my Kobo Libre Colour. As much as anything, this document is meant as a record for rebuilding this custom configuration should it be necessary—useful because setting locations fade with time, as one achieves the desired “look”.

Along with my custom KOReader patches, i enforce a uniform page layout which provides a visually optimal personal reading experience. It is the result of countless setting iterations—often repeatedly trying new values only to return to the previous settings.

These settings provide a snapshot in time (now) and undoubtedly will change over time, as aging eyes dictating a new aesthetic—though, up till now, i have been blessed with eyesight which can resolve extremely small font sizes. Until then..

fonts

i set the draft font as my..

top > document > font > draft

long pressed to set as the default font. Custom patches set the header and footer text with this font.

Via gestures (and alternately, a batch script), the..

top > document > font > proof

is set to the proof font for the book font—proof differing from draft with its descending and extended glyph set (which is less suitable for the page header/footer imo).

Update: the default font for header/footer and body text is now updated to the newly released galley font.

For these particular custom fonts..

bottom > contrast > contrast (gamma) > 2.6 bottom > contrast > font weight > 1.50

When the font does not display as pure black text, insert..

top > document > book-specific tweat > * { color: #000000 !important; }

Easier still, create a css script with the above css snippet and place this in the koreader/styletweaks folder, which can then be toggle as required per ebook (which is exceedingly rare)..

top > document > user style tweaks > css script

layout

the following defaults are set:

The font size is set to..

bottom > font > font size > 11.5

Note: Font size ranges below 12 is possible with a user patch or by editing the settings.lua file manually.

As i use a monospaced font (tweaked)..

bottom > font > word spacing > large > scaling: 100, reduction: 100

portrait orientation

bottom > orientation > two columns > off bottom > document > line spacing > 235% bottom > margins > l/r margins > left: 60, right: 60 bottom > margins > top margin > 26 bottom > margins > bottom margin > 26

Note: Line spacing above 200% is possible with a user patch or by editing the settings.lua file manually.

2 column landscape orientation

bottom > orientation > two columns > on bottom > document > line spacing > 235% bottom > margins > l/r margins > left: 33, right: 33 bottom > margins > top margin > 30 bottom > margins > bottom margin > 30

Note: Gesture assignments are used to facilitate switching between portrait and dual column landscape views. The gestures.lua file must be post edited for the line spacings beyond 130% (the gesture input interface imposed limit) and non-standard left/right margin settings.

To enforce these settings over individual ebook publisher settings..

top > document > pages and margins > ignore publisher page margins top > document > pages and margins > windows and orphans > ignore publisher orphan and window rules top > document > text > line heights > ignore publisher line heights top > document > text > line heights > font size and families > reset main text font size

header and footer

the (alt-) status bars for the header and footer accommodate my particular minimalist approach to ebook information..

bottom > settings > alt status bar > on top > settings > status bar > configure items > show all selected tiems at once top > settings > status bar > configure items > auto refresh items top > settings > status bar > configure items > hide inactive items top > settings > status bar > configure items > item font > item font size: 9.25 top > settings > status bar > configure items > item font > items in bold top > settings > status bar > configure items > item symbols > icons top > settings > status bar > configure items > item max width > book-title item: 100% top > settings > status bar > configure items > item max width > chapter-title item: 100% top > settings > status bar > configure items > alignment: center top > settings > status bar > configure items > height: 7 top > settings > status bar > configure items > bottom margin: 1 top > settings > status bar > status bar items > pages left in chapter top > settings > status bar > status bar items > wi-fi status top > settings > status bar > status bar items > chapter title top > settings > status bar > progress bar > show progress bar top > settings > status bar > progress bar > show chapter-progress bar instead top > settings > status bar > progress bar > position: below items top > settings > status bar > progress bar > thickness and height > thin top > settings > status bar > progress bar > thickness and height > height: 1 top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > auto refresh top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > book author and title top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > current time top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > current page top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > total pages top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > chapter marks top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > battery status > battery icon top > settings > status bar > alt status bar > font size: 20

table of contents

chapter headings are occasionally not reflected in the ebook’s table of contents—highly noticeable in the status bar footer.

This can often be rectified by enabling..

top > current > settings > alternative table of contents

KOReader allows fine grained control of the document presentation and formatting. KOReader’s stylesheet settings should work for the majority of one’s ebook catalogue, with custom css available as a last resort :-)

e-ink settings

top > settings > screen > e-ink settings > full refresh rate > never top > settings > screen > e-ink settings > full refresh rate > except on second page of a new chapter top > settings > screen > e-ink settings > flash buttons and menu items top > settings > screen > e-ink settings > flash keyboard top > settings > screen > automatic dimmer > idle time for dimmer > 5m0s top > settings > screen > sleep screen > sleep screen message > hide reboot/poweroff message top > settings > device > autosuspend timeout > 10m

Most will prefer the default “by chapter” full refresh rate. i disable that because my reading rotation typically cycles by chapter through 40+ books—the variety, of which, eases otherwise difficult reads and readily satisfies the interest of the moment—and full page refreshes to clear any ghosting is available with the swipe of a finger (gesture).

calibre conversion

Calibre besides providing ebook file management also comes with several tools, among them, an ebook conversion tool apply named ebook-convert.

i often use this tool to enforce left-justification (as monospaced fonts lack the kerning rules for full-justification), strip embedded publisher fonts (because i prefer my own) and set a paragraph indentation i prefer with my own fonts..

ebook_convert <file> <output.epub> \ –change-justification=left \ –remove-paragraph-spacing –remove-paragraph-spacing-indent-size=1.80 \ –filter-css=font-family

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i highly recommend exploring this tool as it can save some KOReader manipulation and by virtue of preformatting the ebook content, will save some device “cycles” (cpu) that would otherwise be required by KOReader.