Modified fonts for e-reading
This is a selection of fonts that I’ve tweaked for reading purposes on Kobo devices. These fonts can, obviously, also be used other devices, including Kindle, Pocketbook, and may also work well for general use (i.e. word processing).
If you found these useful, please consider starring the repository on GitHub. This lets me know that the fonts are being used.
Included in the repository right now are my tweaked “NV” fonts, but the older release may still be of interest as I’ve included my initial batch of tweaked fonts mentioned in the blog post there.
NV Garamond
NV Garamond is an EB Garamond version that contains a bunch of tweaks, mostly related to glyph sizes. This one has a dedicated repository that I’ve linked. OFL licensed.
NV Jost
NV Jost is a Jost variant, with a slightly altered lowercase G and single storey a (similar to Futura, only accessible via OT feature on the original font). This one has a dedicated repository that I’ve linked, OFL licensed.
NV Cardo
NV Cardo is a version of Cardo with 20% spacing and has been renamed so you can keep the original Cardo installed side-by-side as well. Does not have a separate repository because no other changes were applied. OFL licensed.
NV Elstob
NV Elstob is a version of Elstob that has been renamed so it works correctly on Kobo devices. It is based on the 12pt version. Does not have a separate repository because no other changes were applied. OFL licensed.
NV Charter
NV Charter, is a renamed version of XCharter, which is an extended version of Bitstream Charter. This one has a dedicated repository that I’ve linked. Available under a Free license.
NV Palatium
NV Palatium, is a renamed version of Domitian, which is an extended version of URW Palladio. This one has a dedicated repository that I’ve linked. Available under a Free license.
You can learn more about how and why I originally made these tweaked fonts on my blog: Patching Fonts for my Kobo. I explain there why and how.
How to install
To install these fonts on your Kobo, unzip the files and drag the font files into the fonts directory at the root of your Kobo device after connecting your Kobo to your PC via USB cable. You may need to create the fonts directory.
I recommend rebooting your Kobo after installing the fonts to make sure they work correctly. A reboot is REQUIRED if you already had other versions of these fonts installed on your device, or the new versions won’t be used.
To reboot, long-press the power button until your Kobo says it has been shut down. Then, press the power button again and wait for your device to restart. This may take a moment, but don’t worry.
FAQ
What tweaks have been applied to these fonts?
I’ve set a 20% line height (using font-line percent 20). Some fonts rendered poorly on Kobo devices with the line height slider all the way to the left. This fixes that!
Most of the fonts have been renamed (using fontname.py). This way, you can keep them installed side-by-side with the original versions, if you’d like.
Panose information has been corrected where necessary (using panosifier). This ensures that the fonts render correctly on Kobo devices. The fonts are also named correctly so that the fallback book renderer (for .epub files) knows which font variants to use.
How are these fonts licensed?
Most of these fonts are available under their original Open Font License.
NV Charter is available under the original Bitstream license, which is included in the respective archive.
NV Palatium is available under the OFL license, and is available under the same license as Domitian is.
Is there anything else I should do?
If you are manually transferring books to your Kobo devices, you should consider converting epub files to kepub files. To do this, you can use kepubify or use Calibre.
Using kepub files ensures that your Kobo device will use a superior and faster book renderer. This renderer also gives you broader font compatibility.
What is your favorite font from the collection?
For simple books and basic readability, I personally prefer the more modern NV Charter or NV Jost. Alternatively, NV Palatium is also a good option.
For fantasy books and fiction, I prefer to use the more traditional NV Garamond or NV Cardo. One of the more recent additions, NV Elstob, is also a great pick for fantasy novels.
I’ve discovered a problem. What should I do?
If you’re having an issue you think I can fix, please get in touch with me and let me know what the issue is. I may be able to help.
It is possible that certain issues are resolved by updating the fonts with the upstream version, which may need to happen every now and then.