epub and user changes

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First, though you can embed fonts in an epub/mobi file, there is no guarantee that the reading system will display the font correctly. I used an embedded font on my last ebook, and it did not render correctly on all devices (on kindle for example, it rendered on most systems, but not all). My guess is that more recent reading systems will support embedded fonts better, but you should always assume that a backup font could be used.

Most reading systems offer a limited amount of fonts and allow the reader to override the publisher's specified fonts. In some reading systems, there is an option for the system to use publisher settings, but there is no guarantee that the reader will have checked this setting.

My strategy has been to not specify fonts for the body text, but specify/embed fonts only when the element needs to be differentiated from the rest of the text. (Maybe it's a blockquote, a heading or a preface or title).

I haven't tested ebooks in a while, but you might find it surprising to know that certain fonts don't display properly when embedded on some reading systems while other fonts do. You can only determine this by testing on several different reading systems.

When the user changes the font on the reading system, usually it's only for body and paragraphs; sometimes it's for paragraphs and headings. It depends on the reading system. Some reading systems (like Adobe Digital Editions on android) embed all the fonts and don't give readers any choices, while other reading systems let you choose from 20 or 30 different fonts. This is insanity, don't you agree?

As a publisher, it drives me crazy that a reader would switch fonts because of a personal preference. I predict that eventually readers won't have the option to select font family -- only font size --, but I admit I really don't know what will be the future.

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