Fonts and readability

[27kk]

For the visually impaired clarity and font SIZE is very important.  Also, being able to read in a narrow column format is helpful (ie like a newspaper).  Reading in bright light plays a role as well.  Since I cannot actually see a Kindle without buying one, how can I be sure it will work for me and my bad eyesight?

[LibbyD]

But it and try it.  If it isn't suitable you will have 30 days to return it. 

[MineKinder]

Are you going to get the Kindle DX, because it larger, and therefore can have larger font, and more words per page.
Better for readability.

[mlewis78]

I haven't seen a DX yet, but aren't the font sizes the same as on the other kindles?  This means more words per page, but not a larger font size.  But some of the owners of DXes here say that the print is clearer on the DX.

[Sugar]

The font sizes are the same on the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX.
However I find the crispness,and darker font on the KDX to be even better than the Kindle 2.

I think anyone with impaired vision would definitely benefit from a Kindle because of the option to increase font size.The largest font is truly large.

[nogdog~6op6ou]

Forum user "tedsan" has created a "font hack" that allows you to change the font on the K2, providing many different fonts to choose from, most optimized to be darker and provide better contrast: https://sites.google.com/a/etccreations.com/kdesignworks/Home/font-install-files

As someone who is quite near-sighted and has moderately severe problems with one eye due to a tear in the retina and a "macular pucker", I found changing the font in this way on my K2 very useful. It allows me to view pages at essentially one font size smaller than I would need to with the default K2 font, which means the page formatting tends to be a bit better since you have more characters per page. I also find it useful to increase the line-spacing (via Alt+Shift+[number]) so that the slight waviness of lines caused by the macular pucker doesn't cause me to skip or repeat lines.

With this font enhancement and making sure I have a decent direct light source, I have no more trouble reading my K2 than a regular print book, and in many cases it is easier since I can increase the font size on my K2, but I can only get a paper page so close to my face.