Why is 'As-Is' not really 'As Is'?

Scrivener Scrivener for macOS
1

‘As-Is’ implies, even promises, that text will be formatted identically in the compiled doc as it appears in the editor.

But when I try to compile for KF8/mobi and then preview that in the Mac Kindle app (which I must imagine is how it appears in a Kindle) there are significant differences.

Line spacing inside narrative paragraphs and dialog paragraphs is changed. Inexplicably! Trailing points after paragraphs are changed. Indentations are changed, sometimes just for narrative paragraphs following a line of dialog. Non-breaking spaces are replaced with normal spaces. There’s more.

As I format my text very specifically, my expectation would be that the formatting translates precisely for something referred to as ‘As-Is’. It does not. It does not manifest ‘As Is’, at all.

But where is the problem? It is either a problem with Scrivener itself, or it is a problem with possible CSS default changes that Amazon applies.

And what is the solution? Or workaround? It seems that if the problem is internal to Scrivener, L&L should fix it. If the problem is in Amazon, it also seems they should fix it, and it also seems they should not assume that their default formatting is better than that of people who want their formatting to be a particular way. There should be a way to turn default off. It also seems that using an external editor such as the one in Calibre would have no effect, if the post-edited CSS is overwritten by Amazon.

So I have three questions: A) where is the problem? B) Is there a workaround I am missing? C) if there is a solution that could be implemented by L&L, why have we not seen it?

It also seems that L&L should find a more accurate term than ‘As-Is’, because it is not at all ‘as-is’. Not even close.

2

Edit: I misread the OP’s post. I apologize. See KB’s answer in the next post. Ignore what I posted below.

Read the explanation and try the instructions by L&L’s AmberV here:
literatureandlatte.com/foru … 95#p273495

[Happy Holidays.]

3

Ebooks are special formats, since they are based on HTML and CSS. Prior to Scrivener 3.1, these were based on styles, but as of 3.1 they do allow for base formatting. However, there are things to bear in mind. You should check the Compile format you are using (duplicating and editing it if necessary) for first line indent settings (under Text Layout), check the CSS settings, and so on.

But no matter what you do, your text will never look exactly as it does in the editor on an e-reader. Fonts are not included and will use the e-reader’s default font (the reader’s preferred font); the e-reader may override line spacing and other setting, and will generally use the CSS and formatting as a cue but may make choices of its own.

“As-Is” just says, “Leave this text alone, as it is in the editor, during Compile.” We cannot change the way e-readers work, though.

All the best,
Keith