Hi, that's a good question. The page numbers seem easy to read in normal lighting conditions, but I can imagine what you mean about some parlor environments being dimly lit. The page numbers are the same size on both versions. You may want to save this effect for occasions with adequate lighting, or bring the book closer, or even use a handheld light (or a lighter) for you and your spectators to see what's on the pages. If it's too dark to see the page numbers, there's a good chance that the spectators won't be able to read the book's content either.