Understanding the Difference Between PDFs and ePubs

Hey everyone! As you read through and test the many books from our participating publishers (and maybe some of your own!), we wanted to quickly highlight the key differences between the two main digital book formats and how they perform in our reader app:

PDF (Portable Document Format):

• Fixed Layout: PDFs preserve the exact layout of a page, so they look identical to the original print version. This is great for books where design and layout are important (like graphic novels, textbooks, and complex layouts).

• Less Flexible for Mobile: On smaller screens, PDFs don’t reflow text, so you may need to zoom in and scroll around to read comfortably.

• Limited Customization: Font size and background color adjustments are limited in PDFs, so the reading experience is less customizable.

• In summary: PDFs are almost like a screenshot of the books page, so while you can’t alter the text as you can with the ePub, you do see the page layout as designed by the publisher!

• What We Know from Our Readers: Some of the feedback we have received so far on PDFs has to do with navigation, and wanting a table of contents to better explore the book! This is currently a high priority on our roadmap that we hope to have you test as part of our user group!

ePub (Electronic Publication):

• Reflowable Text: ePub formats adjust the text to fit your screen size, allowing for a more flexible reading experience, especially on mobile devices. You can resize text, change fonts, and adjust the layout to suit your preferences. This customization can be done in the upper right hand corner of your Glassboxx Reader app!

• More Customization Options: ePubs allow for more personalization with adjustable fonts, text size, background color (light and dark mode), and other display features to make reading more comfortable.

• What We Know from Our Readers: Some of the feedback we have received so far on ePubs concerns zoomable images. We are currently working on this with our development team and will keep you updated on this in our Roadmap tab!

In Summary:

• PDFs are best for books where the layout must stay fixed, like certain illustrated books or designs that rely heavily on their page structure.

• ePubs are more flexible and user-friendly for general reading, especially when adjusting the reading experience for different devices.

As you explore both formats, let us know what improvements you think could made to each to make for a more accessible and enjoyable reading experience!

Happy reading! 📚✨