EasyReader - Reading PDFs from RNIB Bookshare

Reading PDFs from RNIB Bookshare

If you’re a member of RNIB Bookshare, you will be able to use the EasyReader app to download and read books in PDF format.

For instructions on downloading books from RNIB Bookshare, please read our topic Find and download a new book.

For instructions on opening a PDF file downloaded from RNIB Bookshare, please read our topic Opening a book from ‘My books’.

Playing a PDF book

When you open a PDF, it will open in the Reader the same as any other book. So you can Play, Pause, skip forward, backward, search and add bookmarks exactly the same as you would with any other book.

When a PDF is open in PDF view, you will also be able to quickly flick through the pages: 

  • To move to the next page in the book, quickly swipe your finger across the Reader from right to left. 
  • To move to the previous page in the book, quickly swipe your finger across the Reader from left to right.

Changing the layout of a PDF book

When a PDF opens in the Reader, it opens in PDF view. This means the PDF will have exactly the same layout of its text and images as if you were to open the PDF on your computer. 

Whilst in PDF view, you will be limited on the changes you can make to the appearance of the book. For example, you will not be able to change the text font, colours or spacing like you can with books in other formats in EasyReader. You will be able to zoom in and out of the book by holding two fingers on the screen and stretching them apart / pinching them together. However, if you choose to zoom in whilst in PDF view, the text will not wrap like other books do when you zoom in, and EasyReader will not be able to track the text which you are reading.

If you prefer, you can switch to viewing the PDF in a text layout. When you view PDFs in a text layout, the text will be displayed the same way other books are displayed in EasyReader, with all formatting removed. This means you will be able to change the text font, colours and spacing just like you can with books in other formats. For instructions on how to change the appearance of the book, please read our topic on Text settings. If you are a screen reader user, switching to text view also makes it easier to read the PDF book using VoiceOver or Talkback.

To switch to text layout:

  1. Open the PDF in the Reader. By default, the PDF will open in PDF view.
  2. Tap the ‘more options’ button icon at the top right of the Reader.
  3. Select ‘Switch to text view’.
     
Using the Reader