This is a guide for creating PDF documents when working with MagNet Express to get the very best and most compatible publications

1. CHOOSE A GOOD FONT AND SIZE FOR YOUR TEXTS

For online use it’s very important to have a text size of minimum 10pt / 13px so the content can be read easily. Make sure your fonts are thick, sharp and readable. A small and thin text is difficult to get sharp and readable in an online publication.

To guarantee a sharp and clean look in your online publications, we recommend the use of Web fonts or Web typography. What is a web font?

2. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR IMAGES ARE BIG ENOUGH

If you want your images to look good and sharp in your online publication, you need to use sharp print quality images of at least 200 dpi.  This will assure that the images are sharp even if  your clients are zooming your publication. Avoid using small web quality images with a resolution of 72 dpi, so they don’t look pixelated.

3. LINKS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS MAKE YOUR PUBLICATION USER FRIENDLY

You can add links and bookmarks to your PDF by using tools such as Adobe Acrobat or InDesign.

How to add a link inside your ePaper
Select the link tool and drag a rectangle where you want to create your link in your publication. This is the area in which the link is active.

Go to the “Create Link” dialog box and choose the options you want for the link appearance. Remember that the link style should be an invisible rectangle.

You can use links to go to a specific web page URL, or you can use links to jump to specific pages within your publication (go to a page view). All links in the PDF file are automatically included in your ePaper upon upload.

Do not add links that cover entire pages or place links in the edges of pages. A link-free area the size of a thumb tip should be left in the page edges to ensure that page turning, zooming and links work correctly.

Make sure to save the file and test the links in your PDF before uploading it. If the links do not work in the PDF file, they will not work in the ePaper either.

How to create a table of contents using bookmarks
A table of contents is very helpful when browsing a large publication like a catalog.

To create a table of contents you need to create a list of topics that are addressed inside your publication such as the titles and create bookmarks to them. These bookmark titles will help the reader to jump into the different topics you selected inside the publication.

Begin with opening the page that you want the bookmark to link to.

Click the “Bookmarks” button, and select the bookmark under which you want to place the new bookmark. If you don’t select a bookmark, the new bookmark is automatically added at the end of the list.

Choose “New Bookmark” from the options menu. Type or edit the name of the new bookmark.

Make sure to save the file and test the bookmarks in your PDF before uploading it. If the bookmarks do not work in the PDF file, they will not work in the ePaper either.

When the PDF file is uploaded to MagNet Express the bookmarks are automatically imported and turned into a table of contents.

Things to check before uploading your PDF:

  • Keep the file size of your PDF below 500 Mb.
  • All pages should have same height and width and be in the correct order.
  • Avoid crop marks in your PDF.
  • Flatten the PDF.
  • Name the file well. The name becomes the link to your ePaper. Avoid special characters and spaces. Because they might break the link!