04-15-2017, 12:08 AM | #16 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,454
Karma: 5469320
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Kobo
|
One easy way to tell is if Adobe Reader (or other similar program) allows you to select text the same as you could in a word processor. A non-scanned PDF will let you highlight text this way. If you used the PDF export option in MS Word for example it will create the PDF this way. Or if you scanned it with OCR (optical character recognition) would create a PDF of that type. A so called "scanned" PDF will select the whole page as if it's one big picture (which is basically is). Most of the time when people scan something into a PDF it's going to create this "picture" version of the document. This oversimplifies it a bit, but hopefully gives you the general idea.
The other big difference is a non-scanned PDF can have the text directly edited with an appropriate program. It can also be reflowed for display (again with appropriate program), whereas the scanned version can't be edited or reflowed (since it's a picture). Last edited by robko; 04-15-2017 at 12:13 AM. |
04-15-2017, 01:32 AM | #17 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 65
Karma: 2076068
Join Date: Apr 2017
Device: none
|
So a non-page scanned PDF is just any PDF that was originally a document in a different file type that got converted? I guess that makes sense.
Related to this: If I wanted to scan an academic book I owned that has text graphics and photos, and I wanted to preserve the page formatting and numbering, should I output it in a PDF file, or could I possibly do it as an epub file? It would be nice to have academic books that can reflow in epub. Also, is epub the only file type that reflows? |
Advert | |
|
04-15-2017, 03:30 PM | #18 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 2,454
Karma: 5469320
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Kobo
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
04-15-2017, 05:29 PM | #19 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,166
Karma: 63764653
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Kobo Glo HD
|
Quote:
|
|
04-15-2017, 09:25 PM | #20 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,454
Karma: 5469320
Join Date: Jul 2010
Device: Kobo
|
|
Advert | |
|
04-16-2017, 04:01 AM | #21 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
Some things really are just better left as PDFs. I read fiction on my Kindle Voyage, but my reference library is PDFs on my iPad. I've even bought reference books in Kindle format and converted them to PDF - it just works better for this type of book.
|
04-16-2017, 01:37 PM | #22 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,986
Karma: 18343081
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada
Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633
|
I'd agree with that. When I buy reference books from O'Reilly, I download both PDF and EPUB versions, but it's the PDF versions that I read. The EPUB aren't bad, but reflow can mess up stuff like sample code and tables. In technical books, layout can be important.
|
04-17-2017, 01:54 AM | #23 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 65
Karma: 2076068
Join Date: Apr 2017
Device: none
|
Thanks for this. Most of my library is nonfiction academic books and periodicals. So, it looks like I should get a large size tablet or e-reader then. That narrows it down for me.
Thanks again. |
04-17-2017, 01:35 PM | #24 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,138
Karma: 1577094
Join Date: Oct 2008
Device: Samsung EB60, Onyx M92, Onyx Max2
|
I buy from O'Reilly too. I use both format. I like the EPUB format because I can change the font's size.
|
04-17-2017, 01:41 PM | #25 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
I'd definitely suggest a tablet or large-screen reader. I find my 9.7" iPad good for this task, and my 12.9" iPad Pro outstanding.
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Device suggestion for reading PDF | 3numara | Which one should I buy? | 5 | 12-27-2016 11:09 AM |
highlighting/annotating PDF files? | Paul Miller | 10 | 04-04-2014 11:04 PM | |
highlighting/annotating PDF files? | Paul Miller | Kobo Reader | 5 | 03-16-2014 08:24 AM |
Best device for reading Sanskrit from PDF | R o d | Which one should I buy? | 4 | 01-08-2009 06:30 AM |
Best device for reading PDF files? | Barret | Which one should I buy? | 8 | 06-27-2006 04:21 AM |