zippywingsQ: Hi, I've been hovering over this app for several weeks, and now that it's almost gone, I finally pulled the trigger getting it.
I couldn't resist the many media options it allows for review.
That said, my main interest in this platform for the time being is for book interior layout approval (PDF). I often find errors in my books AFTER I publish them, and a tool like this could help me minimize that, as it would give me a new way to interact with the text and formatting as the reader would.
But when I uploaded my first PDF, I saw that it squished my two-page layout into one, making each page read like compressed columns, which is hard to see.
My question is would it be possible to select single-page and double-page spread types for PDF? Or, is that feature already available and I just don't know how to activate it?
A two-page spread option would be super helpful, though I'd still want it as an option, not a default. Novelists (and other book or magazine producers) have to be aware of margin and gutter sizes, bleed pages, etc. Anything that helps us see all of that at a glance at actual size and proportions would be really helpful here.
Also, it was never clear to me how large of a PDF I could upload. Another approval platform is limiting theirs at 50 pages. What's Niimblr's limit? As a novelist, I hope I can upload an entire book, so I can take my time and read and annotate it properly as a complete product. So, even if it's 500 pages or more, I'd still like to see the whole thing. Is that limit achievable, or am I capped at a low number like on the other platform. (This information will help me decide how to develop PDFs for review.)
Note: The book I'm currently reviewing is just under 50 pages (23 PDF slides when you consider they're two pages in one), so I haven't quite tested its limits. I'd just like to know what's realistic for my future uploads.
Thanks for the response!
The platform looks nice on the inside, by the way.
Mads_Niimblr
May 14, 2024A: Hi zippywings 👋
We do not currently support a double page layout, but I have inquired with some of our techies, and they inform me that it could be done, just as you mention, with a toggle.
I will investigate further, but just so you know, it is added to the list of things to do. Thanks!
Regarding the limits, there is currently no “hard” limit on the amount of pages.
So go ahead and try with a 500 pages book, I am curious to see how it works for you.
Performance might take a hit, depending on the device you are browsing from. Just keep that in mind 👍
We would love to support more authors in Niimblr, so feel free to ping us on mail ([email protected]) with further requests and insights from your perspective.
And by the way, I would love a book-copy, which we could use as a reference for optimizing the double-page layout - if you are willing to share of course 🙂
// Mads
Verified purchaser
Hi Mads,
Sure, I'll send you the same file I'm using for the test to the support email. It's actually a great use case (I think) because the title page is a single page and the rest are doubles. Might be an interesting challenge to see if the system can handle double-page spreads that begin on a single page. It would also be helpful to know if we need to format our books ahead of time with a blank front page to account for any technology issues.
I may actually send it via a shareable link that you can download. That might be easier.
I tested a 337-page PDF on the system, and though it took maybe half a minute for it to load for the first time, it displayed every page without issue or slowdown. So, at the very least, this will work for authors of normal-length novels. Or, at least it does for me.