Calameo is a "web publishing" or a "digital publishing" platform. These are some of the synonyms used to describe our sector. So what exactly is digital publishing and why should you use a web publishing platform like Calameo?
What is digital publishing?
The first thing you need to know about digital publishing is that it's a very simple process. So simple, in fact, that you may already be using it! Professionals, teachers, entrepreneurs, aspiring creatives, students, freelancers, and anyone else who has something to share online are turning to digital publishing every day.
Indeed, digital publishing is simply the act of making documents of all kinds available on the internet through online tools.
Instead of printed books, magazines and newsletters, digital publishing allows for the creation of e-books, blog posts and online publications. Readers access this content from their computers, smartphones or other digital devices.
In short, anyone with documents to share online can benefit from digital publishing technology.
Why use a web publishing platform instead of a simple PDF?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software and operating systems. Established in the early 90's, this format has since been widely used around the world. But PDF files can have some disadvantages for modern Internet users.
The limitations of PDF
PDF was originally designed for printing and has been enhanced with new features over the years. But many of these features are not up to today's modern expectations.
- Display: PDFs are not screen friendly and are often poorly formatted on small devices such as tablets and smartphones. Finding the right page in a document means wasting time scrolling.
- Technical compatibility: it has always been difficult to integrate PDFs into websites. For example, without the necessary plug-ins, users are often asked to download the file and view it in another application. In addition, PDFs make it nearly impossible to engage your readers because of the lack of interactive content in the document, such as images and videos. Unless you have added dynamic links (which are difficult to create), users cannot click on the links you have provided in the PDF document. The user experience is therefore far from smooth.
- Online visibility: one of the biggest disadvantages of PDFs is that they don't always provide the key information that search engines need to categorize content. When your content is hosted on a high PageRank website like Calameo, search engines index it faster and make it appear higher in their search results.
Digital publishing, beyond PDF
While some digital publishing platforms still use Flash technology, the new standard for online publications is HTML5. But what exactly does "creating an HTML5 publication" mean?
Let's say you have a Powerpoint presentation to put online to share with your colleagues. Using a modern web publishing platform, your PPT file is converted into a hosted HTML5 publication that can be viewed from a single address on the web. Then, to send it to your colleagues, you simply copy the link and share it.
Effortless sharing is just one of the benefits of HTML5 publications. Other key benefits include:
- SEO. Unlike a basic file upload, your documents converted to HTML5 publications are easy to optimize for search. Help users find your content with keywords, structured data and automatically indexed text.
- Compatibility. Never worry about your files not opening properly again. Your HTML5 publications work on all devices, all operating systems and all browsers. Best of all, no additional software, downloads or plug-ins are required.
- Versatility. HTML5 publications offer a lot of possibilities. You can enrich them with audio and video content, add links and images, and embed them on your own website or blog. Plus, you can customize the reader with your own logo, branding and design.
- Accessibility. Above all, your HTML5 publications are always available online. You can view, share and update them from anywhere at any time.
This means that digital publishing has clear advantages over PDF. Using a web publishing platform like Calameo is very simple and can only benefit you.
Why Calameo is the best web publishing platform
At Calaméo, we work around the clock to make our platform the best choice for everyone. And to prove it, here are 10 reasons to use our digital publishing platform over any other:
- 1. Publish different types of files: your file doesn't have to be a PDF to be published on Calameo. Our advanced conversion technology turns your Word, PowerPoint and Excel files into beautiful digital publications.
- 2. Bulk upload of multiple files: We want to make using Calameo as easy as possible for our users-every minute of your workflow counts. That's why you can batch upload your documents (up to 10 files at a time) to Calameo. Just drag and drop them to start publishing.
- 3. Automatic link detection: another strong point of our conversion technology is automatic link detection. Save even more time by adding external links to your original PDF before converting it. They will then be inserted directly into your publication, which you will just have to share.
- 4. Calameo's Editor: Interactivity is what makes digital experiences special and we pride ourselves on helping our users create engaging publications. Our Editor provides an intuitive tool for adding links, video, audio, and even GIFs to your Calameo publications.
- 5. Table of Contents: Even long documents are easy to navigate when you include a table of contents in the viewer. Set up a table of contents using Bookmarks in your original PDF or add one to your finished publication with our handy widget.
- 6. Slide mode: we love the attractive effect and visuals of flipbooks, but we like to give our users even more options. Slide Mode offers an elegant reading experience, ideal for presentations. You will be able to select this View Mode in the Properties of your publication.
- 7. Right-to-left reading: Want to publish in a language that reads from right to left? With Calameo, this is not a problem. Set the Reading mode as such in the Properties of your publication so that your readers can consult it intuitively.
- 8. Remove the shadow in the center of the flipbook: the design of your publication is important and there are many ways to customize our reader to enhance it. Users who prefer a more minimalist design for their digital publications can easily remove the shadow in the center of the flipbook: just add the parameter "pagefxopacity=0" to the URL of your publication.
- 9. Full-screen viewing: Prevent distractions and help readers stay focused on your publication with full-screen viewing. Whether it's directly on Calameo or from embedded publications on your site, you're sure to find the right choice for your digital publishing needs.
- 10. Publication integration: Calameo makes the process of integrating your publications very simple. Decide how you want your embedded publications to look and copy the code in one click to insert it on your website. Plus, you can also embed your private posts for added security and control.
These are just ten of the best reasons why digital publishing on Calameo is the best there is. We could also have mentioned great features such as our large storage capabilities, our great Calaméo Library or the ease of updating an existing publication, for example.
To discover the full extent of our outstanding web publishing platform, request your 14-day free trial now!