At a GlanceExpert's Rating
Pros
- Upload and share files
- build interactive magazines online
Cons
- No support yet for iPhone and iPad. But that’s Apple’s fault
Our Verdict
There are some issues with Issuu. The biggest is that, though there’s an Android app, there’s no iPhone equivalent just yet. But that’s not Issuu’s fault. The developers lovingly created one, but Apple rejected it – possibly because it clashes with the company’s plans to market magazines. Reliance on Flash is a problem too, but Issuu has been working on HTML5 implementation of its reader for iPad. For Issuu, the best is yet to come. Get in on the ground floor.
The magazine industry is changing rapidly. We know that here at Macworld better than most. You could be reading this review in our print magazine, website, or an iPad digital edition. Now you too can join in the digital magazine publishing revolution, with Issuu.
Issuu’s an online service that enables you to convert and publish PDF, Word, PowerPoint and other files online. Magazines have long used PDF for sending publications to print, so Issuu’s workflow isn’t a million miles away from that of professional production. You can choose what tools to build your magazine in; Adobe InDesign is the industry standard, but there are other tools that can do that job for you.
Adding documents to Issuu is easy. You just fill in a form and upload a compatible file. Issuu, more or less, takes care of the rest – formatting your document for its Flash-powered online reader. This adds various handy features to your publications, including page-turning animations, searchable text and zoom capabilities.
Issuu points the way to a digital future of niche magazines accessible on tablet devices
You don’t have to use Issuu for publishing. You can just sign up and enjoy the many, many public magazines that other users have created and posted. You’ll find that there’s a fairly even cross section of amateur fanzines, student projects and a smattering of professional publications. And there are some great comics.