Nook Color Magazines

**phyllisj9** · 08-01-2011, 07:50 AM

Hi, I'm looking to create my organization's magazine in a format that Nook Color can read. I'm familiar with epubs (for Nook Simple Touch), but I don't know what format is used for the full-color magazines on Nook Color (the ones that look just like a digitized print magazine). Does anyone know? I don't own a Nook Color yet (so can't just look at the files!) but will purchase one if it looks like we can create files that will work on it.

Thanks, Phyllis

**patruns** · 08-01-2011, 09:22 AM

You could create them in .pdf format. People can then use the Adobe Reader app. Or, you could just send an e-mail to B&N and ask them what the format is for the magazine subscriptions on their site.

**ioo** · 08-01-2011, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by phyllisj9

Hi, I'm looking to create my organization's magazine in a format that Nook Color can read. I'm familiar with epubs (for Nook Simple Touch), but I don't know what format is used for the full-color magazines on Nook Color (the ones that look just like a digitized print magazine). Does anyone know? I don't own a Nook Color yet (so can't just look at the files!) but will purchase one if it looks like we can create files that will work on it.

Thanks, Phyllis

epubs are generally for documents that are text only, for various different reasons. You can put images in epub, but the layout and alignment options are limited, and will re-flow based on the screen size and the text/zoom settings that the user chose.

PDF's are best for graphic heavy documents, as the images and text are fixed and will not change position as the use zooms in/out.

There are a couple other alternatives, but for practicality sake, PDF is what you want.

**phyllisj9** · 08-01-2011, 10:02 AM

Thanks, I have sent an e-mail to Barnes & Noble and am awaiting response! The PDFs look fine, but whatever format B&N is using also includes some features (like "Article View") that make their magazines much easier to read than just a PDF saved onto the reader. I hope it's a format that I'll be able to create (and not something proprietary). I do have epub versions of our magazine but obviously they don't look as good.

Thanks, Phyllis

**david jones** · 08-01-2011, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by phyllisj9

Thanks, I have sent an e-mail to Barnes & Noble and am awaiting response! The PDFs look fine, but whatever format B&N is using also includes some features (like "Article View") that make their magazines much easier to read than just a PDF saved onto the reader. I hope it's a format that I'll be able to create (and not something proprietary). I do have epub versions of our magazine but obviously they don't look as good.

Thanks, Phyllis

My National Geographic shows up as an .epub.

**phyllisj9** · 08-02-2011, 07:43 AM

I think some of the magazines have epub versions as well as other formats. The Nook Magazines look just like print versions (in full color). I tried contacting B&N, but their answer didn't make a lot of sense. So I tried to buy a single issue of the magazine to check it out, but I can't even download it without a Nook Color (states that it will only work on a Nook Color or a Nook for iPad). So I can't even check out what the file extension is.

Anybody out there have a Nook Color with a Nook Magazine on it? (I'm referring to the Nook magazines that say they work only on Nook Color & Nook Ipad.) Could you check your library and see what the filetype is? The file extension is probably enough to figure it out from. Is it really a PDF? (If it were, I should be able to download it on anything.)

It may be that they have some sort of proprietary PDF program that adds extra functionality to a PDF, but I expect there's another step in the process. May only be possible to create if I'm selling through Barnes & Noble. This, of course, is what I'm trying to figure out!

Ultimately what I'm trying to do is go back to my boss and tell him whether we can create our magazines in this format or not. If yes, then we'll buy a Nook Color and experiment with it. If no, we might just do EPUBs for the Nook Simple Touch (and other readers).

Thanks, Phyllis

**dlj** · 08-02-2011, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by phyllisj9

I think some of the magazines have epub versions as well as other formats. The Nook Magazines look just like print versions (in full color). I tried contacting B&N, but their answer didn't make a lot of sense. So I tried to buy a single issue of the magazine to check it out, but I can't even download it without a Nook Color (states that it will only work on a Nook Color or a Nook for iPad). So I can't even check out what the file extension is.

Anybody out there have a Nook Color with a Nook Magazine on it? (I'm referring to the Nook magazines that say they work only on Nook Color & Nook Ipad.) Could you check your library and see what the filetype is? The file extension is probably enough to figure it out from. Is it really a PDF? (If it were, I should be able to download it on anything.)

It may be that they have some sort of proprietary PDF program that adds extra functionality to a PDF, but I expect there's another step in the process. May only be possible to create if I'm selling through Barnes & Noble. This, of course, is what I'm trying to figure out!

Ultimately what I'm trying to do is go back to my boss and tell him whether we can create our magazines in this format or not. If yes, then we'll buy a Nook Color and experiment with it. If no, we might just do EPUBs for the Nook Simple Touch (and other readers).

Thanks, Phyllis

My magazines are in epub. This is true for the standard Nook Color reader (on the emmc) and the nook reader for android (running on CM7 off the SD). It may be some form of epub you're not familiar with but they show up in the B & N Downloads directory as epub.

**dlj** · 08-02-2011, 11:23 PM

Here's a dropbox link to the file: . You'll have to cut and paste it into your browser.

**phyllisj9** · 08-03-2011, 08:49 AM

Thanks for posting that, I appreciate it. But there must also be a new version of magazines in addition to the epubs. Not necessarily for all magazines but for some of them. I looked at a magazine on a Nook Color in the store, and it was not an epub. It looked exactly like a printed piece (like a PDF) on all pages -- only it had features that PDFs don't have. It was far beyond the capability of epub. Perhaps it's some sort of enhanced PDF, I really don't know. I'll post back here if I ever find out the answer. Thanks, Phyllis

**rachntanzmom** · 08-31-2011, 11:37 AM

I found the following info code.google.com/p/epub-revision/wiki/BNFixedFormat

Between this and deconstructing the files on my tablet it makes some sense.

Best wishes in your search!