How to Read PDFs on reMarkable 2 — Convert to EPUB for Better Reading (2026)
The reMarkable 2 is an excellent reading device for long-form documents — its e-ink screen and lightweight design make it ideal for papers and books. But its PDF experience has the same limitation as all e-readers: fixed-layout PDFs with small text are uncomfortable to read for long periods. Converting to EPUB first makes a significant difference.
Academic PDFs and two-column papers handled automatically.
Convert PDF to EPUB for reMarkable →reMarkable and PDF: the limitation
reMarkable displays PDFs as fixed-size pages, just like printing to paper. For A4 research papers and reports, this means:
- Text appears small to fit the full page on screen
- Two-column academic layout requires reading the left column then jumping back to read the right
- No font size control — you cannot make the text larger without zooming in (and then scrolling horizontally)
- Long reading sessions cause eye strain from small text
reMarkable 2 firmware 3.0 added native EPUB support, which fixes all of these problems: text reflows to your preferred font size, line length adjusts to screen width, and you can read continuously without managing page positions.
How to get EPUBs onto reMarkable
After converting your PDF to EPUB at toolkit.bot, you have several options to get it onto your reMarkable:
Option 1: reMarkable desktop app (recommended)
- Open the reMarkable app on your Mac or Windows computer
- Make sure your reMarkable is connected (USB or Wi-Fi sync)
- Drag the EPUB file into the app, or use File → Import
- The file syncs to your device automatically
Option 2: reMarkable email
Every reMarkable has a personal email address. Email the EPUB as an attachment to that address and it will appear in your Reading folder within a few minutes. Find your address in reMarkable Settings → Storage.
Option 3: USB transfer
- Connect reMarkable to your computer via USB
- The device appears as a USB drive
- Copy the EPUB to the root folder or a subfolder
- Safely eject and the file appears in your library
Which PDFs convert best for reMarkable
These types of PDF produce particularly good EPUB results for reMarkable reading:
- Academic papers — arXiv, journal articles, conference papers. Two-column layout is automatically detected and reflowed
- Business reports and whitepapers — single-column text with charts; converts cleanly with figures preserved inline
- Technical documentation — manuals, specs, and guides with clear heading structure
- Scanned books — toolkit.bot applies OCR to image-based PDFs, making them readable as EPUB
PDFs that are primarily visual (graphs, diagrams, presentation slides) are better kept as PDF for reMarkable, since EPUB's text-reflow approach does not apply to fixed visual layouts.
reMarkable EPUB vs PDF: when to use each
| Use case | EPUB | |
|---|---|---|
| Long reading sessions | — | ✓ Better |
| Academic 2-column papers | — | ✓ Better |
| Precise annotation / markup | ✓ Better | — |
| Diagrams, charts, slides | ✓ Better | — |
| Font size control | — | ✓ Better |
| Forms, tables with precise layout | ✓ Better | — |
Frequently asked questions
Can reMarkable read EPUB files?
Yes. reMarkable 2 (firmware 3.0+) supports EPUB natively. You can import EPUB files via the reMarkable app on your phone or computer, or via USB. The reMarkable renders EPUB text at the font size you choose, with full reflow — much more comfortable for long reading sessions than PDF.
Why is reading a PDF on reMarkable uncomfortable?
reMarkable displays PDFs as fixed-size pages. For A4 PDFs, the text is small because the full page must fit on the 10.3-inch screen. Two-column academic PDFs are particularly hard to read. There is no text reflow — you cannot increase the font size and have text wrap to the next line. Converting to EPUB first solves this.
How do I convert a PDF to EPUB for reMarkable?
Upload the PDF to toolkit.bot (pdf2epub.toolkit.bot), download the EPUB, then import it to your reMarkable via the reMarkable desktop app (Connect → Import) or by emailing it to your reMarkable email address.
Does the EPUB look different from the PDF on reMarkable?
Yes — intentionally. The EPUB version reflows text to fill the screen at your chosen font size, with no fixed margins or column constraints. Figures and images are placed inline. The content is identical but the layout adapts to the screen rather than being locked to paper proportions.
Can I annotate an EPUB on reMarkable the same way I annotate a PDF?
reMarkable's annotation tools work on both PDFs and EPUBs, but there are differences. PDF annotations (highlights, handwriting) are precisely positioned on a fixed page. EPUB annotations are anchored to text, so if font size changes, they move with the text. For heavy annotation workflows, PDF may be preferable. For reading-focused use, EPUB is better.