Supernote EPUB Guide: A5X, A5 X2 (Manta), A6X2 (Nomad), Transfer and PDF Conversion (2026)
Supernote e-ink writing tablets read EPUB, PDF and Word documents natively and pair them with the most paper-like pen feel of any e-ink device — a ceramic-tipped stylus that never needs charging. This is the single guide for the whole range: how the A5X, A5 X2 (Manta), A6X and A6X2 (Nomad) differ, every way to get an EPUB onto the device, how to read and annotate, and why text-heavy PDFs are better converted to EPUB before you load them.
Supernote Models Compared
| Model | Screen | Colour | Stylus | Frontlight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supernote A5X | 10.3 in, 226 ppi | No | Yes (EMR, no charging) | No | A4 documents and long-form reading; the original 2020 model, still updated |
| Supernote A5 X2 (Manta) | 10.7 in, 300 ppi | No | Yes (EMR, no charging) | No | Current large model: sharper text, faster refresh, user-replaceable battery |
| Supernote A6X | 7.8 in, 300 ppi | No | Yes (EMR, no charging) | No | Earlier compact model |
| Supernote A6X2 (Nomad) | 7.8 in, 300 ppi | No | Yes (EMR, no charging) | No | Pocketable reading and annotation; microSD slot |
No Supernote has a frontlight or a colour screen — the trade-off for a matte, paper-textured surface and a distraction-free OS with no app store, no notifications and no browser. The pens are Wacom EMR, so they never need charging; Supernote's own Heart of Metal has a ceramic nib that does not wear down, and LAMY and Staedtler EMR pens work too. All models weigh little for their size and run for weeks on a charge.
How to Transfer EPUBs to Supernote
Method 1: USB-C Cable
- Connect the Supernote to your computer with the supplied USB-C cable.
- Tap Storage (file transfer) when the connection prompt appears. The device mounts as a drive.
- Open it and drag your EPUB into the Document folder (or a subfolder you create). Eject safely — the book appears under Document in the library.
Method 2: Supernote Cloud
- Create a free account and sign in on the device: Settings → Supernote Cloud.
- Upload the EPUB to the Document folder at cloud.supernote.com, or from the Supernote Partner app on your phone.
- On the device, pull down and tap Sync. The file downloads over Wi-Fi.
Method 3: Browse & Access (same Wi-Fi, no account)
- On the Supernote, open Settings → Browse & Access and switch it on. It shows a local web address.
- Type that address into a browser on a computer or phone on the same Wi-Fi.
- Upload the EPUB into the Document folder from the browser page.
Method 4: Dropbox or Google Drive
- Link the account under Settings → Sync.
- Put EPUBs in the Supernote folder the service creates and sync from the device.
Reading and Annotating EPUBs on Supernote
- Typography: tap the top of the page for the reading toolbar. The Aa menu sets font size, font family (serif and sans options), line spacing and margins — wider margins leave room for handwritten notes.
- Navigation: the table-of-contents icon jumps between chapters; bookmarks appear in the side panel.
- Handwritten annotation: pick the pen, highlighter or eraser from the side toolbar and write directly on the EPUB page. Set your font and size before you start — notes are anchored to the page layout, and changing typography afterwards can move them.
- Highlights and Digest: highlight passages and Supernote's Digest collects every highlight and note from a document into one summary page, which you can annotate and export.
- Export: sync with the Supernote Partner app to export the annotated document as a PDF with your handwriting overlaid, or the Digest as a standalone file. Annotations live in Supernote's own layer, not inside the EPUB, so exporting is how you share them.
- Word documents: DOC and DOCX open natively — useful for drafts and reports you would otherwise convert.
Supernote vs Other E-Ink Writing Tablets for EPUB
| Device | Screen | EPUB | Frontlight | Stylus battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supernote A5 X2 (Manta) | 10.7 in, 300 ppi | Native | No | None needed |
| Supernote A6X2 (Nomad) | 7.8 in, 300 ppi | Native | No | None needed |
| reMarkable 2 | 10.3 in, 226 ppi | Native (v3+) | No | None needed |
| reMarkable Paper Pro | 11.8 in, 229 ppi, colour | Native | Yes | None needed |
| Kobo Elipsa 2E | 10.3 in, 227 ppi | Native | Yes | Rechargeable |
| BOOX Note Air 3 C | 10.3 in, colour | NeoReader + apps | Yes | None needed |
PDFs on Supernote: Convert to EPUB First
Supernote's PDF viewer renders pages as fixed images — you can zoom, crop margins and annotate, but the text never reflows and the font-size setting has no effect. On the 10.3- and 10.7-inch models an A4 page is readable; on the 7.8-inch Nomad it is not, and two-column academic papers are awkward on every size. Converting text-heavy PDFs to EPUB first gives properly flowing text at whatever size you choose, with the same pen tools.
| Feature | PDF on Supernote | EPUB on Supernote |
|---|---|---|
| Font size control | No — zoom only | Yes — full control |
| Text reflow | No — fixed layout | Yes — wraps to the screen |
| Two-column papers | Constant zooming and panning | Single column, flows naturally |
| Handwritten annotations | Full support, fixed to the page | Full support, anchored to the layout |
| Best for | Figures, forms, slides, scanned documents | Text-heavy papers, books, reports |
- Go to toolkit.bot, upload your PDF and wait for the conversion. Two-column papers are re-ordered into a single flow; scanned PDFs are OCR'd.
- Download the EPUB.
- Transfer it with any method above — USB-C, Supernote Cloud, Browse & Access or Dropbox.
Keep the original PDF for anything you need to mark up precisely — signed forms, slide decks, figure-heavy papers — since Supernote's PDF annotation is pinned to the exact page position. For reading, EPUB wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Supernote support EPUB files natively?
- Yes. Every Supernote — A5X, A5 X2 (Manta), A6X and A6X2 (Nomad) — reads EPUB, PDF, Word (DOC/DOCX) and TXT files through the built-in reader, with reflowable text, adjustable font family and size, line spacing and margins. Supernote's OS has no app store, so all reading and annotation happens in that reader, which is clean and focused.
- How do I transfer an EPUB to my Supernote?
- Four methods: (1) USB-C — connect, tap Storage on the device, and drag the EPUB into the Document folder; (2) Supernote Cloud — sign in under Settings, upload at cloud.supernote.com or from the Partner app, and tap Sync on the device; (3) Browse & Access — switch it on in Settings and upload from a browser on the same Wi-Fi, no account needed; (4) Dropbox or Google Drive — link the account under Settings → Sync and drop files in the Supernote folder.
- What makes the Supernote stylus different from reMarkable and Kobo?
- Supernote pens are Wacom EMR, so like reMarkable's Marker they need no battery or charging. Supernote's own Heart of Metal pen has a ceramic nib that does not wear down and gives a distinctive friction against the device's textured film, close to pen on paper. Because it is standard EMR, LAMY and Staedtler digital pens also work. Kobo's Elipsa stylus, by contrast, is rechargeable.
- Can I annotate EPUBs on Supernote?
- Yes. Pick the pen or highlighter from the side toolbar and write directly on the EPUB page, add bookmarks, and collect highlights into a Digest. Annotations are stored in Supernote's own layer rather than inside the EPUB file, and export as a PDF with your handwriting overlaid via the Supernote Partner app or cloud. Set your font and size before annotating, because notes are anchored to the layout.
- Does Supernote have a frontlight?
- No. No Supernote model has a frontlight or a colour screen. Ratta trades them for a thinner stack and a matte, paper-like writing surface, so you read Supernote the way you read paper — in ambient light. If you read in the dark, a clip-on light or a lit device such as the reMarkable Paper Pro or Kobo Elipsa is the alternative.
- What is the difference between the A5X, A5 X2 and A6X2?
- The A5X (2020) is a 10.3-inch, 226 ppi tablet and is still supported. The A5 X2, sold as the Manta, is the current large model: a 10.7-inch, 300 ppi screen, faster refresh and a user-replaceable battery. The A6X2, sold as the Nomad, is the 7.8-inch, 300 ppi compact model with a microSD slot — more pocketable, but small for A4 PDFs. All use the same pens, OS and file formats.
- How does Supernote compare to reMarkable 2 for EPUB reading?
- Both are 10-inch-class monochrome writing tablets with no frontlight, no app store and battery-free EMR pens. Supernote's reader offers more typography options and opens Word documents; it also syncs with Dropbox and Google Drive. reMarkable 2 gained EPUB in firmware 3.0 and has the more polished desktop and mobile apps, plus the colour, frontlit Paper Pro as an upgrade path. For reading converted PDFs both are excellent — the pen feel is the deciding factor.