Paper is a reading layer for public PDFs. Paste a link, let Paper reconstruct the text, and read online without treating your phone like a tiny sheet of printer paper.
What makes a PDF hard to read online?
PDF is a page description format. It is excellent for printing and sharing a layout exactly as designed. On a phone, that same fixed layout often means tiny type, horizontal scrolling, and constant zooming. A long PDF becomes a series of gestures instead of a sustained read.
Paper takes the selectable text from a public PDF and gives it a responsive column. The words can fit the screen. Headings can create pauses. Paragraphs can carry their own rhythm. You can read a short handout, a research paper, or a long book in the same calm surface.
Read a PDF like a book
Reading like a book does not mean hiding the source or pretending every document is a novel. It means giving the reader a stable place to look. Paper uses a serif reading face, a restrained line length, and controls for the things that affect comfort over time.
- Adjust text size for the distance and screen in front of you.
- Set a line width that keeps paragraphs from becoming tiring.
- Choose paper, sepia, or night themes for different rooms and times.
- Return to your previous position without an account.
For any PDF whose words matter
Students use it for course readings. Researchers use it for papers and reports. Curious readers use it for public-domain books and essays. Anyone with a public PDF link can use the same simple flow, whether the document takes ten minutes or ten hours to read.
Currently supported formats
Today, Paper supports a public HTTP or HTTPS URL that points to a selectable-text PDF. The current reader fetches the document, reflows its text in your browser, and keeps reading progress locally. Scanned image-only PDFs, OCR, local file uploads, and other document formats are not supported yet.
See the complete format support page and future directions
Find the right reading view
On a phone
Responsive type and a narrow reading column for small screens.
Like a book
A continuous reading surface for text-heavy PDFs.
Understand reflow
What changes in the reading layer, and where the original page still wins.
For research papers
A better first pass, with the source kept close for figures and citations.
Paper is free to try with the Tolstoy sample already loaded on the home page.
Read a PDF onlineFrequently asked questions
Can I read a PDF online without downloading it?
Yes. Paste a public PDF URL into Paper and the document opens in a reflowed browser view. The current MVP supports selectable-text PDFs; scanned image-only PDFs are not yet OCR'd.
Does Paper replace the original PDF?
No. Paper is a reading layer. It is useful when the words matter more than preserving the exact printed page. Keep the source PDF whenever visual fidelity, forms, diagrams, or print layout are essential.
Does Paper require an account?
No. The core reading flow has no account, no upload step, and no server-side reading library.