How to read a PDF with RSVP on iPhone
Prepare selectable PDF text, inspect reading order and choose a pace that preserves understanding in FocalRead.
Quick answer
A PDF must contain usable text before an RSVP reader can show its words in order. Import the document, inspect the extracted text and keep the original nearby for images, tables and layout.
Step by step
Check whether text is selectable
Try selecting and copying a paragraph. A scanned page may need OCR in another tool first; do not assume every image-based PDF can be read immediately.
Inspect the reading order
Check a page with columns, headers and footnotes. Make sure the extracted words form the intended sentences rather than jumping between columns.
Read a short section slowly
Begin with a heading and a few paragraphs. Pause for unfamiliar terms and inspect diagrams in the original PDF. Increase speed only if recall remains useful.
Keep useful references
Save a position or bookmark where supported and retain the original file for page numbers and citations. Check any quoted wording against the source.
A practical example
For a course handout, test one page of prose and one with a table. Use RSVP for the prose if the order is correct, and read the table in the original layout.
Before you use the result
PDF extraction can change word order or omit visual information. RSVP does not interpret diagrams. Use documents you are permitted to access and keep the source for verification.
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