The new shelf: practicality and aesthetics combined

We use shelves to store stuff and to display decorative accessories in our homes. The digital version of the shelf is not much different. It’s basically a mini library that looks nice and lets you display multiple flipbooks in a single widget. You and your readers get quick access to whatever it holds.

Some of you remember the old wooden shelf widget. It was great for keeping magazine collections in line or to showcase multiple flipbooks together.

However, in time the design became outdated. We realized it was time to “redecorate”.

So we recreated the same functionality, with a new design. Now you have a modern, sleek floating shelf that’s going to look great no matter where you decide to embed it.

The previous shelf widget was Flash, the new one is HTML5. So we’re not just talking about looks here. HTML5 is a superior technology, which makes the new shelf compatible with all modern browsers.

It’s available for both premium and free users.

How to make a shelf widget:

1. Upload multiple files, do not merge
At this step, you have to make the sure you uncheck the Merge all files into one box.

2. Click Preview and publish

3. Select Shelf widget

You can delete or add items to your shelf, on the right.

4. Publish

Functionality

Just click on a cover to open and read a magazine from the shelf. It will automatically enter the full screen. All the other items from the collection are listed on the right, so you can easily navigate between flipbooks. If you want to return to the shelf view, just exit the full screen view.

Recommendations

Upload between 2-10 items in a widget. One flipbook would look awkward and lonely, but you don’t want to have too many either. After all, freestanding floating shelves aren’t supposed to hold a lot of weight. Also, try to use small PDFs.

By following these recommendations you ensure that the conversion and loading times stay within acceptable limits.

You’re not going to be able to update your old shelf widgets with the new design. Please re-upload your files to create a new shelf widget.

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts about the new widget, so go ahead and create your first shelf widget!