Open the settings
- Mac: click the Appearance button in the reader toolbar (⌘ ⇧ A). The panel has three tabs: Aa (size, font, theme), Layout and About.
- iPhone and iPad: tap the middle of the page to show the controls, tap the menu button at the bottom right, then Themes & Settings. Tap Done to close.
Changes apply straight away. Defaults for new books are in Settings > General, under Reader and Appearance.
Text size
The size goes from 12 to 60 points. On a Mac, ⌘ + and ⌘ − change it and ⌘ 0 resets it (also on iPad with a keyboard).
Fonts
| Font | Good for |
|---|---|
| Publisher Font | The font the book was designed with |
| Theme Default | The font that goes with the current theme |
| Literata, Lora, Merriweather, Noto Serif | Classic book typefaces |
| Noto Sans | A clean sans-serif |
| Atkinson Hyperlegible, Lexend | Low vision and reading fluency |
| OpenDyslexic, Accessible DfA | Readers with dyslexia |
| iA Writer Duo | A monospaced look |
Themes
System, Light, Dark, Sepia and Quiet are included. BookShelves Pro adds Vintage Paper, Night Sky, Forest, Midnight, Ocean Mist and Dark Academia.
System follows your device’s light or dark mode. It’s chosen in Settings > General > Default Reader Theme; the reader’s own panel lists the other themes.
Spacing, margins and weight
Each of these has a switch. Off means the book’s own value (shown as Default); on lets you set it:
- Line Spacing, from 1.0 to 2.4.
- Margins.
- Paragraph Spacing, from 0 to 2. With the switch off, BookShelves uses the spacing the book’s publisher chose.
- Font Weight, from lighter to bolder. The steps depend on the font; fonts with a single weight hide the slider.
Justify Text lines text up on both edges.
Text size, spacing, margins, weight and justification are kept per device, so a small phone and a large Mac can each look right. Theme and font follow you to your other devices with iCloud Sync.
Pages or scrolling
Reading Mode switches between Paginated (turn pages) and Scroll (scroll through the text). Very large books switch back to paginated by themselves, with a message.
Two pages side by side (Mac)
In paginated mode, Page Layout in the Layout tab offers:
- Single Page: one page at a time.
- Two-Page Spread: two pages side by side.
- Auto: a spread when the window is wide enough.
Right to left and vertical text
Right to Left changes the page direction for the book you’re reading. Japanese and Chinese books that read right to left are shown in vertical text automatically; while they are, the Reading Mode, Page Layout and Justify Text options are hidden.
Turn pages
- iPhone and iPad: tap the left or right edge of the page, or swipe.
- Mac: use the arrow keys, Space, Page Up and Page Down, the arrows that appear when you move the pointer to the side, or swipe on the trackpad.
All the keys are in Keyboard Shortcuts.
Table of contents, search and progress
- Contents: the Contents button in the Mac toolbar (⌘ ⇧ T), or Contents in the reader menu on iPhone and iPad.
- Search: the magnifying glass in the Mac toolbar (⌘ F), or Search book in the reader menu on iPhone and iPad.
- Progress: the bottom of the page shows how far you are and the page number. Settings > General can add a thin progress bar and, on a Mac, the chapter title in the window title.
Something in a book looks wrong? Use Report Rendering Issue at the bottom of the Mac appearance panel.