# When should I keep a fixed-layout PDF instead of converting to EPUB?

Source: https://epubcc.com/answers/when-to-keep-a-pdf/ (updated 2026-11-03)

Keep the fixed-layout PDF when the page design is part of the meaning: comics, picture books, sheet music, forms, maps and heavily designed layouts. Convert to a reflowable EPUB when the document is mostly running text you want to read comfortably on a small screen.

## Keep the PDF for

- Comics, manga and picture books, where text and image share the page.
- Sheet music, forms, maps and technical drawings.
- Documents you need to cite by page number, such as legal or academic references.

## Convert to EPUB for

- Novels, essays, reports and papers that are mostly paragraphs.
- Reading on a phone or an e-reader with your own font size.
- Long documents where you want a working table of contents and linked notes.