How Does Flip Book Work?

In the world of animation, a flip book is a collection of drawings of the same subject depicted in slightly different positions. As the viewer flips through the pages, the subject seems to take on life and move. In the world of electronic publishing, the answer is actually similar.

Flip book software takes a series of pages in PDF format and turns them into the electronic version of a book or magazine. Pages are divided into left and right images and laid out the way they would be for the printed version. The software then generates an image of a page turning that moves from right to left and one that moves from left to right.

These animations are activated when the viewer clicks and drags the corner of a page or clicks one the appropriate button on the screen. As the pages seem to turn, the images on the underlying pages are exposed in a manner consistent with turning pages.

The software creates a series of images that are revealed at a rapid rate in a specified order. This creates the illusion of a page moving that the eyes see and the revealing of the image underneath in increments adds to this illusion.