Your Guide to Digital Magazines

What is a digital magazine?

A digital magazine is an electronic version of a magazine designed to be read on screens—whether that's a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Unlike a simple PDF, digital magazines include interactive features like clickable links, embedded videos, and page-flipping animations that recreate the reading experience of print. They're created by converting PDFs into an engaging online format or from professionally designed templates. An online digital magazine offers instant worldwide distribution without printing costs, real-time content updates, detailed reader analytics, and the ability to include multimedia elements. Publishers can share them via links, embed them on websites, or distribute them through social media.

Create a magazine

The history of magazines - from Enlightenment to the digital age

A long, rich magazine history from the first periodical in 1663 to how readers interact with digital magazines today. Here are the most important moments

1663 - The first magazine created by Johann Rist, titled Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Edifying Monthly Discussions), published in Germany
1731 - Edward Cave publishes The Gentleman's Magazine in London and coins the term "magazine"
1741 - First American magazines launched by Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Bradford in Philadelphia
1830s - Mass circulation magazines arrive in the United States, making magazines affordable to the general public
1842 - The Illustrated London News becomes the first illustrated magazine, revolutionizing visual storytelling
1893 - McClure's Magazine sells for 15 cents, triggering the era of affordable mass-market magazines
1923 - Time magazine founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, establishing the modern newsmagazine format
1936 - Life magazine launches, pioneering photojournalism and visual narrative storytelling
1990s - Magazines begin transitioning to digital formats with PDF versions distributed online
2010 - Apple introduces the iPad, revolutionizing digital magazine distribution with dedicated apps and interactive features
2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates digital magazine adoption as lockdowns drive readers to online platforms
2024 - Digital magazines integrate advanced features including AI-powered personalization, immersive multimedia, and social commerce

Benefits of using online digital magazines

Digital magazines give you more control, flexibility, and insights into how your content performs. Here's what makes them effective:

image with the benefits of using digital magazines

Interactivity

Create a digital magazine that encourages people to read and engage. Include interactive elements such as links, videos, captions, tags, forms, and more.

Sharing

Share your digital magazine online via link, social media, or QR code. You can also embed it on a website, send it as a newsletter, or keep it unlisted.

Real-time updates

Make any changes to your digital magazine without resending it. Your information will be kept up to date at the same link.

Branding

Create a branded digital magazine design every time. Upload your brand assets to Flipsnack and save your design as a template to have a foundation for all the rest.

Collaboration

Work together with your team to make an online magazine. Assign different roles to design on-brand digital magazines each time.

Statistics

Track views, impressions, devices, engagements, and more. See how people interact with your digital magazine at a page and flipbook level.

How to create a digital magazine

Creating a digital magazine with Flipsnack takes just a few steps. Here's how to get started:

Create a free magazine

  1. 1. Upload your PDF or choose a template

    Start by uploading your existing PDF file to Flipsnack, or browse our library of professionally designed magazine templates to build from scratch.

  2. 2. Customize your design

    Edit your magazine using the drag-and-drop Design Studio. Add your brand colors, fonts, images, and text to create a branded, professional look.

  3. 3. Add interactive elements

    Bring your magazine to life with clickable links, embedded videos, image slideshows, contact forms, and other interactive features that engage readers.

  4. 4. Publish and share

    Publish your digital magazine and share it instantly via link, email, social media, or QR code. Embed it on your website or download it for offline use.

  5. 5. Track performance

    Monitor how readers engage with your magazine using built-in analytics. See views, time spent, click-through rates, and which pages get the most attention.

Business magazine templates

Establish authority with professional layouts designed for industry insights and corporate news. Fully customize these templates to match your brand identity and add interactive elements or shoppable tags to turn your business wisdom into a lead-generation powerhouse.

Create a business magazine

Fashion magazine templates

Bring high-end style to life with elegant designs perfect for trends and lookbooks. These templates offer a premium, glossy feel—simply add shoppable tags with Flipsnack to allow readers to purchase the latest featured styles directly from the page.

Create a fashion magazine

Lifestyle magazine templates

From wellness to home decor, these versatile templates are designed to fit any niche. Personalize your layout with interactive videos and shoppable links to create a modern reading experience that turns inspiration into instant action for your audience.

Create a lifestyle magazine

Learn more about digital magazines

More related topics

Explore our collection of guides, tips, and resources to help you create, design, and distribute professional online magazines.

1. Getting Started & Strategy

2. Design & Inspiration

3. Tools & Comparisons

4. Retail & Sales

Start creating your digital magazine with Flipsnack