Guides

How to Make Reading EPUB and PDF More Comfortable on Desktop

Reading on a computer doesn’t have to mean squinting at tiny text in a cluttered window. In this guide, we’ll look at how EPUB and PDF reading can be more comfortable on your desktop and how Wizread’s import → library → read flow can help you treat reading as an intentional, focused activity instead of “just another tab”. If you’re still deciding which format to use more often, you can also read our EPUB vs PDF comparison for desktop reading .

Why desktop reading often feels tiring

Most apps you use on your computer are designed for work: email, code, spreadsheets, browser tabs. Reading a book or long document in the same environment can feel:

Visually noisy – toolbars, tabs and notifications everywhere.
Physically tiring – text that’s too small or lines that stretch across the whole monitor.
Easy to abandon – because your book is “just another file” you close and forget.

Making reading comfortable on desktop is partly about your screen and posture, and partly about using a dedicated reader like Wizread that treats books and documents differently from everything else.

The core idea: turn “file reading” into “reading sessions”

Instead of opening an EPUB/PDF in whatever app happens to handle it, you can create a simple ritual:

Open Wizread on your desktop.
Import your EPUB or PDF:
- Drag & drop the file into the app, or
- Click the Import book icon in the top navigation bar and choose the file.
Find the book in your library.
Click Read to enter the reading view and stay there for a focused session.

Just that small separation—files in folders vs. books in Wizread—makes it easier to treat reading as its own activity, with its own space and pace. If you need help just getting files to open at all, you can start with how to open EPUB files on Windows, macOS and Linux and how to read PDF files like ebooks on your desktop .

Step 1 – Set up your screen for reading

Before you even think about fonts, it helps to make your physical setup a bit more book-friendly:

Adjust your distance. Sit far enough from the monitor that you can read comfortably without leaning in.
Keep the screen at or slightly below eye level. This reduces neck strain over longer sessions.
Avoid extreme brightness. Match your display brightness to the room instead of maxing it out.
Minimize visual clutter. Close unrelated apps and browser tabs, or move them to another desktop.

Your monitor will never feel like paper, but a few tweaks can make it a lot less harsh for sustained reading.

Step 2 – Use Wizread’s reading view instead of generic viewers

Once your EPUB or PDF is imported into Wizread, the key is to actually read it from the reading view, not from a random system viewer:

Open Wizread and go to your library.
Locate the EPUB or PDF you want to read.
Click Read for that title.
Stay in the reading view for the entire session if you can.

Keeping reading inside Wizread means:

Your books live in one place instead of random windows.
You can come back to them easily from the same library.
You’re looking at a layout designed for reading, not for editing or printing.

Step 3 – Make the text and layout work for your eyes

Comfortable reading isn’t only about font size; it’s about how the text fits on your screen. A few principles:

Avoid very long lines. On a wide monitor, don’t stretch Wizread across the entire width. Narrow the window until each line feels more “book-like”.
Increase text size for distance. If you sit farther back, bump the text size up so you can read without squinting.
Give the page room to breathe. A bit of margin around the text makes the page feel calmer.

The exact settings depend on your screen and eyes, but the goal is simple: the text should feel easy to follow without constant zooming or fiddling.

Step 4 – Pick a background that matches your environment

Light-on-dark or dark-on-light isn’t a moral question—it’s about contrast and what your room looks like:

In a bright room, a lighter background with dark text can feel more natural and easier to scan.
In a darker room, a darker background with lighter text can reduce the feeling of staring at a lightbulb.
Avoid extreme contrast if it feels uncomfortable; slightly softer combinations can be easier on the eyes.

Try a few variations and stick with the one that feels good over 20–30 minutes, not just 20 seconds.

Step 5 – Read and take notes in the same place

One of the easiest ways to stay engaged (and less distracted) while reading on a computer is to let your notes live next to the text instead of in a separate app:

Treat Wizread as the place where reading and note-taking happen together.
Jot down short thoughts, questions or key points while you’re in the reading view.
Come back later to the same book in Wizread when you want to review or continue from where you left off.

This keeps you interacting with the text instead of passively scrolling, which can actually make long desktop sessions less tiring. If you want to combine this with a better-organized library, our guide on organizing your ebook library on Windows, macOS and Linux makes it easier to always find the books you want to sit down with.

Step 6 – Use short sessions and intentional breaks

No matter how well-tuned your setup is, screens are still screens. A few simple habits can prevent burnout:

Read in blocks. Decide on a 20–30 minute session in Wizread, then take a short break before starting another.
Look away regularly. Every so often, focus on something across the room for a few seconds.
Change posture. Shift how you’re sitting between chapters or sections.

Treating reading as short, intentional sessions instead of hours of aimless screen time helps your brain and eyes stay fresher.

Recap: making desktop reading actually pleasant

To make reading EPUB and PDF files more comfortable on your computer:

Set up your screen, distance and lighting so they don’t fight you.
Open Wizread and keep your reading inside the reading view.
Import EPUB/PDF files via drag & drop or the Import book icon, then open them from your library.
Adjust window size, text and background so pages feel calm and readable.
Take notes while reading so you stay engaged instead of drifting to other apps.
Use short, focused sessions with breaks instead of marathon screen time.

With those pieces in place, your desktop stops being just “where the files are” and becomes a place where you can actually enjoy your books and documents in a focused way with Wizread. For more around the edges of comfort—like safety and format choices—you can also read how safe EPUB and PDF files are and our EPUB vs MOBI vs AZW3 comparison for a broader view of ebook formats.