Why It Is Called Flip Book Technology

One of the newest buzz words in the electronic publishing industry is "flip book". This new technology allows software to generate pages on an ebook reader, ipad, or computer screen that are matched up the same way the pages in a printed publication are. But, why is it called flip book technology?

The reason goes back to the very earliest days of animation. Animators would draw a series of pictures on different sheets of paper with each drawing being slightly different from the one before it. These drawings would be compiled into a small book. When the pages were flipped rapidly, the images caught by the eyes made it appear that the subject of the drawings was moving.

In electronic publishing, software has been created that takes PDF documents and arranges pages in the same manner they would be viewed in print. Then, the software generates and adds an animation of a page turning that is displayed when a viewer drags a page from one side to another or clicks on the appropriate buttons to change pages.

These animations are created going in both directions, making it seem that one is flipping forward or backward through the electronic publication. As the pages move, the underlying pages are exposed, just as would happen when reading in print. The animation of pages turning is the reason for the name.