How to open a DJVU file on your computer. Djvu - what is this format, how to open it and what programs to use for reading files in déjà vu on a computer or Android Unzip the djvu file
A document with the djvu extension is a scanned book with unrecognized text.
Simply put, they contain raw pages of publications presented in the form of images.
And so that when reading you don’t have to open files one by one, they are linked into one document, accessible for leafing through, storing bookmarks and notes.
Today, many electronic libraries offer users books in djvu format for downloading and reading.
The enormous popularity of digitized books in this format has led to an increase in the number of programs that can open them.
By default, operating systems do not have applications for opening djvu, but any of the popular readers can be downloaded and installed for free.
WinDjView
The program successfully works with all popular formats of electronic publications, including text pages and digitized images.
Features of the CoolReader program
- Ability to view multiple pages simultaneously.
- Working with books in full screen mode.
- Support for text-to-voice translation module.
- Recognition of most text file encodings.
- Searching through books.
- Adding bookmarks and comments with the ability to view.
Each of the programs described in the review copes well with the task at hand - opening files in the djvu format.
Therefore, you need to choose a particular program based on the required set of capabilities, simplicity of the interface, ease of installation and use.
To be sure to decide on the best option, download all the solutions and familiarize yourself with them, determining for yourself the pros and cons of working in the programs.
All of the above programs for reading djvu books are free.
How to open djvu on a computer?
You can open a djvu file on a computer only using a special program, for example, WinDjView. Browser plugins are also available.
The DjVu format is very popular now. But when working with such files, many users encounter a problem - they do not know how to open a DjVu file on a computer. In this article you will read how to work with such documents.
Why do you need the DjVu format?
The advantage of this format is that it compresses scanned books well. With its help, not fiction is distributed on the Internet, but books or information that contain graphs, tables and other graphic elements.
Format advantage:
- several times compression, which allows you to achieve a minimum book volume without losing the quality of scanned pages;
- the document has a text layer.
Programs for opening files
There are several ways to open files with DjVu resolution. At the same time, consider where this will happen: on a mobile gadget or computer.
On the computer
There are three types of programs available on the Internet that help you work with DjVu files:
- universal, working with various types of books;
- designed to work only with deja vu files;
- editors who open, edit, and create new documents.
This is an old program that is no longer supported by its developers. The latest version was released in 2005. Therefore, there remains a possibility that in new Windows it will not start the first time (read the article “How to open old applications”). The program does not need to be installed on your computer - it runs in the same folder where it was unpacked from the archive.
The program opens deja vu files, as well as books in PDF, Epub, FB2 formats. It can be installed on your computer or used as a portable version. Among the advantages of the application:
- a huge number of formats with which it works;
- user-friendly interface;
- before closing, remembers all currently open files;
- quick book search;
- highlighting text (if the format allows it).
Multitasking utility that works with déjà vu files. Each book opens in a separate tab, so you can work with several documents at once. The WinDjView application offers the user a huge number of settings and file search.
In the video you will see how to work with this program, as well as what exactly the DjVu format is.
On a mobile gadget
It is convenient to use books in déjà vu format on mobile devices. For this purpose, special applications have been developed that are available for download and installation in the official Windows Store, Android Market and AppStore. Such an application is eDjVu, presented in the Microsoft online store.
Convert to PDF
If Adobe Reader is installed on your computer, convert the deja vu file to PDF to work with them (you will also be interested in reading the article “”). You can also do this online at docspal.com. Specify on the online service the document to be converted, its initial parameters and the format that you want to receive in the end. After that, start the process.
Worth knowing! Conversion time depends on the speed of your Internet connection and file size.
Conclusion
There are programs that open, edit and create files in the DjVu format. They were created for desktop and mobile versions of Windows 10. If necessary, you can use online services that convert such books into PDF format.
The DJVu format is used in digital libraries. This resolution compresses illustrations with a loss of quality, but is necessary to convey the nuances of the source text. In this article we will analyze in detail why this size is needed and how to open a DJVu file on a computer.
General description of the DJVu format
Users are often interested in questions about what the format is and how to open a DJVu file. To create such a file, the source (text, drawing, diagram) is first scanned, then the DJVu technique is used to compress the drawing.
The scanned copy is decomposed into three layers: foreground and background, one-bit mask. After this, compression occurs using wavelet technology and the JB2 algorithm. As a result, we get a document of 15 KB in size.
The file is saved in two versions: conversion with loss of quality and without loss in formats: PNG, JPEG or TIFF. There are two ways to open DJVu; we’ll tell you more about them below.
History of origin
Image conversion technology was developed by Yann LeCun, Leon Botu and Patrick Heffner at AT&T Labs between 1998 and 2001. In 2000, the rights to the invention were purchased by LizardTech, and in 2009 by Cuminas.
Since the program is developed as open source, it is used on different software. GNU has licensed the DJVuLibre library with tools for encoding and viewing documents.
How and with what to open a DJVu extension file
DejaVu files are available for viewing on Mac OS and Windows platforms. There are two methods to open a DJVu file: install the program or view it online. Let's look at software products for each method.
Open DJVu on your computer
Format viewers are divided into three types:
- universal;
- special;
- converters.
We present a list of tools for opening a DJVu file on various versions of Windows.
On Windows 10
The utility will help you open a DejaVu file on Windows 10. To work with the document you need:
- download, unpack and run the program;
- In the upper left corner, click “File”, select “Open” (or use the hotkey combination “CTRL + O”) and specify the location of the document on your computer.
On Windows 7
Now let's see how to open the DJVu format in Windows 7 build. You can't do it without special utilities. This program has analogues that can be used to read such files. and the most popular and reliable of them. They are used in portable format or installed on a desktop. The programs have a clear interface with tabs, standard functions for this type of application (demonstration in a horizontal plane, page rotation, selection by text).
It is not difficult to launch DejaVu format documents using this software; you only need to complete two steps.
- Go to the "File" section.
- Click on the “Open” button and select the required document.
You can make it even simpler - go directly from Explorer, but to do this you first need to set up an association with the installed software.
On Mac OS
Texts, e-books and illustrations saved in DejaVu format cannot be opened in this operating system without the help of third-party programs. You will need to download additional software, for example, DjVu Reader.
- After installation, run the boot file and press the “⌘+O” keys.
- Through the window that appears, launch the document of interest.
DJVu online
There is nothing easier for a DejaVu file than viewing it in a browser: there is no need to install additional software or manually convert the document. Let's consider online resources for viewing the DJVu format, how to discover what functions are available. The rollMyFile website will help you open DJVu online.
- Click the Choose captcha to select the file.
- Then click “Open it now”.
- The document will open in a new window. The program changes the settings, searches the document, and scales the size.
Another way to open a DJVu file online is to go to the DJVu Viewer Online service.
Document management is carried out using buttons on the screen. Available functions include zooming and page navigation.
What other problems could there be with the DJVu file?
If you are unable to open a document of the specified format online or in a desktop program, archive it and run it in the viewer through the archive. Perhaps the reason is that part of the code is damaged, and the archive will fix the problem.
10. 11.2017
Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.
How to open a djvu file - library on your computer
Good day.
I say this for a reason: during my student years and after them, I more than once came across literature of this standard on the Internet. In my opinion, now it is less popular than its main competitor, but is still often used for digitizing printed publications. Want to know why? I suggest you familiarize yourself with the features of DjVu.
I'll start right off the bat.
Ways to open DjVu
As you can see from the subtitle, there are several ways you can view eBooks. There are many of them, but in order to save your time, I will only talk about the proven and most popular ones.
Using special programs
There are many readers for “deja vu”, but the most convenient one today is WinDjView. It is free, supported by all currently common versions of Windows, and there is a Russified version.
The program also has the following functionality:
- Provides tabs for opening multiple files or viewing each of them in separate windows;
- You can add bookmarks and annotations;
- There is a text search and, most importantly, copying it;
- It is possible to export pages or individual parts of them in bmp, png, gif, tif and jpg formats.
- You can configure content to be viewed in different modes, etc.
How to use this reader?
I will not describe all the other settings, since during the process of use you will figure out what is best for you.
Alternative options
Many people still use a simple program DjVu reader, which began to be used for this purpose back in the 90s. It is, of course, convenient and free, but it is no longer updated. If you don't care, you can use it as an alternative to the previous program.
Through browser extensions
Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari browsers allow their users to open this type of file using a special extension - .
That is, you download it, install it, and then easily browse the Internet for e-books of this standard online when you come across them.
This utility was developed by the famous company LizardTech, which produces various software. So don't worry about the reliability of this product - it works smoothly and is virus-free.
And now a lyrical digression :)
What exactly is DjVu?
DjVu is used mainly in cases where the source is replete with drawings, formulas and diagrams that cannot be reprinted manually.
As with any document compression, in this case you also cannot do without quality losses. But the trick of this format is that they are minimal. Moreover, not only the text is well conveyed, but also the nuances of design, down to the color and texture of the paper, blots, page breaks from folding, fingerprints, etc. It is especially important that all this is preserved when we are dealing with historical documents or manuscripts.
The compression technology used for this format divides the source into 3 layers: foreground, background and black and white mask. The first contains mask information and has the lowest resolution of all.
The second includes illustrations and page texture; also has a lower resolution, but still slightly higher than that of the foreground.
The mask repeats the resolution of the original image, so its task is to clearly convey the text and other important details.
Probably good, time to finish.
Personally, I mostly use WinDjView.
But I also want to give a little advice ;)
WinDjView only works with files of this format. If you are looking for a universal reader, I recommend it, which supports 15 standards, including “déjà vu”.
That's all for sure now :)
Enjoy reading not only e-books, but also my other articles.
The DjVu file format typically uses the .djvu extension and was developed as an alternative to the Adobe PDF format in 1996. Thanks to advanced compression algorithms, DjVu is optimized for scanned documents that contain both images and text. In most cases, DjVu files are more compact than comparable PDF files. This was the short answer to your question. However, most likely you came to this page because you recently came across a DjVu file and wondered how to open it. Therefore, the first part of this article will provide you with all the tools and algorithms to open a DjVu file. But if you also want to have a deeper understanding about DjVu, you have come to the right place: The second part of this article will provide you with historical and technical background information about this interesting file format, so stay tuned!
How to open a DjVu file?
| DjVu Specifications | |
| File name extensions | .djvu, .djv |
|---|---|
| Internet media type | image/vnd.djvu, image/x-djvu |
| Designed by | AT&T Labs – Research |
| Initial release | 1998; 19 years ago ( 1998 ) |
| Latest issue |
Version 26 |
| GNU GPLv2 | |
- 1. To convert any DjVu file to PDF, you can directly use our converter DjVu to PDF.
- 2. If you prefer to install software to view DjVu directly, on the other hand, you may be interested in our updated list of DjVu players.
Best DjVu Players
Conversion is always accompanied by quality losses, unless, of course, you are ready to put up with output files larger than the source document. Since DjVu documents are quite similar to PDFs and are even searchable in many cases (which is often forgotten), and perhaps sticking to the original document when choosing a suitable player would be a good choice. There are a number of DjVu players for almost every operating system available on the Internet, a small selection of which are summarized here:
Sumatra Reader (with DjVu support)
Sumatra Reader is one of the lesser known DjVu players available for Windows. Compared to other alternatives presented here, it not only allows you to open and view DjVu files, but also supports basic operations for processing and editing them. Therefore, it is probably the best choice for running DjVu on Windows.
DjView
DjView is a good DjVu player that is available free of charge for Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. It allows you to search DjVu documents and can show an outline of the document and thumbnail images of specific pages.
WinDjView, MacDjView
Another useful tool that offers roughly the same functionality as DjView. It also allows you to select and copy text using your cursor, much like working with a PDF document. Also the user interface is very similar to most PDF players. The names already imply that the software is available for Windows and MacOs.
STDU Viewer
STDU Viewer is a free (for non-commercial and educational use) and powerful document viewer that also supports DjVu. The software is available in different languages. It does a great job with files that have a text layer and can therefore be useful if you want to export simple text from DjVu and other supported documents.
X Djvu for iPhone and iPad
Yes, you can read DjVu documents using your iPhone! X Djvu is a useful application that allows you to read DjVu documents using your iPhone or iPad and offers many different features. A smaller version of X Djvu Lite can be downloaded for free for testing.Ebookdroid - document reader for Android
You want to read your DjVu documents on your Android smartphone. No problem! There are many free document players available that allow you to open DjVu files on Android. A good one is, for example, Ebookdroid, which also supports PDF. Installation is very easy via the Google App Store.
Where did the DjVu file format come from?
The DjVu format was developed as an alternative to the PDF format in 1998 at AT&T Labs, where some pioneering inventions such as the transistor were made. The main contributors to the development of DjVu were Yann LeCun, Leon Bottu, Patrick Haffner and Paul G. Howard, and the leading idea behind the development of DjVu was to create a file format that is optimized for scanned documents that contain both images and text. The key requirement here was that the new file format works better than PDF for this type of document. The key advantage of DjVu is the limited size of DjVu files. Therefore, it is often used to distribute scanned documents online. Unlike PDF, it is an open file format, which means it can be used by both open source and proprietary software. The DjVu format usually uses the extension .djvu or sometimes just .djv.
Why are DjVu files special?
DjVu files use advanced compression technologies that are approximately 5-10 times better than JPEG and Tiff files. A scanned page in color (300 DPI) with a file size of, say, about 25 MB, can easily be compressed to 100 KB (!) using DjVu. All DjVu files can be equipped with a text layer, which will make them searchable. These searchable DjVu files are very similar to PDF documents. The key to achieving this superior compression is so-called multi-scale two-color clustering, which allows the separation of foreground and background masks, which is more general than standard text/image segmentation. Along with a suite of soft template matching algorithms, the JBIG2 compression that DjVu uses outperforms the JBIG1 compression that has been the standard for bilayer images for a long time. The JBIG2 encoding principle is as follows: First, the method identifies nearly identical shapes on a page, such as multiple occurrences of a particular character in a given font, style, and size. It then compresses the bitmap of each unique shape separately and then encodes the locations where each shape appears on the page. Likewise, similar shapes are compressed only once rather than multiple times, which explains the advantage in terms of file size that DjVu files typically show. Other key components of the compression technique used by DjVu are the multi-scale sequential projection algorithm and the so-called ZP encoder.
DjVu files with hidden OCR layers
It is still possible to think of DjVu files as a loose collection of bitmap images that do not contain searchable text information and are therefore difficult to process. So, we need to get used to the fact that PDF is an undeniably prettier format? Of course not! The DjVu authors were smart enough to find a clever job here: in order to make DjVu files searchable and similar to PDF files, they added a hidden OCR layer to the file format definition. This is a very cost-effective way of providing searchable text information on the one hand, and a strict separation between the visual appearance of the document and the content that can be viewed by the reader. Most DjVu files that are distributed on the Internet contain such a text layer. The main difference between DjVu and PDF is that the DjVu format is a raster image format, whereas the PDF format is a scalable vector file format. This trick even allows you to easily copy and paste text from any DjVu that is equipped with a layer like the one used to work with PDF files. Licensing and adaptation of DjVu DjVu appeared first as an open source incarnation that was called "DjVuLibre" and used the GNU General Public License. However, copy rights to commercial encoding software designs have been assigned to several different companies over the years, including AT&T Corporation, LizardTech, Celartem, and others. Although PDF is used more often than DjVu, despite the fact that some experts believe that DjVu is actually a better document format due to its superior compression algorithms, DjVu has achieved a significant level of adoption due to this open source licensing. Since DjVu was developed at the peak of the digitization era when many books were scanned, many people still use DjVu to scan documents and books over the Internet. Additionally, in 2002, the Internet Archive, with its million-dollar book project, which provides millions of public domain scanned books, also decided to support DjVu along with PDF.
Technical characteristics of DjVu files
DjVu was originally derived from the Interchange File Format (IFF), which is based on hierarchically organized chunks. As with IFF, its structure is preceded by a 4-byte AT&T magic number. This identifier is followed by a marker indicating whether to make a single-page document (DJVU) or a multi-page document (DJVM), respectively. A more detailed discussion is undoubtedly beyond the scope of this article. Another important specification, however, is the Internet mime type for DjVu - image/vnd.djvu or image/x-djvu. The current version of DjVu is version 26, released over 10 years ago.
The future of DjVu
Although not much progress has been made in DjVu development in recent years, the number of DjVu files released is eventually increasing again. This may be due to the most compelling benefit of DjVu files, their incredibly compact file size. At a time when the world wide web is increasingly being used by mobile devices and bandwidth is still a cost factor, using DjVu's superior compression can help save time and money. Meanwhile, there are also applications that can be used to display DjVu files on smartphones and tablets. Of course, this is pure speculation, but perhaps DjVu's future could be brighter than its past. In fact, the name DjVu conveys some kind of hidden message, as it is inspired by the French expression DjVu [déjà vu], which means something like “already seen.” Since you are now familiar with DjVu, you can be absolutely sure that you will see it again very soon as long as you live in the Internet world.