How to Read PDFs, Notes, Scans, and Comics on the Kindle Paperwhite (2021 and Newer)

If you have a Kindle Paperwhite (2021 or newer), you can read PDFs, college notes, scans, and comics, but each format works differently. Here’s how to make the most of the 6.8" screen and 1236 × 1648 pixel resolution, and what options you have for a comfortable and legible reading experience.

How Do PDFs Look on the Kindle Paperwhite?

On the Kindle Paperwhite, PDFs are shown as fixed pages: you see the entire page, but it's shrunk down. With the 6.8" screen and 1236 × 1648 pixel grayscale display, an A4-sized PDF appears smaller than on paper, and the text shrinks too—a 12-point font ends up under 6 points. You can zoom with two fingers or rotate the Kindle, but you’ll need to pan around to read, and you can’t make the text larger like you can with Kindle books (AZW3, EPUB).

How Can You Convert PDFs, Notes, and Scans for Better Reading?

If your PDF has notes, books, or scanned pages, it’s best to convert it to a reflowable text format. This way, you can enlarge the font and the text fills the screen. Legible is a practical option: it works in your browser, no installation needed. You upload your PDF and it converts it into a Kindle book with reflowable text, keeping titles, bold, lists, and indents. It even builds a chapter index (even if your PDF doesn’t have one) and corrects obvious OCR errors if the file is a scan (more on scans here).

When done, you can download the book as AZW3 (for transfer by cable) or EPUB (for Send to Kindle). On the Kindle Paperwhite, AZW3 files go in the "documents" folder and show up with their index and adjustable text. EPUB files are sent via Send to Kindle and arrive as books with their index (how to transfer files).

What About Scans and College Notes?

For scanned PDFs (images), Legible uses OCR in Spanish, English or Portuguese and converts the text so you can adjust font size. It also works if your file mixes scanned and digital pages. The result is much easier to read than the original PDF, especially on the Paperwhite screen. Other methods—like Send to Kindle’s "convert"—often lose titles, mix up columns, or don’t handle scans well (more details).

What About Comics or Manga?

The Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t open CBZ or CBR files directly, but you can convert them. Legible accepts CBZ, CBR, CB7, ZIP image archives, and comic PDFs: it trims margins, splits double pages, and adjusts pages to fit the Paperwhite’s 1236 × 1648 pixel resolution. Comics appear in grayscale with good contrast, and you can choose manga reading order (right-to-left). The output can be AZW3 or PDF, as you prefer. There’s also Kindle Comic Converter (KCC), a free tool for preparing comics for Kindle (more on comics here).

Which Format Should You Use?

• AZW3: Kindle’s own format, sent by cable, supports reflowable text, index, and highlighting.
• EPUB: can’t be sent by cable, but Send to Kindle accepts and converts it.
• PDF: best for comics, since the text doesn’t reflow.

For notes, books, and scans, it’s best to convert to AZW3 or EPUB. For comics, you can pick AZW3 or PDF, depending on whether you want to navigate page by page or view as fixed images.

How Do You Transfer Files to the Kindle Paperwhite?

You can transfer files by cable (AZW3) or online with Send to Kindle (EPUB). Your Kindle appears as an external drive: copy the AZW3 file into the "documents" folder. For EPUB, use Send to Kindle in your browser, the desktop app, or email the file to your @kindle.com address (see how in this guide).

What Else Can You Do?

On the Paperwhite, you can highlight, look up words in the dictionary, and open images fullscreen. Your own documents show up under "Documents" in the library. If you want to organize your books or convert between formats, Calibre is good for that, but it isn’t ideal for converting complex PDFs (more info).

In short: to read comfortably on the Kindle Paperwhite (2021 and newer), convert PDFs and scans to AZW3 or EPUB, and comics to AZW3 or PDF sized for your screen. This way, you get the most out of your Kindle’s display without zooming or straining your eyes. You can try Legible for free and preview your book before downloading.