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Real-time preview

The rightmost pane in the Scribe window is the live preview. It updates automatically as you edit the same Markdown content shown in the editor.

The three modes​

Three toggles appear at the top of the preview pane:

  • Image — paged image output. Each "page" is a fixed-size image with the same dimensions as your eventual image export. This is the default for social-media share images and serialised posts.
  • E-book — a flowing layout with no fixed page size. Resize the preview pane horizontally to approximate how the manuscript reflows at different screen widths. Check the exported EPUB in your target reading apps before distribution.
  • Print — paged print layout based on the applied Master Page, including margins, headers, and (on Pro projects) bleed.

Use the three buttons at the top of the preview pane to switch modes.

What to check in preview​

Preview shows the expected layout before export. Use it to check:

  • fonts, sizes, spacing, and overall page flow;
  • line and page breaks at the current preview size;
  • Ruby, LaTeX, references, and shortcodes;
  • watermarks enabled for the current plan and output.

Screen preview cannot reproduce a printed CMYK result exactly. For colour proofing, export the PDF and check it with a suitable PDF or prepress tool.

Why the preview occasionally pauses​

Large manuscripts or structural changes can take a moment to update. During that time, the preview shows Paginating… until the new layout is ready.

The preview refreshes on its own — there is no manual refresh button to press.

Hiding and showing the preview​

  • Switch layout with the view modes: Editor only (Ctrl/⌘ + 1), Editor + preview (Ctrl/⌘ + 2), or Preview only (Ctrl/⌘ + 3).
  • In Editor + preview, drag the divider to give more room to the editor while still keeping a glance-able preview.

When the preview is in Print mode, additional controls appear on the preview toolbar:

  • Page layout — toggle facing pages (spread) on or off.
  • Zoom — zoom in or out, or pick a preset zoom level.

These controls support visual proofing before export. After exporting, inspect the PDF itself and compare it with the receiving service's current requirements. See Prepare a CMYK print PDF for a complete check sequence.