Within this FAQ page, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about converting PDFs into Turtl Docs. We cover topics such as our use of AI, common error messages during conversion, and tips for achieving the best layout for PDFs to ensure a smooth conversion process.

In Turtl, you can convert long-form PDF content. For the best results, we recommend working with PDFs that have a clear structure of headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and a clean overall design. It's even better if your PDF includes a table of contents, as this makes it simpler for us to slice the content into chapters during the conversion process. For more details on how to create content for successful conversion in Turtl, check out this article.

When you convert your PDF content into a Turtl Doc, you're not just changing its format; you're enhancing it to be more engaging and interactive. Unlike the static portrait format of PDFs, Turtl Docs are designed in landscape orientation with a varied layout structure. Our technology is grounded in the psychology of how people read and retain information, ensuring that your content is presented in the most effective way possible. As a result of these enhancements to structure and reading experience, Turtl Docs won’t replicate the exact appearance of the original PDF.

Now that you've converted your PDF into a Turtl Doc, it's important to review and make any desired changes before publishing and sharing. Check out this article for a helpful checklist of changes to look out for when reviewing your Doc.

If your PDF didn't convert as expected, it's possible that you attempted to convert a piece of content that Turtl currently doesn't fully support. Turtl is optimized for converting long-form PDFs with a clear structure that includes headings, subheadings, and paragraphs, along with a clean overall design. For the best results, make sure your PDF meets these criteria before converting.

Your PDF may also include complex elements. Take a look at this article to find out how to remove them.

Hatch is never meant to be a final version of anything, but rather there to accelerate the time to final draft up to 80%. This means that instead of having to worry about how to choose the right branding guidelines to follow, map out what page which content goes on, and even selecting the right images, Hatch accelerates that process and does it for you. Once most of the manual work is done, you can then focus on refining it, and involving your design team where necessary to tighten things up instead of starting from scratch.

With that in mind, we are always learning and improving, so whenever you do see inconsistencies or a level of output you’re not satisfied with, please do flag things directly so we can keep refining how Hatch works.

As a rule, the Cover page will be without Content pages. Depending on the PDF content, the cover may be duplicated, and the Turtl Doc may need to be amended manually.

Learn how Turtl utilizes AI to import raw PDF content or Enhance PDF content using Hatch

Claude for translation, Flux via Replicate for images, and hosted LLMs for content manipulation. No models are trained on your data unless you opt in.

All core AI services run on Turtl’s AWS infrastructure. This environment is already listed in our Terms of Service and security documents.

No. Your content is processed securely and never used for training unless you explicitly opt in to train a bespoke image model.

You upload approved images to your Turtl library. AI can match images to your content or generate new ones using your custom model.

Yes. You must own commercial rights to any images used to train a model.

You do. All generated media outputs are yours for commercial use. The underlying AI models are licensed to Turtl and cannot be redistributed.

Yes, Turtl does make use of third-party AI tools when importing raw PDF content into Turtl Docs, as explained below.

Adobe Sensei AI as a component within Adobe’s PDF Extract API layer is used to read and convert the uploaded PDF content into a raw data format.

Turtl utilizes OpenAI for seamless categorization of subject matters and key topics within chapters and provides the optional ability to use its generative capabilities to create interactive Turtl features such as quotes and polls. Turtl additionally utilizes OpenAI’s categorization of subject matters and key topics within chapters to select relevant additional imagery for Title pages through Freepik (a graphic resources platform).

Turtl also utilizes Sightengine during conversion to score the quality of images in the PDF to determine if they are of good enough quality to use on Title pages.

Where a third party processes any PII included within your PDFs, this shall be done in accordance with our DPA. See here for information on Turtl sub-processors.

When converting PDFs, Turtl makes use of Generative AI when converting PDFs to create interactive Turtl content, such as quotes and polls, through the use of OpenAI.

As described above, Adobe Sensei AI is a component within Adobe’s PDF Extract API layer that is used to read and convert the uploaded PDF content into a raw data format. This option cannot be disabled when converting a PDF.

If there is any PII within the PDF that the customer elects to upload, then yes, PII would then be processed in accordance with the terms of our DPA.

The only information processed by third-party AI tools is what is contained within the PDF uploaded into Turtl. No customer configuration or data outside of the PDF content is shared.

Yes, given that Turtl makes use of AI and that this functionality requires an “opt-in” process from our customers then your company’s information will not be shared unless you follow these steps.

Learn the steps you can take if you’re receiving an error message when uploading your PDF.

Take a look at this article to learn how to remove complex elements from your PDF.

You need to convert your file into a PDF before uploading it into Turtl. Take a look at this article on how to convert other formats to PDF.

Remove the protection from the PDF and upload again.

Depending on where your PDF was originally made (InDesign, PowerPoint, Acrobat, Canva, or other) we recommend the following steps for best results.
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If you don't know how your PDF was originally created, you can check by finding the metadata settings.

1. Open the PDF in Preview. If Preview is not your default application, right-click on the PDF, hover to "Open with", and select Preview from the drop-down.

2. When the PDF is opened in Preview, go to "File" -> "Print" (cmd+P). When the print dialogue box opens, make sure the orientation is set correctly to your PDF, and then click PDF in the bottom left-hand corner of the box.

3. A dialogue box will open, re-name the PDF to "Doc name - Preview version". Then click "Save".

4. Re-upload your new PDF to Turtl.

1. Open the PDF in Edge. If Edge is not your default browser, right-click on the PDF, hover to "Open with", and select Edge from the drop-down.

2. When the PDF is opened in Edge, go to the top right-hand corner and click on the printer icon.

3. A print dialogue box will open, select Microsoft Printer to PDF from the Printer options drop-down.

4. Save your new PDF to "Doc name - Microsoft version" and re-upload to Turtl.

1. Open the Doc in PowerPoint.

2. Navigate to "File".

3. Save the PowerPoint as Adobe PDF.

4. Re-name the file to "Doc name - ppt pdf".

5. Re-upload this new PDF into Turtl.

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat, if Acrobat is not your default application, right-click on the PDF, hover to "Open with", and select Acrobat from the drop-down.

2. When the PDF is opened in Acrobat, go to "File" -> "Save as Other", then click "Optimized PDF".

3. A PDF Optimizer box will open, click on "Discard User Data" in the left-hand menu. Tick "Discard hidden layer content and flatten visible layers" and click OK in the bottom right-hand corner.

4. A save dialogue box will open, re-name your PDF to "Doc name - Acrobat". After you've renamed the PDF, click "Save".

5. Re-upload your new PDF to Turtl.