But it’s surprising: the DjVu format (pronounced “déjà vu”) has been used since the late 90s, but it gained fame and recognition only almost 5 years later. And if until recently, the main stream of documentation and e-books was in PDF format, now you can already find giant portals filled with gigabytes of various literature in DjVu format.

However, despite such prevalence, you can still come across the question " How to open a DjVu file?"After another similar question that came to our editorial office, this article was written.

No, we will not describe in detail the boring image optimization algorithm (although we will touch on it a little) and compression methods. The purpose of this article is to help the average user understand the advantages of this format and answer the most common questions.

DjVu – a little history

DJVU technology was developed by the company in 1996, but some time later it was sold to the company, which to this day is considered the main supplier of professional programs of this class. However, due to the fact that the DjVu standard is open, a lot of alternative free and shareware programs have appeared on the market over time. We will get to know some of them a little later.

A few words about the scope and technology of DjVu

Why is it so beneficial to use encoding in the DjVu format and why is it not rational to store a scanned document in TIFF format or compress it into JPEG? The answer is simple - it's all about the volume of information. Despite the fact that global, and after them Russian, Internet channels have noticeably increased, the issue of file size is still quite acute. And the DjVu format allows you to significantly reduce the size of the document, and, as a result, the time it takes to send or download it.

Thus, a color page compressed by DjVu weighs 5-10 times less than one converted to jpeg, and a black and white page weighs about 10-20 times. Compared to PDF, DJVU also has a gain, usually on the order of 3-10 times. A more detailed comparison of the different formats can be seen in this figure:

The secret is that during conversion, the image is decomposed into components, each of which is compressed in a certain way and according to a certain algorithm:

• Mask - the text itself, diagrams, and graphics are stored here. That is, the clearest details of the image. Has the highest resolution.
• Background , which stores the document's background and illustrations. Resolution is significantly reduced.
• Foreground contains information about the color scheme of the mask. The strongest compression is applied to this layer.

Another undeniable advantage of DjVu over a conventional graphic image is the ability to recognize text. This technology called OCR (optical character recognition - optical recognition characters) - that is, recognized text from a DjVu document can be copied.

From all of the above, I think it is clear that the DjVu format is extremely beneficial to use for storing multi-page documents, subject to a limited amount of digital storage media, for sending over communication channels, and simply for more comfortable and faster work with files.

DjVu - applications

Look at a number of popular programs that work with DjVu on Windows and Windows Mobile, you can refer to the materials of our magazine, written specifically for this article:

• - professional environment for converting and creating djvu documents, built on the basis of the once popular program .
• -one of the very first programs to appear designed for viewing djvu documents.
• - plugin for viewing djvu documents using browsers , and .
• - small free viewer of djvu files, does not require installation and is able to associate itself with djv files

Many users are faced with the need to open files in the DjVu format on their computer. The DjVu format, along with the PDF format, is the most popular format for storing scanned documents.

The name of the DjVu format comes from the French word déjà vu - “already seen”. This format saves scanned electronic books and magazines, mainly of an encyclopedic, educational, scientific and technical nature, which contain a lot of graphics: images, pictures, diagrams, etc. Users scan books with a large number of images and then save them V electronic form in DjVu format file.

The DjVu format has gained popularity, partly due to the fact that a DjVu file weighs much less than a similar PDF file. This is especially true for mobile devices, and also useful for the computer. Very large files are difficult to open even with specialized programs - viewers for files of this type.

Therefore, in many cases, it is optimal to save documents and pictures in the DjVu graphic format. A document in DjVu format is several times smaller in size than a similar file saved in PDF format.

How to open DjVu? In this article I will tell you how to open a DjVu file on a computer in the operating room Windows system. To do this, we need a program that opens DjVu files.

Which program can open files with the DjVu extension? To open files in the djvu format, you can use specialized programs for opening files in the djvu format, or applications that support opening several types of text format files, including déjà vu.

In this article I will talk about 5 programs. Two programs: WinDjView and DjVu Reader, are specially created for viewing the djvu format, and three others: STDU Viewer, Sumatra PDF, Universal Viewer Pro have support for several formats, including DjVu.

At its core, the DjVu format is a set of pictures (“photographs”) of pages of paper books, glued together into a single document. And if you want to create your own DjVu file, you will have to photograph a real book, manual or magazine yourself, page by page, and then convert them through the program. Instead of a camera, you can use a scanner to increase the speed and quality of images.

Let's look at ways to create your first e-book in the instructions below.

Method 1 - how to create djvu from pictures

Let's assume that you already have photographs or scanned copies of pages. Put them in one shared folder, then download the converter from this link:

Open the archive and run the file “Djvu Small Mod.exe”. Select an encoding operation, then click the Open Files button.

It supports creating djvu from images in jpg, bmp, gif, tiff, pnm and raster files. Select all the images in the folder (to do this quickly, press CTRL+A) and open them.

The process is not long; on a modern PC, processing 50 pages takes an average of 1 second. At the end, if you do not uncheck the “show result” option, you will be asked to open the resulting book in one of the programs for reading DjVu files installed on your computer.

Method 2 - creating djvu during the scanning process

If you have a scanner at home, there is no point in pre-photographing each page; you can scan them and convert them to DjVu on the fly. True, this will require another program that works only on Windows XP and 7 - DjVu Solo (we didn’t try it on the eight, but it didn’t start on the ten).

Download DjVu Solo, install and launch. On top panel Find the scanner icon and click on it. Will open standard utility scanning.

If nothing happens, go through the menu to “File” - “Select source”, and select your scanner from the list of devices. If it is empty, check whether the drivers included with the device are installed? Try reinstalling them, then restarting the program.

After scanning through the utility, the image will open in a separate window on the Solo desktop. Through the menu, go to “File” - “Convert to DjVu”, then save the created file. This is not a book yet - only one page of it.

Next, the algorithm of actions is as follows: again click on the scanner icon on the top panel of the program, scan new page, save and convert to DjVu again. The created file will open in a new window - that is, now there will be 2 in the Solo program open windows with files. Close this new window and go to the first window. Then, through the menu, go to “Edit” - “insert pages at the end of the book” and insert the second one to the first file.

Then scan the third page and add the resulting file again to the end of the book, that is, to the file from the first window. Do the same with the fourth and all subsequent pages in turn until the book is finished.

Good day!

I'm almost sure that e-book lovers have already encountered this format - DjVu - dozens of times (even its spelling is somewhat unusual?).

It has a unique feature: the degree of compression of the scanned document in it (and indeed any pictures) is superior to all competitors (surprisingly, it is higher than that of). Thanks to this, even the largest book can be placed in a compact file and transferred over the network.

However, due to the specificity of the format, it is not possible to open it in every program (and even after opening it, it is not so convenient to read and use the document in many readers). In this article I will recommend several irreplaceable programs that open 99.99% of DjVu files, display them correctly, and allow you to work with them comfortably.

Note:The article provides programs for Windows. If you need an e-reader for Android, I recommend choosing something universal, for example, these products:

For reading (readers)

WinDjView is one of the fastest and most compact programs for viewing this format. It is very convenient that it implements continuous scrolling of pages; on the left there is a panel for quickly moving through the document (contents).

I will also note the presence of an advanced printing function (allows you to customize the printout in a way that cannot be done in similar software). The program is based on the freely distributed DjVuLibre library.

Peculiarities:

• the ability to open multiple documents at once (using tabs, like a browser);
• the presence of a full-screen version (makes the document easier to read);
• ability to create bookmarks;
• the ability to adjust contrast, brightness, color scheme, etc. for a comfortable pastime;
• export page to image format (GIF, JPG and JPEG);
• support for Russian and all popular Windows versions 7, 8, 10.

A very convenient and compact program for viewing all popular e-book formats: PDF, DjVu, ePub, MOBI, XPS, CHM, CBZ and CBR. Together with a minimalist style interface, low system requirements and ease of use - make it one of the favorite products of millions of users around the world!

In addition, Sumatra PDF is completely free, consumes less memory than many analogues (for example, Adobe Reader), does not require installation (can be carried with you on a flash drive), supports hot keys, display settings, etc.

Of the minuses: there may be some problems when opening old DjVu files (apparently, after all, you won’t be able to do without a standard DjVu reader...).

Despite the fact that this program has not been updated for a long time, it copes with its task perfectly! Its main advantages:

• support for almost any DjVu files;
• the presence of a side menu with contents, thumbnails, etc. - allows you to quickly navigate through the document;
• adjusting image brightness and contrast;
• low PC requirements: especially noticeable when opening large files on weak machines;
• Convenient navigation using the keyboard (you don’t have to use the mouse at all!)
• small size, no need for installation;
• Russian support, Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 support.

Of the minuses (purely in my opinion): there is no smooth scrolling of pages (I’m very used to this).

To create DjVu (encoding/decoding)

DjVu Small

Website: http://www.djvu-soft.narod.ru/scan/djvu_small.htm

This is one of the most simple programs to create DjVu files (from ordinary images that everyone is used to working with: TIF, JPG, BMP, GIF and PNG). The program is very convenient, universal, works on almost all Windows 98/NT/XP/7/8/10 operating systems.

I note that the program can compress one or more images in DjVu (this is called coding ), and unclench (i.e. decode - get/extract pictures from DjVu).

The program does not require installation. Supports Russian interface.

To compress images in DjVu you need (see screenshot above):

1. open folder or files;
2. select the folder where the received file will be saved;
3. select quality (here it is quite difficult to give a specific recommendation, because you need to choose based on the original quality. To begin with, I recommend choosing the “Default” option; if the quality/file size is not satisfactory, change it to an excellent option);
4. Click the "Start" button.

DjVu DocExpress

Website: http://www.djvu-soft.narod.ru/soft/

A very powerful program for creating and editing DjVu documents. For example, the program can turn all pages at once by 90-80 degrees, create links to pages within a file or to individual pages on the Internet.

As for creating a DjVu file in it, everything is simple:

PdfToDjvuGUI

Website: http://www.trustfm.net/software/utilities/PdfToDjvuGUI.php

One of the simplest solutions is PdfToDjvuGUI. The point is that you can create DjVu not from pictures (as in previous versions), but from a PDF file. In some cases this is much more convenient and faster.

After starting the program, just select the file (the "Add PDF" button), and then click on the "Generate DjVu" button (if necessary, set the compression settings).

Then automatic file conversion will start (just wait until the “black” window is closed). The DjVu file will be created in the same directory in which the PDF added for conversion was located.

Online conversion services

Now there are quite a lot of services on the network that offer to upload a file to them and quickly convert it to DjVu. Of course, they can hardly be used for scanned documents (after all, they often contain personal and corporate information). But as an example, here are a couple of options:

• - the service allows you to quickly convert PDF to DjVu (the file should not exceed 100 MB);
• - another service (its arsenal has quite a lot of conversion directions). Using the link given above, you will find the opposite option: DjVu to PDF.

That's all, good luck!

Hi all! If you often download e-books and manuals on the Internet, then you have probably already come across such an e-book format as djvu. As a rule, many people immediately have the question of how to open djvu. It would seem that an ordinary viewer should be suitable for these purposes. pdf files, but not everything is so simple. To view deja vu files you need special programs who know how to work with this format. In most cases, such e-books contain graphs, formulas and drawings that are very difficult to convert to another format for editing. I would like to note that this format was developed quite a long time ago, about 15 years ago, and managed to gain great popularity. E-books in the deja vu format contain both graphic images and text and are very light in weight.

Advantages of the Djvu format.

Before we figure out how to open djvu, let's take a little look at the advantages of this file format. As a rule, the most important advantage is that the files are very light in weight, while the quality remains high.

What we get:

1. An image scanned into the Djvu format is compressed 10 times more than the popular . And the most important advantage is that the scanned document will be of impeccable quality without any blurring or loss;
2. Saved in déjà vu format, the scanned color document will weigh approximately 50 KB. And if the paper medium contained only text and a black and white image, then its electronic version will weigh approximately 10 KB. If you scan the same document and save it in another format, for example, Jpeg or tiff, then the weight electronic document will be tens, or even hundreds of times more;
3. Unlike, in a book in Djvu format it is possible to conduct a full search, thanks to a special text layer. Moreover, if the book contains some kind of background, you can remove it if desired.

As you can see, this e-book format has a lot of advantages, but this was more informational information, since now our task is a little different.

How to open djvu on a computer.

There are not many programs that can work with Djvu files, but there are also universal solutions that can open files of almost any e-book. There are also editor programs that allow you to make changes to déjà vu files, as well as create your own books.

WinDjView

Many users have this program in their arsenal, as it has proven itself only on the positive side.

You can download the program from the official website of the developer – ru.windjvu.com

The program has a Russian interface. By the way, when installing WinDjView, search engine Yandex offers to install its elements, as well as . Here you can refuse such an intrusive offer by unchecking the appropriate boxes.

The main program window has a menu bar and a toolbar. It provides functions such as:

The program can work with several e-books at once, opening each of them in a new tab. WinDjView allows you to read a document in full screen mode, and you can only use the mouse to turn pages. If there is very small text on the pages of a book, you can use a screen magnifier.

In the program settings in the “Display” tab, the user can easily correct the colors of the image to suit his vision.

Here you can enable color inversion. This way you can read white text on a black background.

DjVu Reader

One more is enough old program, for reading déjà vu files. By the way, the program has not been supported by developers for quite a long time, namely since 2005, but still does not cease to be in demand among many users. Therefore, if you are still wondering how to open djvu, then DjVu Reader will certainly help you.

You can download the program on the official website of the developer - djvureader.org

DjVu Reader does not require installation on your computer and is launched from the downloaded folder with files. Therefore, if you need to quickly open e-book, then download this reader and use it.

Pay attention! Since the program has not been supported by developers for quite a long time, it may not work entirely correctly on new versions operating system Windows.

STDU Viewer

This program is the most universal solution than the readers described above. Since it can work not only with Djvu files, but also with PDF, EPub, FB2 and many other e-book formats. This makes the program an incomparable leader among other similar solutions, since you do not have to keep several different utilities on your computer.

You can download the program on the official website of the developer: www.stduviewer.ru

Pay attention! To use the program for free, during installation you must check the box “I will not use STDU Viewer for commercial purposes.”

Also, when installing the reader, you can specify what types of files it will work with. To do this, check the boxes in the “Associate extensions” window.

STDU Viewer is liked by many users for its well-thought-out interface, which allows you to comfortably work with e-books. In the working window of the program there are many toolbars, with the help of which the user can easily customize the program to suit his needs.

The program has the following settings:

• Selecting the document display mode;
• Adjusting brightness and contrast;
• Quick search by document;
• Copying text if there is a special layer in the document;
• Text highlighting;
• Recovery open document, when the program terminates abnormally;
• Setting up page division (horizontally or vertically);

The program also has a number of settings, which can be accessed by going to the “File” - “Program Settings” menu.

As you can see, STDU Viewer is a powerful tool for working with djvu files, with a huge number of settings; having this reader in your arsenal, you will not have any questions about how to open djvu.

Let's summarize.

Today we looked at three wonderful programs that can work with e-books in Djvu format. I advise all e-book lovers to have at least one of the described programs in their arsenal, since if you have them, you will no longer have questions about how to open djvu.