🚀 Getting Started
Type Shifter transforms plain text into beautifully formatted documents with optional Bionic Reading technology to help you read faster. Here's how to get started in minutes.
Quick Start Guide
Choose a Style Template
Select one of the 11 professional templates from the dropdown menu at the top of the app. Each template is designed for different types of content - from business documents to creative writing.
Not sure which to choose? Start with "Clean Business" for professional documents or "Literary" for books and articles.
Add Your Text
You have two options:
- Upload a file: Drag and drop a file onto the upload area, or click to browse. Supports TXT, RTF, DOCX, PDF, MD, EPUB, and HTML files up to 10MB.
- Paste text: Simply paste your text directly into the text area. This works great for content copied from websites, emails, or other sources.
Click "SHIFT MY TEXT"
Press the green "SHIFT MY TEXT" button to transform your document. Your text will be instantly reformatted using your chosen template.
Customise Your Output (Optional)
Use the enhancement options to further customise your document:
- Bionic Reading: Toggle on and adjust intensity (5-45%)
- Dark Mode: Switch to dark background for easier reading
- OpenDyslexic: Use the dyslexia-friendly font
- Compare Mode: View original and transformed text side-by-side
Export Your Document
Click the export dropdown and choose your preferred format:
- HTML: Best for web viewing and sharing online
- DOCX: Opens in Microsoft Word and Google Docs
- EPUB: Perfect for e-readers
- PDF: Ideal for printing and universal sharing
💡 Pro Tip
Your last 5 processed files are saved in the "Recent Files" section for quick access. File names are stored locally - your content is never saved anywhere.
👁️ Bionic Reading
Bionic Reading is a revolutionary reading method that can help you read up to 25% faster while maintaining or improving comprehension.
How It Works
Bionic Reading highlights the initial letters of each word (typically the first 2-4 letters) in bold. These bolded portions are called "artificial fixation points."
When you read text with Bionic Reading:
- Your eyes are guided by the bold portions of each word
- Your brain recognises these anchor points
- Your mind automatically fills in the rest of each word
- This reduces cognitive load and speeds up reading
Example
Standard text: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Bionic Reading: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Adjusting Intensity
The intensity slider (5% to 45%) controls what percentage of each word is highlighted:
- Low intensity (5-15%): Subtle highlighting, just the first 1-2 letters. Good for experienced readers who want minimal visual guidance.
- Medium intensity (20-30%): Recommended starting point. Provides clear guidance without being overwhelming. Most users find their sweet spot here.
- High intensity (35-45%): More letters highlighted per word. Helpful for very long words, unfamiliar content, or readers who need stronger visual anchors.
🎯 Finding Your Perfect Setting
Start at 25% intensity and read a paragraph. If it feels too subtle, increase to 30-35%. If it feels too bold, decrease to 15-20%. Everyone's optimal setting is different - experiment to find yours!
Who Benefits Most
- People with ADHD: The fixation points help maintain focus and reduce mind-wandering
- Readers with dyslexia: Combined with OpenDyslexic font, provides significant reading improvement
- Students: Process textbooks and study materials faster
- Professionals: Get through reports, emails, and documents more efficiently
- Non-native speakers: Visual anchors help with unfamiliar vocabulary
- Anyone who reads extensively: Reduce eye strain and reading fatigue
⚠️ Note
Results vary by individual. Some people see dramatic improvement (30%+ faster), while others prefer standard text. The 14-day free trial gives you plenty of time to discover if Bionic Reading works for you.
🎨 Style Templates
Type Shifter includes 11 professionally designed templates, each optimised for different types of content and reading contexts.
Compare Mode
Enable Compare Mode to view your original text alongside the transformed version. This is useful for:
- Seeing exactly what changes Type Shifter made
- Comparing readability before and after
- Quality checking before export
- Demonstrating Bionic Reading to others
💡 Template Tip
You can change templates after transforming your text - the content will instantly reformat. Try several templates to find the one that works best for your specific document.
📁 Import & Export
Supported Import Formats
Type Shifter can read the following file formats:
- TXT - Plain text files. The simplest format, works universally.
- RTF - Rich Text Format. Preserves basic formatting from word processors.
- DOCX - Microsoft Word documents (2007 and later). Extracts text content while preserving paragraph structure.
- PDF - Portable Document Format. Text is extracted from the PDF (note: scanned/image PDFs may not extract properly).
- MD - Markdown files. Popular with writers and developers. Markdown formatting is converted to proper headings and lists.
- EPUB - E-book format. Extract text from e-books for reformatting.
- HTML - Web pages. Useful for reformatting online articles.
📏 File Size Limit
Maximum file size is 10MB. For larger documents, consider splitting them into smaller sections or using the desktop app which handles larger files more efficiently.
Export Formats
Export your transformed documents in these formats:
-
HTML - Best for web viewing
Opens in any browser. Preserves all formatting including dark mode. Ideal for sharing online or viewing on any device. Smallest file size. -
DOCX - Best for editing
Opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice. Allows further editing. Good for documents you need to modify or collaborate on. -
EPUB - Best for e-readers
Works with Kobo, Apple Books, and most e-readers. Can be converted to Kindle format. Perfect for reading long documents on dedicated e-ink devices. -
PDF - Best for printing and sharing
Universal format that looks the same everywhere. Ideal for printing, archiving, and sharing when you don't want the content edited.
💡 Export Tips
Dark mode is preserved in HTML and EPUB exports. For PDF exports, dark mode creates a dark-background document - make sure that's what you want before exporting for print.
♿ Accessibility Features
OpenDyslexic Font
OpenDyslexic is a free, open-source typeface specifically designed to increase readability for people with dyslexia. It's included in Type Shifter and can be enabled with one click.
Key features of OpenDyslexic:
- Weighted bottoms: Each letter has a heavier bottom, which helps prevent visual "flipping" or rotation - a common issue for dyslexic readers.
- Unique letter shapes: Similar letters like b, d, p, and q have distinct shapes to prevent confusion.
- Increased spacing: More space between letters reduces visual crowding.
- Consistent baseline: Helps eyes track along lines more smoothly.
Who benefits:
- People with dyslexia (affects approximately 10% of the population)
- Readers who experience visual stress or fatigue
- Anyone who finds standard fonts difficult to read
- Students and professionals who read for extended periods
🔤 Combining Features
OpenDyslexic works excellently with Bionic Reading. The "Dyslexia Friendly" template automatically enables both features together for maximum readability improvement.
Dark Mode
Dark mode inverts the colour scheme to display light text on a dark background. Benefits include:
- Reduced eye strain: Especially beneficial when reading at night or in low-light environments
- Less blue light: Dark backgrounds emit less blue light, which may help with sleep patterns
- Battery saving: On OLED screens, dark mode can significantly reduce battery consumption
- Reduced glare: White backgrounds can cause uncomfortable glare in dark environments
Dark mode is preserved when you export to HTML and EPUB formats.
🔧 Troubleshooting
Having issues? Find solutions to common problems below. If your issue isn't listed, contact us at crystalember9@gmail.com.
My file won't upload
Common causes and solutions:
- File too large: Maximum size is 10MB. Try splitting the document into smaller sections.
- Unsupported format: Ensure your file is TXT, RTF, DOCX, PDF, MD, EPUB, or HTML. Other formats like DOC (old Word) are not supported.
- Corrupted file: Try opening the file in another application first to verify it works correctly.
- Browser issue: Try refreshing the page, clearing cache, or using a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge work best).
- File permissions: Ensure the file isn't open in another program or protected by permissions.
Text formatting looks wrong
To get the best formatting results:
- Use clear paragraph breaks: Type Shifter uses blank lines to identify separate paragraphs. Double-press Enter between paragraphs in your source text.
- Place headings on their own line: Headings should be on a separate line, not inline with paragraph text.
- Use standard list markers: Start list items with bullets (•), dashes (-), asterisks (*), or numbers (1. 2. 3.).
- Check your source: If the original document has formatting issues, they may carry over. Try cleaning up the source first.
If a PDF is producing poor results, the PDF may be scanned (image-based) rather than text-based. Try a different source file if available.
Export isn't downloading
If your exported file isn't downloading:
- Check browser permissions: Some browsers block downloads. Look for a blocked download notification in the address bar.
- Check your Downloads folder: The file may have downloaded to a different location than expected.
- Try a different format: If PDF isn't working, try HTML or DOCX instead.
- Disable ad blockers: Some ad blockers interfere with file downloads. Try temporarily disabling them.
- Clear browser cache: Old cached data can sometimes cause issues.
- Try another browser: If issues persist, try Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
The app isn't loading properly
If the web app doesn't load or displays incorrectly:
- Refresh the page: Press Ctrl+R (Windows) or Cmd+R (Mac)
- Clear browser cache: Go to browser settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data
- Update your browser: Ensure you're using the latest version
- Disable extensions: Browser extensions can interfere with web apps. Try incognito/private mode.
- Check internet connection: The web app requires internet to load initially
- Try another browser: Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari all work well
If you consistently have issues with the web app, consider downloading the desktop app which doesn't require internet after installation.
Bionic Reading doesn't seem to be working
If Bionic Reading appears inactive:
- Check the toggle: Ensure the Bionic Reading toggle is switched ON (green)
- Adjust intensity: At very low intensities (5-10%), the effect may be subtle. Try increasing to 25-30%.
- Transform again: After toggling Bionic Reading, click "SHIFT MY TEXT" again to reprocess
- Check the output: Look closely at the transformed text - bolded letters may be subtle depending on the template font weight
My trial period questions
Common trial questions:
- When does my trial start? The 14-day trial begins when you first use the app, not when you download it.
- Can I extend my trial? The trial cannot be extended, but it includes full access to all features so you can thoroughly test the app.
- What happens when the trial ends? You'll see a message prompting you to purchase. Your settings and preferences are retained if you decide to buy.
- How do I purchase? Click the "Buy Premium" button or visit our Gumroad page to purchase a lifetime license for £9.99.
- Is payment secure? Yes, all payments are processed securely through Gumroad, a trusted platform used by millions.
Desktop app installation issues
Windows installation troubleshooting:
- Windows Defender warning: You may see a "Windows protected your PC" message. Click "More info" then "Run anyway" - this happens because we're a new app without an expensive code signing certificate.
- Installation fails: Right-click the installer and select "Run as administrator"
- App won't launch: Try restarting your computer after installation
- Missing icon: If the desktop shortcut shows wrong icon, right-click → Properties → Change Icon → Browse to the installed .exe file
The desktop app requires Windows 10 or later and approximately 100MB of disk space.
Still Need Help?
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Our support team is here to help.
Contact Support: crystalember9@gmail.comResponse time: 24-48 hours for general enquiries, priority response for purchase issues.