Pdf reader - Open a copy window

hadimm
I am trying to find a PDF reader that allows to open the same PDF file in a different window. This is quite an important feature to be able to read figures and its associated text from a scientific paper.

This is unfortunately not easily possible using the Preview app of macOS, but I was hoping this is maybe something the Zotero PDF reader could support.

I tried the "Open PDF in a new window" feature of Zotero, but it simply focuses the window on the existing PDF viewer one instead of opening a new one.
  • dstillman
    You can right-click on the page and choose Split Horizontally or Split Vertically to view different parts of the PDF at once.
  • hadimm
    Ah very nice. This is already very useful, thanks!

    Being able to have those two panes in separate windows would be great as well if possible.
  • agam2222
    You can right click the pdf tab and choose duplicate
    Then you can right click the tab again to show it in a separate window
    This way you will have two windows for the same pdf in Zotero
  • hadimm
    Thanks agam2222.

    It works well when opening the PDF as a Zotero tab indeed but I cannot find that option when opening a PDF in a new window (on macOS).
  • agam2222
    edited October 2, 2023
    I am not sure about macOS but in Windows OS :
    1-You first open the pdf as tab in main Zotero
    2-Then right-click the pdf tab and choose duplicate
    Now you have two tabs in Zotero for the same pdf file
    3-Then right click the new pdf tab (or the original one) and choose move tab>move to a new window
    Hope this works
  • mjthoraval
    edited October 2, 2023
    It works well when opening the PDF as a Zotero tab indeed but I cannot find that option when opening a PDF in a new window (on macOS).
    You can open the PDF both in the main Zotero window as a tab and in a separate window, if you open them in this order, as described by @agam2222.
    If you first open the PDF in a separate window, you cannot open it anymore in the main Zotero window. So you would have to close the separate window first and then reopen them in the right order to have the PDF file opened in both windows.

    It is possible to duplicate a PDF tab in the main Zotero window as many times as you want. But indeed, it is not possible to duplicate a separate window. You can only have one separate window showing a specific PDF file.
    If you can use the current feature, but still need the ability to duplicate a separate window for a PDF file, it would be useful to explain why this would be important for your workflow.
  • hadimm
    Thank you and I confirm all the above works well.

    Splitting within the same window is likely enough for me but I can see this to be useful to have two windows (not Zotero) when opening the same PDF in two different screens.

    As said the current splitting works for me, so it's more a suggestion for the two windows feature that I can see be useful but not really a blocker (for me at least).

    Thanks again!
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