As you may know, Adobe ended support for Flash on December 31, 2020. This didn’t come as a surprise. Adobe announced this move back in 2017. However, many publishers who were using Flash for page turns on digital magazines or other multi-media options need to find another solution.

After December 31, 2020, Adobe stopped distributing and updating Flash Player. Many browsers have automatically disabled Flash, but users may still need to uninstall it for security purposes.

The main alternative and substitute for Flash is HTML5, which has several advantages, including not requiring a plugin, it’s faster, it’s more secure, and it works on all platforms.

This article by Paulina Kubala-Chuchnowska in Presspad addresses what the end of Adobe Flash means for digital publishers:

Flash played a leading role in the publishing industry development in its crucial time, influencing online magazines development. It was a dominant format for many digital publications in the early 2000s as it could facilitate rich multimedia and simulate the turning of pages just like in a printed magazine, what was a truly invaluable experience then.

The entire digital magazine market used Flash as the primary display format. This concept helped to boost the true potential of online magazines showing publishers how immersive, interactive content can stimulate reader engagement.

Despite the announcement of Flash’s retirement, many platforms are still using it to convert PDF into flip page digital publications. In the face of it, there is an intense time of working on other, modern solutions ahead of these companies. After all, Flash is not suitable for the future technology trend, where people are waiting for a new, safe, and modern approach.

This situation puts publishers in limbo when it comes to the future look, feel, and functionality of digital magazines.

Continue reading for a case study and possible solutions offered by Presspad

3D Issue also offers publishers an HTML5 option of their flipbook software.

Presspad and 3D Issue are not the only options for digital publishers, but the information in their articles may be a good starting place for you as you replace Flash.