One of the best features of the reMarkable2 digital tablet is it’s ability to display and edit OSX Keynote presentations. I saw this feature on the original Remarkable tablet and it instantly made the idea of printing out board decks (aka board books) arcane. But how does one get a .key file from their MacBook or email onto their Remarkable? There are actually a few methods that we can use to accomplish the task.
And once the files are on the reMarkable, you can highlight, markup, or take notes – right on the slide!
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Note: you’ll need the reMarkable Connect subscription for this to work
What is the reMarkable 2?
The reMarkable2 is a digital tablet that was created by the tech startup reMarkable and is billed as “the world’s thinnest tablet.” The screen’s high-friction surface, combined with a replaceable tip stylus, results in a writing experience that’s surprisingly similar to paper. The majors difference between the Remarkable two and a standard Moleskin notebook include wireless syncing, ability to organize notebooks, and the ability to import / edit digital documents.
How do you get a Keynote presentation onto your Remarkable 2?
There are three major steps to getting a Keynote deck from a computer onto the Remarkable 2 digital tablet. Later on, we’ll go through each step in detail.
- Convert the presentation from Keynote into a PDF
- Add the PDF to your Remarkable cloud
- Sync the PDF from the Remarkable Cloud onto the tablet (you’r reMarkable will need to be connected to WIFI)
Converting a Keynote presentation to PDF
Converting any presentation in OSX Keynote to a PDF is actually quite simple. You need to go to the File menu (at the top) and then hover over “Export to.” This will bring up a range of file type options – select PDF…
Once you select any options for how the PDF should be created, save the file in an easy to access location.
Below is an example page of a presentation that’s been exported from Keynote into PDF, prior to uploading it to a Remarkable 2
Add the PDF to your Remarkable cloud
Now that your Keynote presentation (which could be a board deck, marketing update, proposal or school project) has been exported to PDF, it’s time to get the file onto your reMarkable 2. On OSX, you have two easy options to move the file to the reMarkable cloud:
- reMarkable website – accessible without an app installation, requires sign-in
- reMarkable desktop app – once you’ve installed the app, easiest for on-going access of files
Adding file to reMarkable cloud through the reMarkable website
Navigate your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Explorer) to the My reMarkable website. Once you log in, use the menu slide in the top right corner (often called the hamburger) to open the menu bar. Once the reMarkable menu is open, select “My Files” to view the same file organization as your reMarkable 2
Once the file interface is open, create or navigate to the folder where you want to save your Keynote PDF. Add the file to reMarkable connect by either dragging the file or using the menu to select the PDF for upload. Voila! Now your file is available on reMarkable Connect!
Adding file to reMarkable cloud through the Connect Desktop App
Drag the PDF onto the reMarkable Connect app. If you want to place it in a certain folder, drag it to that folder. If your computer and reMarkable 2 are both connected to wifi, the file should update onto the tablet shortly.
Sync the PDF from the Remarkable Cloud onto the tablet
As soon as you access a wifi connection with your reMarkable 2 paper tablet, all of your files will sync.
Pro tip: create a folder within your company or project for exported presentations.
Bonus: edit your Keynote presentation PDF on your remarkable
Now that your reMarkable 2 has the Keynote presentation on it, feel free to take notes, mark it up, or just view it during meetings (all without the distractions of a laptop.
