PrimeNoteWhat you can add
PDF to notes: slides and readings, ready to study
Slides, a journal article, a chapter from the course pack: import the document and PrimeNote turns the PDF into notes with the argument and key terms, without rereading every page.
Lecture slides are written to be talked over, not studied from. Forty slides of bullet points rarely explain how the ideas connect, and a thirty-page reading hides its argument somewhere in the middle. Converting lecture slides to notes by hand means retyping, reordering and guessing what matters. PrimeNote does the first pass for you.
Import a PDF, DOC or DOCX file into a course notebook. PrimeNote reads the document, follows its headings where they exist, and writes a structured note: the main points in a sensible order, the terms you need to know, and the relationships between them. A slide deck becomes a note you can scan in a few minutes.
That note is a starting point for a study guide. Flashcards and a practice quiz are built from it, AI chat answers questions about it, and a mind map shows its structure. Many students search for a free study guide generator for a PDF; PrimeNote is free to start with a limited number of AI notes, and a subscription unlocks more.
For best results, import the slides and the recording of the same lecture into one notebook. The slides give the structure and the terms; the recording gives the explanations the lecturer added out loud. Together they make a much more complete study guide than either alone.
Past papers and problem sheets can go in too. A note made from last year's exam lists the topics it covered, which is a useful check against your revision plan, and AI chat on that note can talk you through what a question is really asking before you attempt it yourself.
How it works
Pick one document
One chapter, paper or slide deck at a time gives a focused note. Very long course packs are better split by chapter.
Import the PDF or Word file
Choose the document from your phone and the notebook for the course.
Read the note first
Skim the structure and terms before you open the original. You'll read the document faster once you know its shape.
Ask about the hard parts
Use AI chat to explain a term the reading assumes you know, or to unpack a dense paragraph.
Turn it into a study guide
Work through the flashcards and quiz, and edit the note to add anything the lecturer stressed.
Economics lecture slides on price elasticity
PDF · 36 lecture slides · Economics 101, Week 5 (fictional example)
- Summary
- Price elasticity of demand measures how strongly the quantity demanded responds to a change in price.
- Formula
- Percentage change in quantity demanded divided by percentage change in price; values above 1 are elastic.
- What moves elasticity
- Availability of substitutes, share of income, necessity versus luxury, and time to adjust.
- Flashcard
- Q: If demand is inelastic, what happens to revenue when price rises? A: Total revenue rises.
- Quiz question
- Which good is likely to be most price-elastic: petrol, salt, a specific brand of cereal, or tap water?
What you get
Structured note
The document's main points, ordered and grouped, following its own headings where it has them.
Key terms
Definitions and concepts picked out so you can learn them directly.
Source text
The text taken from the document, kept in its own tab for checking.
Flashcards and quiz
Practice material built from the document, for testing rather than rereading.
AI chat on the document
Follow-up questions answered from this note, useful for dense readings.
Mind map
The document's structure as branches you can scan before a seminar.
When it helps
By hand vs. with PrimeNote
| What you're doing | By hand | With PrimeNote |
|---|---|---|
| Turning slides into notes | Retype bullets and fill gaps from memory | A structured note in one step |
| Finding the argument of a paper | Read it all, then reread | Read the note, then read closely where needed |
| Making a study guide | An evening per chapter | Note, flashcards and quiz to start from |
| Clarifying a term | Search elsewhere and lose your place | Ask AI chat on the same note |
Good to know
- Supported document formats are PDF, DOC and DOCX. Slide files in other formats need to be saved as PDF first.
- Scanned PDFs work best when the text is sharp and straight; blurred or skewed scans give weaker notes.
- Content that lives only in charts or images may not be captured in full. Check figures against the original.
- For anything you'll quote or cite, use the original document, not the note.
Questions
How do I turn a PDF into notes?
Import the PDF into a PrimeNote notebook. PrimeNote reads the document and writes a structured note, with flashcards and a quiz built from it.
Can I create a study guide from a PDF?
Yes. The note, flashcards, quiz and mind map made from a PDF work together as a study guide, and you can edit the note to add your own emphasis.
Is there a free study guide generator for PDFs?
PrimeNote is free to start, with a limited number of AI notes. A subscription gives you more AI notes and the full toolkit.
Can I turn lecture slides into notes?
Yes. Export or download the slides as a PDF and import them. PrimeNote writes a note that follows the deck's structure.
Which document types are supported?
PDF, DOC and DOCX.
Can I ask questions about the document?
Yes. AI Chat answers from the content of the note made from your document.
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
It works best when the scan is sharp and straight. For a few printed pages, taking photos in the app is another option.
Keep exploring
Try it on your next lecture
PrimeNote is free to start on iPhone and Android.