Primo NDE Viewer
The Primo NDE Viewer provides a streamlined and modern way for institutions to peruse digital content within the Primo Next Discovery Experience (NDE). Designed to align with the updated Primo NDE interface, this viewer enhances the user experience by offering direct access to supported digital formats, reducing reliance on external viewers, and simplifying navigation across representations. Clients benefit from improved consistency, faster access to content, and a more intuitive interface for exploring digital resources.
Supported Formats
The basic Primo NDE viewer supports a set of digital formats most commonly used in archiving:
Images: JPEG, PNG, TIFF
Documents: PDF
The viewer does not support any other file types (e.g., SVG, audio, video, or proprietary formats). Unsupported formats are handled via link-outs to the external viewer pages. A new viewer page opens in the browser, and a download link is provided. In order to support the use of the external viewer, the view_for_digital_viewer customer setting (Discovery > Other > Discovery Customer Settings) should be set with the non-NDE view to be used for the Digital viewer (in the format INST_NAME:VIEW_NAME).
Viewer Behavior
The viewer is embedded directly into the Full Display page.
When a user selects a digital item from search results, the viewer automatically loads if the content is in a supported format, and the content is displayed in the viewer.
If the content is not supported, the system provides a link to an external viewer in which the user can view the resource. Institutions should configure a fallback viewer for this purpose during Primo VE setup to ensure all formats are properly redirected.
Representations
The viewer initially displays the first supported representation of a digital item.
If multiple representations exist, or the only representation is not in a supported format, these representations can be accessed from the Digital Versions section below the viewer, as follows:
- Representations that can be opened in the viewer have a Display in Viewer link (unless they are currently displayed in the viewer). Select the link (or the file name) to open the representation in the viewer.
- Representations in formats that are not supported by the viewer are identified by an arrow icon (
). Select the file name to open the representation in an external viewer. - If you are not logged into Primo VE, representations that can only be opened by logged-in users are identified by a lock icon (
) and the label, You do not have permission to view this object.
Viewer Features
The Primo NDE viewer enables the user to manipulate the image they are previewing, with features including:
Preview Features
Zoom controls: Use the zoom in 
or zoom out 
buttons in the viewer, or mouse scroll up or down while hovering on the representation to zoom in or out on the previewed resource. To reset the zoom to its original size, select the reset zoom button 
in the viewer's control panel.
Scroll preview: Move through representations by selecting the next item 
and previous item 
buttons in the viewer.
Download option: download the resource in the represented format by selecting the download button 
on the left-hand side of the viewer.
Expand to full-screen view: To view the resource across the entire screen, select the full-screen button 
on the left-hand side of the viewer.
Rotation support for digital representations is currently not available, but is planned for future releases.
Content Exploration Features
Index: The index option shows all the resources tied to the title that are available for viewing. To view the list of resources, select the Content button 
in the viewer.
Search: Primo NDE viewer supports in-image text search if the institution has uploaded full text for their digital content. This feature is currently only available for manually uploaded text. To search for text in the resource, select the search button 
in the viewer.
Copyright: Primo NDE Viewer enables the user to preview resource copyright limitations. To view the copyrights, select the copyrights button 
on the left-hand side of the viewer.
To configure and modify labels, see Configuring Display Labels in Primo.
Resource Information
Viewing different versions: Preview different formats available for the resource by expanding the Digital Versions section below the viewer and selecting the desired version. The resource is previewed in the default viewer that the institution has set up for that specific format. To preview a different version of the resource in the Primo NDE Viewer, select the Display in Viewer button next to the desired resource version.
Details: View additional information about the resource under the Digital Versions section below the viewer. The details include:
- Title - the title of the collection that contains all the representations previewed.
- Creation Date - the date when the title/collection was created.
- Source - the product from which the title/collection is sourced.
- Collection Path - the path to the collection to which the title belongs.
Related Links: View related links under the Links section below the viewer.
Additional Features
Sharing: Share the resource by selecting the Share button 
on the upper right-hand side above the viewer and choosing the method of sharing. For more information, see Sharing Record in the NDE UI.
Citation: Create citations for the record in various formats by selecting the Citation button 
on the upper right-hand side above the viewer and choosing the citation format from the dropdown. For more information, see Creating Citations for Records in the NDE UI.
Export: To export the resource, select the Export button 
on the upper right-hand side above the viewer and choose the export format. For more information, see Exporting Records in the NDE UI.
Saving: Add the representation to saved records by selecting the Add to Saved Records button 
on the upper right-hand side above the viewer. For more information, see Saving Records in NDE UI.
Future Enhancements
The Primo NDE viewer is evolving toward full support for all digital formats. The roadmap includes:
- Expanded format support
- Enhanced viewer controls (e.g., rotation)
- Unified viewer experience without link-outs