Glossary
Webtoon
A webtoon is a digital comic made to be read by scrolling down, usually as one very long vertical strip per episode and often in full color. The format came from Korea and is also used by comics from other countries. Webtoon is also the name of a publishing platform.
How a webtoon differs from a manga page
A webtoon is read by scrolling, while a manga page is read page by page. A manga page has a fixed size. A webtoon episode is a tall image, or a few tall images, where panels are separated by gaps and you scroll from one to the next. Many are published on phone-friendly sites and apps, in color, with lettering placed straight onto the art.
Where webtoons come from
The format grew out of Korean web portals in the early 2000s, where comics were drawn to be read on a screen instead of printed. It spread to Chinese, Japanese and Western creators, so a webtoon can be in any language. Many Korean manhwa are published only in this form.
Translating a webtoon
- Very tall images can pass upload limits. RuneManga accepts up to 20 MB per page, so split a strip at a gap between panels if it is refused.
- Text outside speech bubbles is not translated yet, and it is common in webtoons.
- Use Translate: the colors are already there and stay as they are.
- The RuneManga extension translates images in place as you scroll.
How RuneManga handles webtoons
In a Chromium browser on a computer, turn on Auto for the reader site in the extension, and the images near your position are translated as they load. On a phone, or for saved episodes, use the WebApp: add the images in order, translate them in one job and download the result as PNGs or a ZIP.
Common problems and fixes
- A strip is refused: it is over 20 MB or has an extreme number of pixels. Split it at a gap between panels.
- Lines on the art stay untranslated: that is the known gap for text outside bubbles.
- Screenshots look soft: a screenshot of a reader is smaller than the original image. Use the original image where you can.
Related terms
Manhwa is the Korean word for comics, and most of it is published as webtoons. Speech bubble detection matters more in webtoons, because so much text sits on the art outside any bubble.
Can I translate a webtoon on my phone?
Yes, in the WebApp in your phone's browser. The extension runs on desktop browsers only.
Do I need to cut a long strip into pages?
Only when it is refused. Images up to 20 MB are accepted, and splitting at a gap between panels keeps the bubbles whole.