The Guardian has launched a four-week trial of its new digital edition, providing readers with an exact on-screen version of each day's newspaper.

Several hundred readers have signed up to take part in the four-week trial, which was launched on 20 November. The trail offers free access to digital editions of both the Guardian and the Observer, the Sunday broadsheet. Readers are asked to feedback on their experience of the service.

"There is something about the finality of a newspaper - and newspaper loyalists need to see the whole, complete edition," said Simon Waldman, director of digital publishing at Guardian Newspapers.

"As a professional tool this is fantastically useful because you can assess the editorial weight and context of each story."

The interface allows readers to flick through the pages of each edition, and readers can also email articles to friends, view PDFs of pages and access printer-friendly pages. Two versions of each day’s newspaper will be available; one published at midnight and one published early morning.

The service will also offer a 14-day archive of previous Guardian and Observer editions.

"The digital edition combines traditional newspaper grammar with the convenience of the internet. It’s a very potent tool," Mr Waldman told dotJournalism.

"When you are used to print, it is important to see the position and weighting of the news. It’s something that is often missing on the web."

The final service will be available by annual or monthly subscription. Readers can sign up for the Guardian digital edition for £7 per month - an introductory rate with a 30 per cent discount.

http://digital.guardian.co.uk

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).