PDF Booklet
Rearrange a PDF so it prints as a folded booklet: two pages on each side of a sheet, in the right order, ready to fold and staple. Blank pages are added where needed. Nothing is uploaded.
Your file is ready
- Files stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Free, no sign-up, no daily limit.
- Works with Wi-Fi off once the page has loaded. Check it yourself
Updated by Khokhar Sab
How do I print a PDF as a booklet?
Press Choose a PDF and check the sheet plan. Pick your paper and your printer's duplex setting, usually Flip on short edge. Press Make booklet and Download. Print the new PDF on both sides at actual size, fold the stack in half, and staple along the fold.
- Press Choose a PDF.
- Pick Paper and the Printer duplex setting.
- Press Make booklet, then Download.
- Print on both sides at actual size (not "fit to page").
- Fold the stack in half and staple on the fold.
What order do booklet pages print in?
Booklet order puts the first and last pages side by side on the outside sheet, with the second and second-to-last on its back, and so on inward. This 12-page example was worked out by the tool's own code. Sheet 1 is the outside sheet; sheet 3 is in the middle of the fold.
| Sheet | Front (left | right) | Back (left | right) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| 2 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
How many sheets will I need?
One sheet holds four booklet pages, two on each side. The tool rounds the page count up to a multiple of four with blank pages at the end. A thick stack folds badly, so for more than about 40 pages pick signatures of 4 or 5 sheets and bind the groups together.
| Pages in your PDF | Booklet pages | Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 2 |
| 10 | 12 | 3 |
| 18 | 20 | 5 |
| 30 | 32 | 8 |
Short edge or long edge: which flip do I choose?
Choose the duplex setting your printer will use. Booklets are printed with the sheet sideways, so Flip on short edge keeps the back the right way up, if your printer offers it. If your printer only flips on the long edge, pick that here and the tool turns the backs so pages still read correctly.
Limits and fixes
- Links and form fields are not kept in the booklet; it is meant for printing.
- Pages are scaled to fit half a sheet, so a full-size page prints smaller.
- Creep: in thick booklets inner pages stick out after folding; set a small creep, such as 0.5 mm, to pull them in.
- Locked PDFs need their password removed first with Unlock PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no page limit.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The booklet is laid out in your browser.
Can I make a zine or a program?
Yes. Any PDF works; design it as normal pages and the tool does the order.
Why are there blank pages?
A folded booklet always has a multiple of four pages, so missing pages are left blank at the end.
Can I print on one side only?
A booklet needs both sides. Without duplex, print the odd PDF pages, put the stack back in, then print the even pages.
Related PDF tools
How this tool was built and tested
- Wikipedia: Imposition: how pages are arranged on printed sheets for folding and binding
- pdf-lib, Cantoo fork (MIT), version 2.11.1: places each page on the sheets