PDF Booklet for Folded, Print-Ready Pages

Q: Why does the booklet PDF look scrambled?

With Booklet at 2 pages per side, the first page sits next to the last page and the second next to the second to last, including any blanks added to fill the sheets. Double-sided printing, nesting and folding then put them into reading order. Perfect bound uses a different arrangement for cutting and stacking individual leaves.

No PDF selectedCreate booklet-ready PDF layouts for printing.

BookletPDFs are shared across all tools.

How do you print a PDF as a folded booklet?

Arrange PDF pages for a folded booklet with left or right binding. Choose the booklet layout and optional guides, then inspect the sheet order before printing. Booklet imposition places pages together so they read correctly after folding, which differs from ordinary N-up layout. Print a short double-sided sample to check the printer’s flip direction before producing the full document.

Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.

How to create a booklet PDF

Add your PDF
Click Choose PDF, drop a file on the preview, or pick one from Uploads, which also holds PDFs from the other PDF tools on this site. One PDF of up to 200 MB per job.
Set up the sheet
Choose how many of your pages go on each side of a sheet with Sheets per signature, then set Paper size and Orientation for the paper you print on.
Choose binding, type and extras
The defaults, Long edge and Booklet, fit a stapled booklet folded in the middle. Add a Margin (pt), trim guides or a page selection if needed.
Create and check the result
Click Create booklet PDF. The preview then shows the result, one sheet side per page. Save it with Download booklet PDF.
Print one test sheet
Print the first two pages of the result double-sided and check that your page 2 sits on the back of your page 1 before printing the rest.

Booklet settings explained

Sheets per signature: How many of your pages are placed on each side of the printed sheet: 2, 4, 6 or 8 (default 2). A sheet has two sides, so it holds 4, 8, 12 or 16 of your pages. Use 2 for the classic booklet folded once, such as A5 pages on A4 or half-letter pages on Letter. Use 4 for smaller formats such as A6 on A4 or A5 on A3; from 4 upward the sheet is cut before folding.
Paper size: The sheet you print on, not the booklet page: A4 (default), Letter, Legal, A3 or A5. Your pages are scaled to fit their slot, so for 2 pages per side pick a sheet twice the size of your pages, such as A3 for A4 content.
Orientation: Portrait (default) or Landscape, for the output sheet. At 2 pages per side, Portrait puts your pages sideways one above the other and Landscape puts them side by side. For 6 or 8 pages per side, choose Portrait with Long edge binding, the combination those layouts are designed for.
Binding: The edge used for the booklet's binding layout. Long edge (default) is the left side for portrait and the top for landscape; Short edge is the top for portrait and the left side for landscape. At 4 pages per side it changes the page arrangement. At 2 pages per side both give the same sheet layout. Use Long edge with the 6- and 8-page layouts. This setting is separate from your printer's duplex flip setting.
Booklet type: Booklet (default) is the standard order for nested, folded sheets. Booklet advanced is an alternative order for 4 pages per side, for print shops that collate sheets first and cut them afterwards. Perfect bound puts consecutive pages on each sheet (at 2 per side: 1 and 3 on the front, 2 and 4 on the back) for leaves that are cut apart and glued into a spine.
Margin (pt): Empty means no margin. Accepts 0 pt or more, with input-arrow steps of 0.5 pt; the server uses two decimal places. A value adds white space around every page inside its slot and shrinks the content to make room. 72 pt = 1 inch and about 2.83 pt = 1 mm, so a value of 14 means 14 pt, roughly 5 mm. Choose enough space for your printer's printable area and any trimming you plan.
Add trim guides: Off by default. Prints thin fold lines and, where the sheet has to be cut, cut lines. Turn it on for 4, 6 and 8 pages per side and whenever you trim by hand.
Pages (optional): Single pages and ranges such as 1-3,5; empty uses all pages. Selected pages are always placed in document order, so 5,1-3 gives the same booklet as 1-3,5. To change the order, rearrange the PDF first with Reorder PDF Pages.

Sheets, blank pages and scaling: a worked example

A sheet holds 4 of your pages at 2 per side, 8 at 4, 12 at 6 and 16 at 8. If your page count does not fill the last sheet, blank pages are added at the end of the booklet. The downloaded PDF has two pages per sheet: front and back.

Example: a 10-page A5 document printed on A4 at 2 pages per side, using Booklet and no margin, needs 12 slots, so pages 11 and 12 stay blank. You get 3 physical sheets and a 6-page PDF. The front of sheet 1 shows a blank page next to page 1, the cover; its back shows page 2 next to another blank. Because A5 is half of A4, your pages print at about their original size.

An A4 document on A4 at 2 pages per side is scaled to about 71 %, since A5 has 1/√2 of the A4 dimensions: 11 pt body text prints at roughly 8 pt. If your last page is the back cover, fill the last sheet yourself (a multiple of 4 pages at 2 per side); otherwise the added blanks end up after it.

Printing and folding the booklet

Print the booklet PDF double-sided at actual size (100 %), so the printer does not scale the sheets again. PDF page 1 is the front of sheet 1, page 2 its back, and so on.

Duplex printers flip the sheet on the long or the short edge. If the pages on the back come out upside down, switch this setting in the print dialog. Without automatic duplex, print the odd PDF pages, reinsert the stack as your printer's manual describes, then print the even pages.

At 2 pages per side, nest the sheets in printed order so that sheet 1 ends up on the outside, fold the stack in the middle and staple along the fold. At 4, 6 or 8 pages per side, turn on Add trim guides and cut along the printed lines before folding. For Perfect bound, cut the sheets into single leaves, stack them in page order and glue the spine.

Formats and limits

Input format: PDF. PDFs that only restrict printing or editing can be processed. A PDF that asks for a password when opened must be unlocked first with Unlock PDF.
Output format: One PDF in the chosen paper size and orientation, alternating sheet fronts and backs
Maximum file size: 200 MB
Files per job: 1 PDF
Processing: On our servers with pdfcpu, no external service. A job can run for up to 15 minutes.
Watermark: None
Result: Added to Uploads, ready to open in other PDF tools
Storage: Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts. Paid plans can keep files longer.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the booklet PDF look scrambled?

With Booklet at 2 pages per side, the first page sits next to the last page and the second next to the second to last, including any blanks added to fill the sheets. Double-sided printing, nesting and folding then put them into reading order. Perfect bound uses a different arrangement for cutting and stacking individual leaves.

Why are the pages on the back upside down?

The duplex flip edge in your print dialog does not match the layout. Switch between flip on long edge and flip on short edge, then print the first two PDF pages as a test sheet.

Why is the text smaller than in my original?

Your pages are scaled to fit their slot. With A4 content on A4 paper at 2 pages per side and no margin, the scale is about 71%. Pick a larger sheet, use fewer pages per side or reduce Margin (pt). The amount of shrinkage depends on both the source page proportions and the space available in each slot.

How is this different from an N-up layout?

N-up PDF places several pages on each sheet in reading order, which suits handouts and proof prints. The booklet tool reorders the pages so they are in sequence after double-sided printing and folding.