How to use the pdf booklet and multiple pages per sheet
- Choose a PDF or drop it on the box. The file stays on your device.
- Choose the layout: a fold-in-half booklet, or 2, 4, 6 or 9 pages per sheet. Choose the sheet size (Letter, A4, Legal or A3). For pages per sheet you can also choose portrait or landscape sheets and a thin border around each page.
- Press Make sheets and download. The summary tells you how many sheets of paper you need and how many blank pages were added.
- For a booklet, print the new file double sided with the flip on the short edge, then stack the sheets in order and fold the stack in half.
An 8 page booklet
Eight pages need two sheets of paper, which is four sheet sides. The sides are ordered 8 and 1, then 2 and 7, then 6 and 3, then 4 and 5. Page 1 sits on the right of the first side next to page 8, so when the stack is folded the cover is page 1 and the back cover is page 8, and pages 4 and 5 meet in the middle.
A 5 page file is padded to 8 with three blank pages at the end, so the last sides contain blanks. A 12 page file needs three sheets, since a booklet always uses a multiple of 4 pages.
How the booklet order works
Folding one sheet in half gives four pages. The outer sheet carries the first and last pages, the next sheet inside carries the second and second-to-last pages, and so on. For a file of N pages, rounded up to a multiple of 4, the front of sheet i holds page N minus 2i on the left and page 2i plus 1 on the right, and the back holds page 2i plus 2 on the left and page N minus 2i minus 1 on the right. Every pair of facing pages adds up to N plus 1.
Several pages per sheet
In the 2, 4, 6 and 9 per sheet layouts the pages are read left to right and then top to bottom, and each page is scaled to fit its cell with a small outer margin and gap. Pages of different sizes are each fitted to the cell without stretching. Use this for handouts, proofreading copies and slide notes that save paper.
To change the paper size first, use change PDF page size. To rearrange or delete pages before printing, use organize PDF pages, and to cut the file into parts use split PDF.
Assumptions and limits
- Booklets are always printed on landscape sheets with two pages side by side, and the page count is rounded up to a multiple of 4.
- Left-to-right binding is assumed. A right-to-left binding needs the sheet sides reversed, which this tool does not do.
- Printer drivers differ in the names they give to double-sided options. Look for flip on short edge, and print one test sheet before a long run.
- Links and form fields are not carried over, because pages are placed as vector copies.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a PDF as a folded booklet?
Make the booklet file here, print it double sided with the flip on the short edge, then stack the printed sheets and fold the whole stack in half along the middle.
Why did my booklet get blank pages?
A booklet is made from folded sheets with four pages each. A file whose page count is not a multiple of 4 is padded with blank pages at the end.
How many pages can I put on one sheet?
Choose 2, 4, 6 or 9. More pages per sheet means smaller text, so check that the result is still readable when printed.
Does this reduce the quality of the pages?
No. Each page is placed as vector content and scaled, so text stays sharp. Only the size on paper gets smaller.