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Booklet maker · free · nothing uploaded

Print a booklet on a single-sided printer

A booklet puts four pages on every sheet: two on the front, two on the back, in an order that reads correctly once folded. The wizard rearranges your PDF into that order, then walks you through printing both sides by hand.

  1. 1 Choose PDF
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How booklet page order works

Updated

When you fold a stack of sheets in half, the outermost sheet holds the first and last pages. So an 8-page booklet is printed on 2 sheets like this:

SheetFront (left | right)Back (left | right)
1 (outside)8 | 12 | 7
2 (inside)6 | 34 | 5

The two pages side by side always add up to the page count plus one. That rule makes a quick check easy: on a 12-page booklet every pair adds up to 13.

Step by step

  1. Choose your PDF. Open the PDF and pick Folded booklet. Blank pages are added if the count isn’t a multiple of four.
  2. Test your printer once. Print the two-sheet test so the backs come out in the right order and the right way up.
  3. Print the fronts. Print the fronts file on landscape sheets, two booklet pages per side.
  4. Reload and print the backs. Turn the stack over, put it back in the tray and print the backs file.
  5. Fold and staple. Fold the stack in half along the middle and staple twice along the fold.

Tips

  • Keep booklets to about 10 sheets (40 pages) for a normal stapler. Split longer documents into sections.
  • Crease the fold with a ruler or the back of a spoon for a flat finish.
  • Your pages shrink to half a sheet. Text smaller than about 10 pt may get hard to read.
  • Only need ordinary double-sided pages? Use the manual duplex wizard instead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I print a booklet on a single-sided printer?

The pages are rearranged so that two fit on each side of a landscape sheet in booklet order. Print the fronts, turn the stack over and reload it, then print the backs. Fold the finished stack in half and staple along the fold.

Why does a booklet need a multiple of four pages?

Each folded sheet carries four pages: two on the front and two on the back. If your document isn’t a multiple of four, blank pages are added at the end so the page order still works.

What paper size should I use for a booklet?

Use the paper already in your printer. On US Letter, each booklet page is 5.5 × 8.5 inches; on A4, each page is A5 (148 × 210 mm). Your pages are scaled to fit, keeping their proportions.

How many pages can a stapled booklet have?

A standard stapler handles about 10–12 sheets of plain paper, which is 40–48 booklet pages. For thicker booklets, split the document into sections, or use a long-reach stapler.

Why are some booklet pages upside down?

The backs were fed with the wrong edge first. Run the printer test once: the wizard then rotates the booklet backs to match how your printer takes paper.