How to make a booklet from a PDF
- Drop your PDF above — any page count works (it's padded to a multiple of 4 with blanks).
- Click Make booklet. Pages are reordered into saddle-stitch sequence and placed two per landscape sheet.
- Print double-sided, flipping on the short edge. Fold the whole stack in half and staple along the fold — done.
Longer booklets: use signatures
A 60-page booklet folded as one stack is bulky and won't lie flat. Under Options, set a signature size (say, 4 sheets per group): the booklet is arranged as several nested groups you fold and staple separately, then bind together — the way real paperbacks are made.
Why not just use the printer's booklet checkbox?
Some printer drivers offer booklet printing — and many don't, or hide it, or get the back sides wrong, or it vanishes when you print from a phone, a Chromebook, or a print shop's counter. A pre-imposed PDF works the same everywhere: what you send to any printer is already in booklet order, so "print double-sided" is the only instruction anyone needs. It's also the format print shops ask for.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a PDF as a booklet?
Drop your PDF above and click Make booklet. Sleek PDF reorders the pages into saddle-stitch printing order and places them two per landscape sheet. Print the result double-sided (flip on the short edge), fold the stack in half, and staple the spine.
What is saddle-stitch page order?
The counterintuitive order booklet printing needs: for an 8-page booklet, the first sheet holds pages 8 and 1 on the front and 2 and 7 on the back. When the printed stack is folded in half, everything reads in sequence. Working this out by hand is exactly the error-prone chore this tool removes.
What if my page count isn't a multiple of 4?
Booklets always need page counts in multiples of 4 — Sleek PDF pads the end with blank pages automatically, which appear as blank sides at the back of the booklet.
Which duplex setting do I use?
Flip on the short edge (sometimes called “short-edge binding”). If your printer only does long-edge duplex, the backs will come out upside down — most print dialogs let you choose.
Is my document uploaded?
No — the rearranging happens entirely in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.