A5 booklet page order on A4
Imposition means putting pages in the order a folded booklet needs. Drop in a PDF and get it back ready to print on A4, fold and staple.
Put my PDF in booklet order
Page order table
| Sheet | Front, left | Front, right | Back, left | Back, right |
|---|
Each rectangle is one side of a sheet of A4, turned sideways. The dashed line is the fold; the two marks are the staples.
The common sizes at a glance
| Pages | Sheets of A4 | Front / back of each sheet, outside sheet first |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 8 | 1 / 2 | 7 · 6 | 3 / 4 | 5 |
| 12 | 3 | 12 | 1 / 2 | 11 · 10 | 3 / 4 | 9 · 8 | 5 / 6 | 7 |
| 16 | 4 | 16 | 1 / 2 | 15 · 14 | 3 / 4 | 13 · 12 | 5 / 6 | 11 · 10 | 7 / 8 | 9 |
| 20 | 5 | 20 | 1 / 2 | 19 · 18 | 3 / 4 | 17 · 16 | 5 / 6 | 15 · 14 | 7 / 8 | 13 · 12 | 9 / 10 | 11 |
| 24 | 6 | 24 | 1 / 2 | 23 · 22 | 3 / 4 | 21 · 20 | 5 / 6 | 19 · 18 | 7 / 8 | 17 · 16 | 9 / 10 | 15 · 14 | 11 / 12 | 13 |
How to check any row yourself
- The two numbers on one side of a sheet always add up to the page count plus one.
- Odd pages are always on the right-hand half of a side, even pages on the left. This holds for fronts and backs alike.
- Fold a few sheets of scrap paper in half, nest them, number the pages by hand, then unfold. You will see this table.
Next: the printer settings that make the backs come out the right way up.
Questions
- What order do pages go in for an A5 booklet printed on A4?
- For an 8-page booklet: sheet 1 has pages 8 and 1 on the front and 2 and 7 on the back; sheet 2 has pages 6 and 3 on the front and 4 and 5 on the back. On every sheet side the two page numbers add up to one more than the page count.
- Why must the page count be a multiple of four?
- Each sheet of A4 folded in half makes four A5 pages: two on the front and two on the back. If your document has fewer, blank pages are added.
- Is my PDF uploaded?
- No. The file is read and rearranged inside your browser. It is not sent to a server.
Making a funeral order of service? The builder lays it out and does this page ordering for you.
Open the builder