Page layout
How do I add blank pages so a PDF prints double-sided correctly?
In double-sided printing, odd-numbered pages are the fronts of sheets. Wherever a section that should start on a new sheet lands on an even page, insert one blank page before it, working from the front of the document to the back.
You print a report double-sided and the second chapter starts on the back of the last page of the first. Or you print twenty letters in one job and letter two begins on the back of letter one. Nothing is wrong with the printer. The PDF simply does not know where its sheets begin.
The fix is a blank page in the right place, and there is one rule for finding the places.
The rule
In double-sided printing, page 1 is the front of the first sheet, page 2 is its back, page 3 is the front of the second sheet, and so on. Odd pages are fronts; even pages are backs.
So a section that must begin on a fresh sheet has to begin on an odd page. In a bound document the odd pages are also the right-hand pages, which is why books start chapters there.
Wherever a section begins on an even page, one blank page inserted before it moves it to the next odd page.
Where blanks are usually needed
| Situation | Where the blank page goes |
|---|---|
| Each chapter or section should start on a front | Before any section that starts on an even page |
| Several documents merged into one print job | After each document with an odd number of pages |
| A cover that must have nothing on its back | Directly after the cover |
| A report printed and bound in a book-like way | Before each chapter that starts on an even page |
Work from the front, not all at once
Every blank page you insert pushes everything after it one page later, which changes whether the later sections start on odd or even pages. Deciding all the positions first and inserting them afterwards is how people end up with the problem moved rather than solved.
So go through the document in order. Deal with the first section, look at the new page numbers, then deal with the next.
A worked example
A report has a cover (page 1), an introduction (pages 2–4), chapter one (pages 5–9) and chapter two (pages 10–13). Every part should start on a front.
- The introduction starts on page 2, an even page. Insert a blank before page 2. The introduction is now 3–5, chapter one 6–10, chapter two 11–14.
- Chapter one now starts on page 6, even. Insert a blank before page 6. Chapter one is 7–11, chapter two 12–15.
- Chapter two starts on page 12, even. Insert a blank before page 12. Chapter two is 13–16.
The report is now 16 pages: eight sheets, and every part begins on the front of one.
Inserting the pages
- Open Add Blank Page and choose your PDF.
- In Insert before page, type the page number that should move later. To add a page after the last page, type the number one higher than the page count.
- In How many, leave 1. You can add up to 50 at once, but for double-sided fixes it is almost always one.
- Leave Match the size and orientation of the surrounding pages ticked. The new page takes the size of the page you have open, so check you are looking at a page of the right size.
- Press Insert blank page. Before you press it, the panel spells out the result, for example "A blank page will be inserted before page 6, becoming page 6. The current page 6 moves to 7."
- Repeat for the next section, then press Save Changes and Download PDF.
At the start and At the end insert without typing a position.
Merging documents for one print job
When many short documents are combined into one file, as with a batch of letters or a set of forms, each one must start on a new sheet or they overlap back to front.
The simplest order is: add a blank page at the end of every document with an odd number of pages, then combine them with Merge PDF. Doing it before merging means each blank is added to a small file, with no counting across the joins.
Saying the page is blank on purpose
A blank page in the middle of a report can look like a printing fault. The conventional fix is a short line such as "This page is intentionally left blank."
The inserted page is an ordinary page that you can type on. After you insert it, the full editor opens with the Text tool already on. Click on the blank page and type. The PDF editor does the same for any page.
Page size, and why it matters here
A blank page that is a different size from its neighbours can make some printers pause for a different paper tray, or scale that one sheet. Keeping the size-matching box ticked prevents this. If your document mixes A4 and US Letter pages, it is worth reading why A4 and Letter print differently before you print.
Page numbers come last
Page numbers already printed on the pages do not change when a page is inserted. They are part of each page's drawing. Insert all the blank pages first, then number the finished document with Add Page Numbers.
Common questions
Why does my chapter print on the back of the previous page?
Because it starts on an even page, and in double-sided printing even pages are the backs of sheets. Insert one blank page before it and it moves to the front of a new sheet.
Should chapters start on odd or even pages?
Odd. Odd pages are the fronts of sheets and the right-hand pages of a bound document.
Does the blank page go before or after the page I type?
Before. Typing 6 in Insert before page makes the blank the new page 6 and moves the old page 6 to 7. To add one after the last page, type a number one higher than the page count, or use At the end.
Will the blank page be the same size as my document?
With Match the size and orientation of the surrounding pages ticked, it takes the size of the page you currently have open. Check you are on a normal page of the document before inserting.
How do I print several merged documents double-sided without them overlapping?
Add a blank page at the end of every document with an odd number of pages, then merge them. Each document then starts on the front of a new sheet.
Can I write 'intentionally left blank' on the new page?
Yes. After you insert it, the Text tool is already on. Click on the new page and type.