How to use it
- Enter the number of pages in your document.
- Read the table: each row is one sheet, with the two pages that go on the front and the back.
- In your print dialog, print two pages per side, double-sided, using the print order or an imposition feature of your software.
- Stack the sheets with sheet 1 on the outside, fold in half and staple on the fold.
How it works
The page count is rounded up to a multiple of 4, which is the total P. Sheet number n (counting from 1, outermost first) has:
- front: P − 2n + 2 on the left and 2n − 1 on the right
- back: 2n on the left and P − 2n + 1 on the right
Worked example
A 12-page document needs 3 sheets. Sheet 1 front is 12 | 1 and back is 2 | 11, sheet 2 is 10 | 3 and 4 | 9, sheet 3 is 8 | 5 and 6 | 7. For 10 pages, two blank pages are added and pages 11 and 12 appear as blank.
Tips
- Cover pages usually count as pages 1 and the last page, so plan your inside pages around that.
- A long booklet gets pushed out at the fold. For more than about 20 sheets, consider a different binding.
- Always test with a few sheets of scrap paper first.