SantoshTec PDF

Put several PDF pages on one sheet

Fit 2, 4, 6, 8, 9 or 16 pages onto each sheet of paper — the layout printers call “n-up”. Ideal for lecture slides, revision notes and handouts, and it saves a lot of paper.

Drop the PDF you want to print several pages per sheet

Handled entirely on this device.

    Pages per sheet

    Files are processed in your browser. Check the available result or preview before downloading; some tools return text, images or metadata instead of PDF pages.

    Using Pages per sheet, step by step

    1. Drop the PDF onto the box above.
    2. Choose how many pages to fit on each sheet. Two suits documents; four or six suits slides.
    3. Pick the paper size and page order. Best fit chooses the sheet orientation that makes the pages largest.
    4. Press Arrange pages, check the preview, download, and print at 100% or "Actual size".

    When several pages per sheet makes sense

    Lecture slides are the classic case. A 60-slide deck printed one per page is 60 sheets of mostly empty paper; at six per sheet it is ten sheets, double-sided five, and still readable. The same goes for revision notes, meeting packs, proofs you want to review on the train, and any document where you need the overview more than the detail.

    Choosing the number

    • 2 per sheet puts two A4 pages side by side on a landscape A4 sheet, each at about 70% of full size. Body text remains comfortable to read. This is the usual choice for documents and booklets.
    • 4 per sheet shrinks each page to half its width. Fine for slides and large-type handouts; small print in a dense document starts to strain the eyes.
    • 6 or 8 per sheet suits presentation slides, which are designed to be read from across a room and survive a lot of shrinking.
    • 9 or 16 per sheet is for overviews: checking the flow of a long deck, or a contact sheet of photographs.

    Why not just use the printer's setting?

    Most printer dialogs have a "pages per sheet" option, and if it works for you, use it. Building the layout into the PDF has three advantages. You can see the result before printing, so there are no surprises with order or orientation. The file can be sent to someone else, or to a print shop, and it prints the same way everywhere. And phone and tablet printing — and many print-shop kiosks — have no such setting at all.

    Printing the result

    When you print, choose Actual size or 100% scale rather than "Fit to page". The pages are already arranged to fit the sheet; letting the printer shrink them again just makes everything smaller. For handouts, print double-sided and flip on the long edge for portrait sheets or the short edge for landscape ones.

    Need the pages in a different order first, or some removed? Use Organise PDF before arranging them here.

    Frequently asked questions

    How big will each page be?

    With 2 per sheet on A4, each page is printed at about 70% of its original size. With 4 per sheet it is about 50%, and with 16 about 25%. The preview shows the real result before you download.

    What is the difference between "across" and "down" order?

    Across fills each row from left to right before moving down, the way you read. Down fills each column top to bottom before moving right, like a newspaper. Across is the usual choice.

    Can I use it for booklets?

    This tool places pages in reading order, which is right for handouts. A folded booklet needs pages rearranged in a special order (for example 8, 1, 2, 7) so they read correctly after folding; that is not supported yet.

    Will the text still be selectable?

    Yes. Pages are placed as vector content, not as pictures, so text stays sharp and selectable in the arranged file.

    Is my PDF uploaded?

    No. The arrangement is done in your browser.

    Guides that use this tool

    Background and practical advice from the guides section.

    Related PDF tools

    Most jobs need two or three steps. These pair well with Pages per sheet.