We’ve all been there – you open a PDF only to find that one or more pages are inexplicably upside down or sideways.
Whether it’s a scanned document or a misconfigured export, there are numerous reasons why PDF pages sometimes need to be rotated. This guide will show you how to rotate pages in PDF.
We’ve all been there – you open a PDF only to find that one or more pages are inexplicably upside down or sideways.
Whether it’s a scanned document or a misconfigured export, there are numerous reasons why PDF pages sometimes need to be rotated. This guide will show you how to rotate pages in PDF.
Introduction
It could be as simple as a document that was scanned improperly or the result of different orientations used during document creation. Whatever the cause, dealing with incorrectly oriented pages can be frustrating, especially if the solution is more complex than it should be.
There are hundreds of alternatives available, both online and offline, to help you rotate PDF pages with ease. It was difficult to make a choice and the main contenders from our list of best PDF Editors were quite similar to the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offering. Instead we have decided to look at a paid option, a free option for each of the Windows and Mac operating systems, an online only option and a fourth option which imports and rotates not just PDFs, but an additional nine other file formats.
How to Rotate Pages in PDF
Firstly it’s worth pointing out that when we talk of rotating a PDF we could be talking about one of two things:
- Rotating the entire document
- Rotating a single page
For each of the options I’ll make it clear for either/both of the above.
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Paid)
Adobe Acrobat is one of the most well-known PDF editors, and consistently comes out top in most comparisons that we have seen. However, to rotate pages using Adobe Acrobat you need to have the paid version (Adobe Acrobat Pro DC), the free Adobe Acrobat Reader does not allow you to rotate pages.
That said, it’s a simple process, and you can both rotate single pages and groups of pages (and therefore the whole document). There are a couple ways of doing this.
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
1. Select either ‘All tools’ or ‘Edit’.
2. ‘Edit’ will take you to the MODIFY PAGE option in one less step.
The MODIFY PAGE section has two choices, either Rotate page right or Organize Pages.
The first option allows you to very easily rotate a single page clockwise in 90 degree increments. The other option takes you to the following screen which allows you to batch rotate more than one page at a time.
Using normal edit menu keyboard short cuts you can select individual pages (Windows – CTRL + Click; Mac – CMD + Click) or all pages (Windows – CTRL + A; Mac – CMD + A) and then us the rotate buttons to rotate the pages in 90 degree increments.
Overview – Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
ADVANTAGES – It’s a very simple solution to what should be simple.
DISADVANTAGES – It’s not free (though there is a free seven day trial).
ALSO LOOK AT – In terms of premium (paid-for) options, both PDF Expert (Mac only) and pdfFiller (online only) came out well in our recent test.
2. PDF-XChange Editor (Free | Windows)
The website (see below) and the UI (User Interface) for the application is really dated, but it’s the functionality that ultimately counts. However, the UI of the application is extremely cluttered.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the application (there is also a paid version), it is very simple to use.
Open your PDF in PDF-XChange Editor
1. In the Home menu (which should open by default) click on either the Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counter Clockwise buttons (this can also be done from the View menu)
2. Don’t forget to save your changes.
DONE!
To rotate more than one page at a time, first open the thumbnail view, and widen it to be able to see more thumbnails.
Using normal edit menu keyboard short cuts you can select individual pages (CTRL + Click) or all pages (CTRL + A) and then us the rotate buttons to rotate the pages in 90 degree increments.
Overview – PDF-XChange Editor
ADVANTAGES – It’s a very simple solution to what should be simple + it’s free!
DISADVANTAGES – Clunky and rather confusing interface.
ALSO LOOK AT – There will be other, free options out there for Windows, but there are too many to mention!
3. Apple Preview (Free | Mac)
Shipping with Mac computers for free, this free to use PDF Reader is excellently simple to use in many ways and can also be used to flatten PDFs if needed.
Open your PDF in Apple Preview
1. In the toolbar, use the Rotate Left button. Alternatively there are options to do the same in the Tools menu and keyboard shortcuts too. If you want to select and rotate more than one page, go to the View menu and select Thumbnails. The Thumbnails bar will open on the left. You can select and rotate them as you did with bath Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and PDF-XChange Editor.
2. Don’t forget to save your changes.
DONE!
Overview – Apple Preview
ADVANTAGES – Couldn’t be simpler + it’s free!
DISADVANTAGES – Only available on Mac.
ALSO LOOK AT – For a paid Mac option, many people very much recommend PDF Expert.
4. Casedo (Free Trial | Paid)
An offline tool available on both Windows and Mac, Casedo asks the question “What, you only want to rotate PDFs?” Casedo is a Multi Format Reader that seamlessly imports ten different types of file format to be read and annotated as if they were a single document.
It’s not a PDF Reader/Editor as such, PDFs is just one of the document types it imports.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the application (there is also a paid version), it is very simple to use.
Open Casedo
1. Either use the Import Files button to import your PDF (or PDFs plus emails, Word document, images etc), or
2. Drag the file/s directly into the Desk Space.
NB Casedo might ask you if you want to import all the bookmarks in the documents, click ‘Done’
3. If you just want to rotate a document and do nothing else, leave the document in the Desk Space and click the green (or purple) spot to view it.
There are now two options for rotation.
4. Right-click on the document to bring up the context menu and select from the Rotation options. These will rotate the whole document.
5. Select the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the page to open the individual page options (see next step).
6. Select one of the two rotation options.
7. When you’re done, drag the document into the Index Space.
8. Export the document to PDF using either the File menu at the top of the screen or the export button in the bottom left corner.
Overview – Casedo
ADVANTAGES – Casedo is more than a PDF Reader, so that you can rotate many different types of documents. It rotates both whole documents and single pages.
DISADVANTAGES – Not designed for just rotating. Free trial has watermarked pages.
5. Online Options (Free | Paid)
There are a wide variety of online options available for rotating PDFs, some paid, some free. There are also those that have both online and offline capabilities. As noted above, pdfFiller appears to be only online, and comes highly rated.
Here are a few others we have found:
- I Love PDF (Free | Paid) – Rotate PDF appears to rotate only the entire document (at least on the free plan).
- Smallpdf (Free | Paid) – Very smooth interface, individual pages rotated and easy to use (on the free plan).
- PDF2GO (Free | Paid) – Almost identical to Smallpdf; very smooth interface, individual pages rotated and easy to use (on the free plan).
- Rotate PDF (Free) – Almost identical to Smallpdf; just does rotation, nothing else. Batches of up to 20 PDFs allowed.
Overview – Online Options
ADVANTAGES – Very simple to use, and often free.
DISADVANTAGES – Is there an issue with uploading sensitive documents to a server you don’t own or trust? Check the T&C’s!
Conclusion
We asked how to Rotate Pages in PDF and it turns out that rotating PDF pages should be simple, but many tools make it more complicated than necessary. Whether you need a quick fix with an online tool or prefer a premium solution like Adobe Acrobat, there are several options to choose from.
However, for those who want a streamlined, powerful solution that works across multiple file formats, Casedo is a great choice and comes with a Free 30 Day Trial. With its user-friendly interface and the ability to manage and rotate different document types in one place, Casedo can help you work smarter, not harder.
Author Jim Hitch
Last Updated on September 27, 2024
First Published on September 27, 2024
We’ve all been there – you open a PDF only to find that one or more pages are inexplicably upside down or sideways.
Whether it’s a scanned document or a misconfigured export, there are numerous reasons why PDF pages sometimes need to be rotated. This guide will show you how to rotate pages in PDF.
We’ve all been there – you open a PDF only to find that one or more pages are inexplicably upside down or sideways.
Whether it’s a scanned document or a misconfigured export, there are numerous reasons why PDF pages sometimes need to be rotated. This guide will show you how to rotate pages in PDF.
Introduction
It could be as simple as a document that was scanned improperly or the result of different orientations used during document creation. Whatever the cause, dealing with incorrectly oriented pages can be frustrating, especially if the solution is more complex than it should be.
There are hundreds of alternatives available, both online and offline, to help you rotate PDF pages with ease. It was difficult to make a choice and the main contenders from our list of best PDF Editors were quite similar to the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offering. Instead we have decided to look at a paid option, a free option for each of the Windows and Mac operating systems, an online only option and a fourth option which imports and rotates not just PDFs, but an additional nine other file formats.
How to Rotate Pages in PDF
Firstly it’s worth pointing out that when we talk of rotating a PDF we could be talking about one of two things:
- Rotating the entire document
- Rotating a single page
For each of the options I’ll make it clear for either/both of the above.
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Paid)
Adobe Acrobat is one of the most well-known PDF editors, and consistently comes out top in most comparisons that we have seen. However, to rotate pages using Adobe Acrobat you need to have the paid version (Adobe Acrobat Pro DC), the free Adobe Acrobat Reader does not allow you to rotate pages.
That said, it’s a simple process, and you can both rotate single pages and groups of pages (and therefore the whole document). There are a couple ways of doing this.
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
1. Select either ‘All tools’ or ‘Edit’.
2. ‘Edit’ will take you to the MODIFY PAGE option in one less step.
The MODIFY PAGE section has two choices, either Rotate page right or Organize Pages.
The first option allows you to very easily rotate a single page clockwise in 90 degree increments. The other option takes you to the following screen which allows you to batch rotate more than one page at a time.
Using normal edit menu keyboard short cuts you can select individual pages (Windows – CTRL + Click; Mac – CMD + Click) or all pages (Windows – CTRL + A; Mac – CMD + A) and then us the rotate buttons to rotate the pages in 90 degree increments.
Overview – Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
ADVANTAGES – It’s a very simple solution to what should be simple.
DISADVANTAGES – It’s not free (though there is a free seven day trial).
ALSO LOOK AT – In terms of premium (paid-for) options, both PDF Expert (Mac only) and pdfFiller (online only) came out well in our recent test.
2. PDF-XChange Editor (Free | Windows)
The website (see below) and the UI (User Interface) for the application is really dated, but it’s the functionality that ultimately counts. However, the UI of the application is extremely cluttered.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the application (there is also a paid version), it is very simple to use.
Open your PDF in PDF-XChange Editor
1. In the Home menu (which should open by default) click on either the Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counter Clockwise buttons (this can also be done from the View menu)
2. Don’t forget to save your changes.
DONE!
To rotate more than one page at a time, first open the thumbnail view, and widen it to be able to see more thumbnails.
Using normal edit menu keyboard short cuts you can select individual pages (CTRL + Click) or all pages (CTRL + A) and then us the rotate buttons to rotate the pages in 90 degree increments.
Overview – PDF-XChange Editor
ADVANTAGES – It’s a very simple solution to what should be simple + it’s free!
DISADVANTAGES – Clunky and rather confusing interface.
ALSO LOOK AT – There will be other, free options out there for Windows, but there are too many to mention!
3. Apple Preview (Free | Mac)
Shipping with Mac computers for free, this free to use PDF Reader is excellently simple to use in many ways and can also be used to flatten PDFs if needed.
Open your PDF in Apple Preview
1. In the toolbar, use the Rotate Left button. Alternatively there are options to do the same in the Tools menu and keyboard shortcuts too. If you want to select and rotate more than one page, go to the View menu and select Thumbnails. The Thumbnails bar will open on the left. You can select and rotate them as you did with bath Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and PDF-XChange Editor.
2. Don’t forget to save your changes.
DONE!
Overview – Apple Preview
ADVANTAGES – Couldn’t be simpler + it’s free!
DISADVANTAGES – Only available on Mac.
ALSO LOOK AT – For a paid Mac option, many people very much recommend PDF Expert.
4. Casedo (Free Trial | Paid)
An offline tool available on both Windows and Mac, Casedo asks the question “What, you only want to rotate PDFs?” Casedo is a Multi Format Reader that seamlessly imports ten different types of file format to be read and annotated as if they were a single document.
It’s not a PDF Reader/Editor as such, PDFs is just one of the document types it imports.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the application (there is also a paid version), it is very simple to use.
Open Casedo
1. Either use the Import Files button to import your PDF (or PDFs plus emails, Word document, images etc), or
2. Drag the file/s directly into the Desk Space.
NB Casedo might ask you if you want to import all the bookmarks in the documents, click ‘Done’
3. If you just want to rotate a document and do nothing else, leave the document in the Desk Space and click the green (or purple) spot to view it.
There are now two options for rotation.
4. Right-click on the document to bring up the context menu and select from the Rotation options. These will rotate the whole document.
5. Select the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the page to open the individual page options (see next step).
6. Select one of the two rotation options.
7. When you’re done, drag the document into the Index Space.
8. Export the document to PDF using either the File menu at the top of the screen or the export button in the bottom left corner.
Overview – Casedo
ADVANTAGES – Casedo is more than a PDF Reader, so that you can rotate many different types of documents. It rotates both whole documents and single pages.
DISADVANTAGES – Not designed for just rotating. Free trial has watermarked pages.
5. Online Options (Free | Paid)
There are a wide variety of online options available for rotating PDFs, some paid, some free. There are also those that have both online and offline capabilities. As noted above, pdfFiller appears to be only online, and comes highly rated.
Here are a few others we have found:
- I Love PDF (Free | Paid) – Rotate PDF appears to rotate only the entire document (at least on the free plan).
- Smallpdf (Free | Paid) – Very smooth interface, individual pages rotated and easy to use (on the free plan).
- PDF2GO (Free | Paid) – Almost identical to Smallpdf; very smooth interface, individual pages rotated and easy to use (on the free plan).
- Rotate PDF (Free) – Almost identical to Smallpdf; just does rotation, nothing else. Batches of up to 20 PDFs allowed.
Overview – Online Options
ADVANTAGES – Very simple to use, and often free.
DISADVANTAGES – Is there an issue with uploading sensitive documents to a server you don’t own or trust? Check the T&C’s!
Conclusion
We asked how to Rotate Pages in PDF and it turns out that rotating PDF pages should be simple, but many tools make it more complicated than necessary. Whether you need a quick fix with an online tool or prefer a premium solution like Adobe Acrobat, there are several options to choose from.
However, for those who want a streamlined, powerful solution that works across multiple file formats, Casedo is a great choice and comes with a Free 30 Day Trial. With its user-friendly interface and the ability to manage and rotate different document types in one place, Casedo can help you work smarter, not harder.
Author Jim Hitch
Last Updated on September 27, 2024
First Published on September 27, 2024