Shift even PDF pages by millimetres

A consistent printer offset can sometimes be compensated by moving the back-page artwork. The useful operation is a translation: every point on a selected page moves the same distance. The paper stays the same size, and the front pages do not need to move.

Prepare the right kind of PDF

This version accepts a file up to 30 MB with up to 200 uniform-size pages. Pages must have no stored rotation, a full-page crop area and ordinary PDF units. Password-protected files, annotations, links, forms and signature structures are rejected. These limits make the print-copy behavior explicit instead of silently removing interactive features.

If a file is rejected, make a separate flattened print copy using software you trust, then inspect it carefully. Keep the original. Flattening may change accessibility, links, signatures, annotations or print behavior; it is not a neutral replacement for an archival document.

Choose the pages by position

In an ordinary front/back document, move pages 2, 4, 6 and so on. Printed page numbers inside the artwork may differ from these file positions. A cover can change which position is a back. The tool shows a selection summary before export so you can check the actual positions.

Direct mode supports ranges such as 2,4,6-10. Ranges include both ends. Duplicate selections are consolidated. Reversed ranges, page zero and numbers beyond the file are rejected. A one-page document has no even back page.

Set a movement, not a new page size

In direct mode, a positive horizontal value moves artwork right; a negative value moves it left. A positive vertical value moves it down; a negative value moves it up. These directions refer to reading the PDF page normally. The allowed range is −20 to +20 mm on each axis.

A 2 mm movement is about 5.6693 PDF points because one inch is 25.4 mm and the normal PDF point is 1/72 inch. The exported page dimensions and scale remain unchanged. BackAlign creates new pages that embed the original vector page content and places each at the chosen offset. It does not turn every page into a screenshot.

Understand the edge behavior

Moving an object does not create more paper. Artwork that crosses the page edge may disappear at the edge of the print copy. The device can also have a smaller printable area than the PDF page. Inspect borders, crop marks and text near each edge before printing.

The output is intended for printing. It does not preserve document-level navigation, tagged-PDF semantics, bookmarks or other archival structures. Unsupported interactive page elements are rejected at input; the result should not replace an original contract, accessible publication or signed document.

Verify one pair before a batch

Print at the original page size with scaling disabled. Check front/back position and the physical reference line. Save the JSON report if you want a record of which page positions moved. It contains the movements and page geometry, with physical alignment explicitly marked unverified.

References and verification

Adobe: PDF print sizing options. Geometry and worked examples on this page are BackAlign’s own calculations. Digital PDF transformations are tested; physical printer output has not been verified.