Mirror PDF file

[Toonarmytel]

Hi, I've been e-mailed a technical drawing for building stud walls in a block of flats. However I've only got the left hand side flat drawings. Is there a way within Acrobat XI that I can flip the file horizontally?

[Luke Jennings · Accepted solution]

Another option is to place the PDF into InDesign or Illustrator and export to (or save as, from Illustrator) a new PDF.

To mirror a placed object in InDesign go to Object> Transform> Flip horizontal.

To Mirror a placed object in Illustrator, it's Object> Transform> Reflect.

Of course all the dimensions will also be mirrored and hard to read. You can cover the old type and replace it before exporting to a new PDF, if it's important to you.

I should also mention you are also assuming the right side drawings are otherwise identical to the left (door swings, utilities, etc.)

[Adorobat]

Hi Toonarmytel,

To rotate a page in a pdf file, click on the page thumbnail icon in the left-hand pane > select the page by clicking on it > right-click > rotate pages.

Select the direction, page range and save the file using File > Save option.

Below are the screenshots:

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Shivam

[try67]

Rotating is not the same as mirroring... I don't believe the latter is possible in Acrobat.

[Toonarmytel]

Yeah try67, that's what I'm trying to do. Is there any other way to do it? Thanks for the help guys.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

If you are on Windows, and you have Adobe Acrobat installed, you can print to the "Adobe PDF" printer and select to mirror the output, which will result in a mirror image of your PDF file. Because we don't know exactly what it is you are trying to solve, this may not help you with your problem, but just in case, here are some instructions: mirror image of pdf file (Edit PDF)

[sfdjklsdadfjkasldj]

Thank you Karl Heinz Kremer. Your suggestion worked perfectly! We're trying to prepare POWERPOINT presentations to be used on a teleprompter. We're recording videos of "expert speakers." Our speakers sound much  more natural when they're speaking to their own POWERPOINT bullet points vs. reading from a written script using an unfamiliar piece of technology.

[Luke Jennings · Accepted solution]

For the benefit of others who are looking for a way to flip PDFs, here is yet another way:

You can use an existing prefilght profile to flip the pages (Acrobat DC).

Tools> Print Production> Prefilght> (select the blue wrench icon).

[ashwinc27675883]

That was the reply I badly needed since several time now. Thanks. This could have been included in tools panel straight. This is very primary requirement for post production.

[throbnz]

Thanks so much for this. Needle in a haystack! I never would have found this solution. We need to mirror image thousands of pages of text codes so this solution is perfect.

[shannonc25251716]

Thanks Luke! This worked like a charm!

[VIJAY26034923gv2x]

Thank U so much

[Erik5ECA]

Has this Preflight setting now been taken away? My Preflight dialog box has no Pages group, and searching for the word Flip returns no results. 

[Erik5ECA]

Is there no way to edit/delete my own comment? Figured out where that option was hiding so please disregard the above.

[GwenJeanJeffSkin]

I changed my print option to Adobe PDF. I don't see the option to mirror image. Where is it? Thanks.

[Luke Jennings3]

Using an Acrobat preflight profile will preserve many PDF features that would be lost if you print to a new PDF. 

If you are using a Mac, you may need to download and install a PPD in order to print to PDF.

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/add-acrobat-ppd.html

[Sue25686621ivtq]

Can you  add instructions again for Aobe crobat Pro DC as the above link is no longer working.Thanks in anticipation.

[Luke Jennings3]

To mirror a pdf, go to Tools> Print Production> Preflight> Fixups (the blue wrench icon), type "Flip" in the search field, click Fix.

Edit, I see this was already discussed 4 years ago.

[andym4157213]

THANKS, Luke! I never could find "Pages" until I saw your post pointing out that you have to click the "wrench" icon. Somebody should add that to the approved answer as it might also save other folks a bunch of time. Again, big thanks, Luke!

[Maureen0D4D]

I tried this and when I typed flip in the search box the fix icon remained greyed out and I was unable to move to the next part of the menu.

[Luke Jennings3]

The top of the preflight panel should say "Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles"

[Luke Jennings · Accepted solution]

Another option is to place the PDF into InDesign or Illustrator and export to (or save as, from Illustrator) a new PDF.

To mirror a placed object in InDesign go to Object> Transform> Flip horizontal.

To Mirror a placed object in Illustrator, it's Object> Transform> Reflect.

Of course all the dimensions will also be mirrored and hard to read. You can cover the old type and replace it before exporting to a new PDF, if it's important to you.

I should also mention you are also assuming the right side drawings are otherwise identical to the left (door swings, utilities, etc.)

[Toonarmytel]

That's exactly what I needed Luke, thanks! Door swings etc are not important as I'm just building the stud walls, dimensions I can easily copy over afterwards. Thanks again.

[greg5C45]

Acrobat Pro XI

I've found a better way.  Zoom out so you can see the whole page. Go to Content editing and select Edit Text & Images. It will say the page doesn't have editable text or has scanned content AND it doesn't tell you but its now made the entire page an object. Left click on the scan and you'll see handles appear at the corners.  Now right click and flip it. Done!  Took a long time to find this. Happy!

[Joyce R]

This works so well. Thanks a million !! I need it to mirror truss layouts for garage left and / or garage right.

Joyce

[declanterry]

For those on a budget, I found converting the PDF to a jpeg, flipping in photos, then converting jpeg to PDF worked brilliantly.