Reverse Page Order

[mccoole-creative]

I know you can reverse the page order when printing out of InDesign (via Print Dialog "General" options) but is there a quick and easy (non-3rd party plug-in or script) to reverse page order within Acrobat DC.

On looking up other answers; a MVP said he would never see a need for this but here in Wales, UK we have native Welsh language and English speakers and we produce a lot of bilingual documents, often with one language reversed and rotated to make up one half of a booklet.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

I've created a free utility that allows you to do it with a single click in Acrobat: Custom-made Adobe Scripts: Acrobat -- Reverse Page Order (FREE)

[mccoole-creative]

Thanks - will take a look.

I always looking for a non-script/plug-in workaround solution as given the vastness of Adobe programmes there is often a little overlooked trick.

[JR Boulay]

Hi.

I always looking for a non-script/plug-in workaround solution

Go to : https://acrobatusers.com/actions-exchange

Select "Browse: Acrobat X" and search for "Reverse Page Order" in this page, you'll get a free Acrobat Action.:

[try67]

Those Actions use a script as well... There's no other way of doing it, unless you do it manually.

[Emmanuel Balan]

Be careful. This script not only reverses the pages, it also dramatically reduces file size (a ~500mb PDF file to ~100mb). I have an old script from 2011 "Reverse Page Order.sequ" which still works on Acrobat Pro DC 2022. It reverses pages without affecting file size. I can send it if you want.

[try67]

It does no such thing. The only thing the script does is reverse the page order. What causes the file-size to reduce (I'm guessing) is when you use the Save As command to save the file under a new name, which causes it to be optimized. This is a good thing, by the way...

At any rate, I'm willing to bet that the Action you mentioned uses exactly the same code (in principle) as my script. It just overwrites the file under the same name, so no optimization takes place.

[Emmanuel Balan]

I did not use "Save As", just save the file (cmd+S). I thought it had something to do with Acrobat settings but it works fine with the other script... The other script does one more thing: after reversing the pages, it opens a window and ask to save the file (under the same name or under a different name). Here is the other script (WeTransfer): https://we.tl/t-NAGlJi0NAN 

[try67]

As I thought, the code in this Action is identical to the one in my script. The only difference is in how the file is saved later on, but that has nothing to do with the script, which doesn't save it at all.

[Emmanuel Balan]

I tried your script with Acrobat Pro X, it's working (the size of the file didn't change). But it still does not work on Acrobat Pro DC 2022 although I'm just clicking on save (cmd+s)... File decreases in size. I guess it has something to do with the Acrobat 2022 settings (??) but then why it's working fine with the other script?

[try67]

Try this: In Acrobat DC go to Edit (or the Acrobat app menu if you're on a Mac) - Preferences - Documents and tick off "Always reduce size for files more than 10 MB".

[Emmanuel Balan]

It's already disabled. It's strange.

[ahmad yousef]

There is a very easy way:

1. open the pdf file that you want to reverse.
2. then go to file \ print.
3. choose the printer "Adobe PDF".
4. in "pages to print" section click on "more options".
5. you will see a checkbox "Reverse pages", check it.
6. print your file.

that's it !

[try67]

It's maybe easy, but it's a very bad way of doing it. You will get rid of bookmarks, form fields, comments, metadata, etc., in the process, and it's not possible on a Mac machine. Just use my script instead.

[seanydee]

Why would you have a document with all of those features that is in reverse? If someone has a reversed pdf I would think it would be a scan and therefore none of that stuff matters and the best solution is printing to pdf. Also, some people work with proprietary files and are unable to download and use scripts due to firewalls or company policy. 

[Test Screen Name]

Printing PDF to PDF is now considered very poor practice. I advise against it.

[nasredenkarah]

I know this is old but, I don't think you understand the question bro.

[nasredenkarah]

I am using the newest version and this trick is not working anymore.

and Yeah, I checked all the boxes in.

[Bernd Alheit]

What version of Adobe Acrobat do you use?

[gkaiseril]

It works with Acrobat DC.

Have you checked to see if there is any security applied to the PDF?

The following folder level script is add an "Edit" menu item to reverse the pages in a PDF. This will only work with Acrobat.

// Add a menu item to reverse all pages in the active document
// Complements: Planet PDF (http://www.planetpdf.com/)

// Applies only to Acrobat. Not possible in Adobe Reader.

if(app.viewerType != "Reader") {

app.addMenuItem({ cName: "Reverse Pages", cParent: "Edit", cExec: "PPReversePages();", cEnable: "event.rc = (event.target != null);", nPos: 0
});

function PPReversePages()
{
var t = app.thermometer;
t.duration = this.numPages;
t.begin();
for (i = this.numPages - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
  t.value = (i-this.numPages)*-1;
  this.movePage(i);
  t.text = 'Moving page ' + (i + 1);
}
t.end();
return true;
} // end PRReversePages function;

} // end not Reader.

[HarleyTDavis]

Don't mean to rehash old wounds or old threads, but thank you GKaiseril.  Your fix works in DC pro.  I added it to the javascripts folder as ReversePages.js and it works just fine.  I also tried a few other methods.  Here they are...

Long Way:

Move every page to where it needs to be...

IF you have a lot of pages, this doesn't work well...

Medium length:

1. Scan into DC and then name the document.  Now you want to extract the pages to a folder all their own.

2.  For pages 1-9, add a 0 (zero) before the number at the end of the file name.

3.  Back in DC, Create a PDF from multiple files, select them all, starting with the last, holding shift and selecting all the way back to the first.  This only works sometimes, but not always... ...But if your selection works, they will be in reverse order.  If not, just click the Name tab and it will reverse their order.

4. Click create PDF.  Now they are all in the correct order.  Save.

Shortest:

Put GKaiseril's script into a plain text editor like notepad or textedit, change the format to plain text, then save as, and in windows, save as "ALL FILES", on mac this is not necessary; when you give it a name, give it the extension .js  (dot js), and save the file to the application file folder where the Javascripts files are located.  On windows that's programfiles(x86), adobe, Acrobat DC, Acrobat, Javascripts.  On the mac, you'll have to open the package file of the .app file of your Applications folder, but the resources will be under Acrobat>Javascripts or Resources>Javascripts.  After you put the file there, scan your documents, then just save, go to edit, select reverse pages, save, done.

This last only seems longer.  Once you have the script installed, you can do it all day and night, instantly.

[JR Boulay]

Really shortest:

Put GKaiseril's script into a plain text editor like notepad or textedit, comment or remove useless lines, then save as an "Action" using Acrobat's Action Wizard.

// function PPReversePages()
// {
 var t = app.thermometer;
 t.duration = this.numPages;
 t.begin();
 for (i = this.numPages - 1; i >= 0; i--)
 {
  t.value = (i-this.numPages)*-1;
  this.movePage(i);
  t.text = 'Moving page ' + (i + 1);
 }
 t.end();
 return true;
// } // end PRReversePages function;
// } // end not Reader.

[Zulfiqar98A4]

Excellent.... Very short method. but taking too much time to reverse all pages. 

[21204160326074636bdcp]

[KRBd2p]

I tried the print to pdf option jsut now. I'm getting an error: Acrobat wants me to save-as if I want a pdf, not print. Is there a way to add Acrobat pdf as a printer in my Mac system preferences?