Printing slides or a long document one page per sheet wastes paper, and reviewing a deck is easier when you can see several pages together. N-up PDF places two or four pages side by side on each sheet, scaled to fit, producing a compact PDF that prints on ordinary A4 paper.
How to use N-up PDF
- Add the PDF.
- Choose Pages per sheet: 2 or 4.
- Keep all pages selected, or pick only the pages you want to include.
- Select Create N-up PDF, then print the result.
Layouts and sheet sizes
- Two per sheet: With 2 pages per sheet, the output uses landscape A4 sheets with pages side by side, which suits portrait documents.
- Four per sheet: With 4 per sheet, it uses portrait A4 sheets in a two-by-two grid, which suits slides and landscape pages.
- Proportions are kept: Each page is scaled to fit its half or quarter of the sheet while keeping its proportions, so nothing is stretched, and pages run left to right and top to bottom in document order.
Readability at smaller sizes
- Everything shrinks: Every original page is shrunk, to roughly half its size on a 2-up sheet and a quarter on a 4-up sheet.
- What stays readable: Slides and large-type documents stay readable. Dense text with small print may not.
- No gaps between pages: There are no gaps or borders between pages, so pages with full-bleed backgrounds sit directly against each other.
- Print a test sheet: Print a single test sheet before a large run to confirm that the result is legible.
N-up, booklets and other layouts
- N-up keeps reading order: N-up keeps pages in reading order across each sheet, which is right for handouts and review copies.
- For a folded booklet: If you want a folded booklet that reads like a book when printed double-sided, use Booklet PDF, which rearranges pages for folding.
- Saving ink: Convert to grayscale with Grayscale PDF to save ink, and see the print-ready guide for duplex settings.
When people use N-up PDF
Slide handouts
Print a presentation with four slides per sheet so attendees get a compact, portable handout.
Review copies of long documents
Print two pages per sheet to mark up a long draft with half the paper.
Paper-saving printouts
Cut printing costs for reference copies that don't need full-size pages.
Limitations to know
N-up PDF offers 2 or 4 pages per A4 sheet only, with no margins, borders or custom ordering, and pages shrink to half or a quarter of their size. Output is always A4, whatever the size of the source pages.
N-up PDF: common questions
Which paper size does the output use?
A4 sheets: landscape for 2 pages per sheet and portrait for 4. Choose fit to page when printing on US Letter.
Can I put 6 or 9 pages on a sheet?
Not with this tool. The options are 2 and 4 pages per sheet, which keep most documents readable.
Are there margins between pages?
No. Pages are scaled into their cells without added gaps or borders.
Can I include only some pages?
Yes. Deselect the pages you want to leave out before processing, and the rest are arranged in order.