Every time I open this 15-page scanned document on my laptop, it defaults to sideways orientation. I can turn it right-side up to read it, but how do I actually save that rotation permanently?
Annoying one, especially with scanned sheets. Rotate the pages in a PDF editor, then use Save As rather than just the viewer’s rotate button, which is often only temporary. In AltoSignPDF, rotate all pages if they are all sideways, then download the new file. I do this with pupils’ worksheets quite a bit.
Had the same thing last month with some scanned field forms. I rotated the pages in Adobe Acrobat and saved over the file, and it opened correctly after that. If you only have a reader, I would try printing to a new PDF once it looks right. Not totally sure it works on every scanner though.
I had the same thing with a scanned deed. What worked for me was turning the page right side up, then going to Print and picking Microsoft Print to PDF to make a fresh copy. Open that new file and it stays put.
I hate when scanned blueprints do that. You just need a tool that alters the file rather than only changing your current view. I always use PDFcap for this sort of thing when I’m on site. Just put your file in there, rotate the pages, and save the new version. Are you sorting this out on a Mac or Windows laptop?
@nicholasb23 That’s the same trick I show folks at the library desk, Microsoft Print to PDF usually bakes the rotation right in. One tip: double check all 15 pages rotated before you print, becuase scanners love to sneak in one sideways page. Avoid saving over the original until you’ve reopened the new copy, I learned that the hard way with a patron’s tax form.
first download the pdf so you’re working on a copy, not the browser preview. on a mac, open it in preview, choose pages > rotate all pages 90° clockwise, then file > export as pdf. on windows, edge has a rotate command in its pdf toolbar, so rotate the pages and use save as or save a copy. if it only changes the display, the rotation won’t stick.
Rotate it in AltoSignPDF then export/save as a new file, don’t just rotate the view in your reader.
Keep the original scan backed up first in case the save messes up a page order.
Same thing last month with a stack of scanned donor forms, so this hits close to home. hunter99 backing up the original first is the step people skip, and I learned that the hard way. What worked for me was rotating every page, saving as a new file with a slightly different name, then reopening it before I deleted anything. Also flip through all 15 pages after, since one sneaky sideways page is common.
Open it in your web browser, rotate the pages, and print it to a new file using ‘Save as PDF’. Fwiw, re-printing to PDF locks the orientation permanently so it stops reverting.