Why Scanned PDFs Come Out Sideways and How to Fix Them
Key points
- Causes are how the paper was placed or scan settings
- To fix, rotate pages and save
- Next time, align orientation before scanning
Causes
- A wide document was loaded in portrait (or vice versa)
- Documents with mixed orientation were set in the ADF (automatic feeder)
- The scanner's auto-rotation didn't work well
How to fix
- Choose the PDF in "Rotate & Reorder PDF Pages".
- Tap "Rotate" on the wrongly oriented pages.
- Save and check every page.
Preventing it next time
- Align document orientation before loading
- Scan wide documents separately in a batch
- Check the scanner's auto-rotation setting
Note
Sometimes the pages are also in reverse order. You can reorder on the same screen.
Use "Rotate & Reorder PDF Pages" (free)Tools that go well with this
- Extract or Delete PDF Pages: Keep only the pages you need, or remove the pages you don't.
- Add Page Numbers to PDF: Add page numbers to a PDF, choosing position and style.
- Merge PDFs: Combine several PDF files into one, in the order you choose.
More guides for this tool
- How to Rotate PDF Pages to Fix Their Orientation
- How to Rearrange the Pages of a PDF
- The Best Order for Tidying a PDF: Rotate, Reorder, Delete
- How to Fix the Orientation of a PDF Made on iPhone
- Pre-Submission PDF Checklist: Orientation, Order and Page Count
- How to Tidy a PDF with Mixed Portrait and Landscape Pages