Flip on Long Edge VS Short Edge | Definitions & Usage Scenarios

Introduction:

This article explains what ‘Flip on Long Edge VS Short Edge’ means when printing. Two methods are introduced to help you flip and print a PDF file.

Although we’ve taken a big stride towards going paperless, printing seems indispensable in today’s business world. Why? Printed documents connote credibility and a standard process. That gives a rationale for why we opt for a comprehensive printer in the office.

When it comes to printing brochures or marketing materials in PDF (or other file formats), you may need duplex printing to print on both sides of the PDF. But your original documents are horizontally or vertically placed. What should you do with the page orientation? Is it better to flip on a short edge or a long edge? In which case should you choose the other mode?

What Does "Flip on Long Edge" Mean

A long edge is to flip or bind the PDF document along the long edge or the vertical side. For a PDF book with the long edge flipped, its spine is comparatively longer. In this way, the printed file lets you flip the page like a book, since the top of each page stays at the top.

For standard portrait pages, the long edge is the left side. When you flip the pages, they turn just like a book.

Key characteristics of “flip on long edge”:

• Pages are flipped from left to right.
• Ideal for books, reports, and documents read vertically.

What Does "Flip on Short Edge" Mean

What is flip on short edge? A short edge means the pages are flipped or bound along the horizontal side or short edge of the PDF document. A PDF book with the short edge flipped has a shorter spine in bookbinding. Users flip the printed page along the top or the bottom edge.

For portrait pages, the short edge is the top. This way, the page can be flipped up like in a notepad or calendar.

Key characteristics of “flip on short edge”:

• Pages are flipped from top to bottom.
• Commonly used for landscape documents.
• Ideal for booklets, calendars, and table-style layouts.

Flip on Long Edge vs Short Edge: Main Differences

Flip on short edge vs long edge, what are the differences between them? Here’s a side-by-side comparison to make things clear.

Flip on Long Edge or Short Edge: Which One to Choose

Flip on long edge or short edge? Still don’t know which one to choose? Here’s a quick decision guide for you. Let’s have a look.

Select flip on long edge if:

• Your documents are in portrait orientation.
• You are printing reports, books, letters, or essays.
• You prefer to read documents like a normal book.

Select flip on short edge if:

• Your documents are in landscape orientation.
• You are printing presentations, calendars, or horizontal layouts.
• You want the pages to flip upward.

How to Flip on Long Edge or Short Edge in Printing

PDF is an intact and stable file format, and these characteristics make this format increasingly relied on for file distribution. Any thoughts on how to print a PDF with the long (or short) edge flipped? Without further ado, the following content introduces two PDF printers on Windows to customize printing options.

Option 1. Flip on Long/Short Edge in Printing with SwifDoo PDF

SwifDoo PDF is a comprehensive PDF program for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, with the capabilities to edit PDFs, annotate PDFs, protect PDFs, convert PDFs to other file formats, and vice versa, etc.  Is that all? No, SwifDoo PDF incorporates a free PDF printer in order to provide a one-stop solution for all PDF-related problems. This PDF printing tool supports duplex printing, so you can easily flip on a long edge or a short edge.

How to flip on a long edge or short edge with SwifDoo PDF? Below is the step-by-step guidance for your reference.

Step 1. Click the download button below to download and install SwifDoo PDF on your PC. Next, launch it to get to its main interface.

Step 2. Click Open to import the target PDF document to the workplace. Next, click the Print icon on the top left or press Ctrl + P to trigger the Print window.

Step 3. Tick the Autom Duplex Printing checkbox, and then choose the Flip on Long Edge or Flip on Short Edge option. Meanwhile, adjust other printing settings, such as paper size, margins, and so on. Finally, click Print to finalize the process.

As the above screenshot shows, SwifDoo PDF is a multi-tasker to meet different printing demands. It cannot print multiple PDF documents in batches, but it can print multiple pages per sheet and print a PDF as a booklet. So, don’t be hesitant, and give it a try to resolve all your PDF document printing issues, including flipping on the short or long edge.

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Adobe PDF Printer

Adobe Reader is one of the flagship products of Adobe. As a pioneer in this industry, whether you need to flip on the long edge or the short edge, Adobe’s PDF printer can hit the mark. Check out how to do it in Adobe Reader:

Step 1: Open a PDF document in Adobe and navigate to the top left. Click Print or press Ctrl + P to activate the printer;

Step 2: Then, change the printer from the default Microsoft Print to PDF to a real printer (instead of a virtual printer);

Step 3: When ready, click Print on both sides of paper > Flip on long (short) edge. Finally, tap the Print button to start the printing process.  

To Sum Up

No matter if your goal is to flip on the short edge or the long edge, it’s usually a sub-menu of duplex printing. And these two modes are closely related to page orientation (as we’ve described above). How to choose depends on your original document.

If you need an easy-to-use printer to print out PDF documents, SwifDoo PDF deserves a try. Go and download this PDF printer on Windows for free now.