How to Rotate a PDF and Fix its Orientation
We've all been there: you open a PDF, only to find that some or all of the pages are oriented incorrectly. A scanned document might be sideways, or a report might have a landscape-oriented chart mixed in with portrait pages. Trying to read a document by tilting your head is not a solution.
The good news is that fixing the rotation of a PDF is a quick and simple process.
Why Do PDFs Have the Wrong Orientation?
Incorrect page rotation usually happens for a few common reasons:
- Scanning Errors: When scanning a physical document, if the paper is fed into the scanner incorrectly, the resulting digital page will be sideways or upside down.
- Mixed Page Orientations: A document might be intentionally created with both portrait and landscape pages (e.g., for tables or wide images). Some PDF viewers handle this better than others.
- Device-Based Photos: A photo of a document taken with a smartphone can easily be saved with the wrong orientation metadata.
How to Permanently Rotate a PDF
Our free online tool allows you to fix the orientation of your PDF files permanently, so they open correctly every time, on any device.
- Navigate to the Tool: Go to our Rotate PDF tool.
- Upload Your File: Select the PDF file that you need to fix.
- Set the Rotation: A preview of your document will appear. Use the "Rotate Left" or "Rotate Right" buttons to turn all the pages of the document until they are correctly oriented. The preview will update in real-time.
- Apply and Download: Once you're happy with the orientation, click "Apply Rotation". The tool will process your file and provide a download link for the permanently rotated PDF.
Now you have a perfectly oriented PDF that's easy to read and share, without any of the neck-craning! It's a simple fix that makes a world of difference for document usability.