What is PDF imposition?

PDF imposition arranges single pages onto larger press sheets in the order and position a printer needs — for booklets, N-up cards, labels and more — so the finished, folded or cut product comes out correct.

What does it mean to impose a PDF?

To impose a PDF means to place its pages onto a larger press sheet in the exact position and order a printer needs, instead of printing one page per sheet. Imposition is the step that turns design pages into a sheet that folds or cuts into the finished booklet, cards or labels.

How do I impose a PDF?

Open PDF Press in your browser, add your PDF, choose an imposition layout (booklet, N-up or step & repeat), set the page size, bleed and crop marks, then preview the press sheet and export a print-ready PDF. Follow the step-by-step guide above — there is nothing to install.

Can I impose a PDF online for free?

Yes. PDF Press is a free, browser-based PDF imposition tool — no signup, no upload and no watermark on standard exports. You can impose booklets, N-up sheets and label grids online for free, with every file processed locally on your own device.

How do I put multiple PDF pages on one sheet (N-up)?

Choose an N-up layout and set the grid — 2, 4, 8, 16 or more pages per sheet. PDF Press arranges the pages, adds gutters and cut marks, and previews the combined sheet so you can fit several pages or repeated copies onto one printed page.

How do I make a booklet from a PDF?

Pick the booklet layout and PDF Press reorders pages into saddle-stitch or perfect-bound signatures automatically, so the printed sheets fold into the right reading order. Add a cover, bleed and crop marks, preview the imposed sheet, then export a print-ready booklet PDF.

How do I impose business cards for printing?

Choose the Cards layout for business card printing and PDF Press repeats your design many-up across the press sheet — for example a standard 85×55 mm card laid out 10-up or 21-up on an A3 or SRA3 sheet. Set the card size, gutters and crop marks, then export a print-ready PDF the printer can guillotine straight into finished cards.

Does PDF Press do variable data printing (VDP)?

Yes. Variable data printing merges a CSV or spreadsheet into a template so every card, ticket, label or badge gets unique text, numbers, barcodes or QR codes. Map your columns to placeholders in the VDP wizard, preview each row live, then impose the personalized records N-up or cut-and-stack and export one print-ready PDF for the whole run.

What is cut-and-stack imposition?

Cut-and-stack imposition orders pages so that after the printed stack is guillotined into piles and the piles are stacked, every item ends up in sequence — essential for sequentially numbered tickets, vouchers and cards. PDF Press calculates the stack order for your sheet count and grid automatically, so a large numbered job collates correctly without manual reordering.

What is the Expert grid for?

The Expert grid is PDF Press's advanced N-up printing layout with per-cell control. You set the sheet count, columns, rows, individual gutter widths, per-page rotation and creep, and assign exactly which source page lands in each cell — ideal for mixed gang runs, step-and-repeat and complex business card or label sheets that a fixed N-up grid cannot express.

Can I run preflight checks on my PDF?

Yes. The built-in preflight inspector (X-ray) reports page sizes, bleed and trim boxes, embedded fonts, image resolution, color spaces and layers before you print, so you can catch missing bleed or RGB images early. The check runs locally in your browser — your file is never uploaded — and results display alongside the live press-sheet preview.

Does PDF Press export JDF or cut files?

Yes. Alongside the print-ready PDF, PDF Press can output JDF (the CIP4 Job Definition Format) and cutter-mark data describing trim, gutter and cut geometry, so digital cutters and finishing equipment can drive guillotines and die-cutters from the imposed sheet without re-measuring the layout.

Can I impose a PDF without Adobe Acrobat or InDesign?

Yes. PDF Press runs entirely in the browser, so you can impose a PDF without Adobe Acrobat, InDesign or any prepress install. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS — there is no plug-in to add and nothing to download.

How many pages should a booklet PDF have?

A saddle-stitched booklet needs a page count that is a multiple of 4, because each folded sheet holds four pages. PDF Press adds blank pages automatically when your PDF is not a multiple of 4, so the imposed signatures always fold correctly.

Who is PDF Press for?

Graphic designers, print shops, copy centers and prepress teams — and anyone who needs print-ready PDF layouts like booklets, business cards or labels.

How does the browser-based tool work?

Open PDF Press in any modern browser, add a PDF or image, choose an imposition layout, and preview the print-ready sheet live before exporting.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. Files are processed locally on your device in the browser — your document is not sent to a server.

What file types and sizes are supported?

PDF, PNG and JPEG files. Large files are handled in the browser; very large documents work best in a desktop browser with enough memory.

Do I need Adobe Acrobat or any install?

No. PDF Press runs entirely in the browser on any operating system — there is nothing to install and no Acrobat plug-in required.

Privacy Policy

PDF Press is built to keep your documents private. Files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our servers.

Last updated

April 3, 2026

Who we are

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") applies to PDFPress ("we", "us", "our"). This Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use the PDF Press service at pdfpress.app.

By using PDF Press, you consent to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use the service.

Our privacy-first approach

PDF Press is designed with privacy at its core. All PDF imposition and prepress processing is performed locally in your web browser using WebAssembly technology. Your document files never leave your device during processing.

This means we have no ability to access, read, copy, or store the contents of your PDF files, images, or any output generated by the service. Your documents remain entirely under your control at all times.

What we do not collect

We want to be explicit about the data we do not collect or have access to:

The contents of your PDF files or uploaded documents
Rendered previews, thumbnails, or output files
Hidden copies or cached versions of your uploads on our servers
The text, images, fonts, or metadata within your documents
Imposition settings or tool configurations you apply to your files

Since all processing happens in your browser, we cannot access or reconstruct your documents even if requested to do so.

What we collect

We collect a minimal set of data strictly necessary to operate user accounts, manage subscriptions, and enforce usage limits. The data we collect includes:

Account information: When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from Google. This information is used to create and manage your account.
Subscription and billing identifiers: We store your subscription status, plan type, and billing identifiers provided by our payment processor (Paddle). We do not store credit card numbers, bank account details, or other payment credentials.
Usage timestamps: We record timestamps of file downloads to enforce the download cooldown for free-tier users and to prevent abuse.
Cohort cooldown hash (anti-abuse): To enforce the free-tier cooldown consistently across browsers on the same device, we compute a one-way SHA-256 hash of your IP address combined with non-identifying browser signals (user-agent family, screen size, timezone, accept-language). We store only the resulting hash and the timestamp of your most recent download — never the underlying IP. Signed-in users on a paid plan or active trial bypass this cooldown entirely.
Local preferences: UI settings such as theme preference, language selection, and render quality are stored locally in your browser using localStorage. These are not transmitted to our servers.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To create, maintain, and authenticate your account
To process and manage your subscription and billing
To enforce usage limits and prevent abuse of the service
To communicate with you about your account, subscription changes, or service updates
To respond to support requests and inquiries
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Cookies and local storage

We use essential cookies and browser storage mechanisms to provide core functionality:

Authentication cookies: Used to keep you signed in across sessions and to protect the service from unauthorized access.
localStorage: Used to store your UI preferences (theme, language, render quality) and cached application data for performance. This data stays on your device and is not sent to our servers.
Service worker cache: Used to cache application assets (JavaScript, WebAssembly binaries) for faster loading and offline capability.

We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies. You can clear cookies and local storage at any time through your browser settings.

Third-party services

PDF Press relies on the following trusted third-party providers for authentication and billing. These providers may process personal information on our behalf in accordance with their own privacy policies:

Google Sign-In (via Firebase Authentication): Used to authenticate your identity when you sign in. Google receives standard authentication data. See Google's Privacy Policy.
Firebase (Google Cloud): Used to store account records, subscription status, and usage data. Data is hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure. See Firebase Privacy and Security.
Paddle.com Market Limited: Acts as the merchant of record for all payment transactions. Paddle processes your payment information, handles tax calculation, and manages invoicing. We do not receive or store your payment credentials. See Paddle's Privacy Policy.

Data security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encryption of data in transit using HTTPS/TLS
Secure authentication through Google OAuth 2.0
Access controls and authentication for administrative systems
Regular review of our data collection and storage practices

While we strive to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

Data retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including:

Maintaining your account and providing the service
Complying with legal, regulatory, and tax obligations
Resolving disputes and enforcing our agreements

If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information from our active databases within a reasonable timeframe. Some data may be retained in backups for a limited period as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
Data portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw your consent to data processing at any time by discontinuing use of the service or deleting your account.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

Children's privacy

PDF Press is not directed at individuals under the age of 18 (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

International data transfers

Your information may be processed and stored in countries other than your own, including the United States (where Google Cloud and Firebase infrastructure is located) and the United Kingdom (where Paddle is based). By using the service, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries, which may have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of the service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at [email protected]. You can also visit our Contact page for more information.