How to use
- On widths-3.pdf, type 3,1,2 to get widths 400, 200, 300.
- Type 1,3,2 to get widths 200, 400, 300.
- List every page once. A missing number is a refusal, not a quiet drop.
Formula / how it works
widths-3.pdf has pages of 200, 300 and 400 points. The order 3,1,2 produces widths 400, 200, 300. The order 1,3,2 produces 200, 400, 300. Both files still have three pages. The widths are how you can see the move without reading the text on the page. pdf-lib copies the pages into a new document in the order you typed. It does not scale them.
The box must list every page once. 3,1 is refused on a three-page file because page 2 is missing. 1,1,2 is refused because 1 is repeated and 3 is missing. The error tells you to list every page once. You do not get a PDF that silently drops a page. Deleting is the other tool.
Bookmarks are not rebuilt. If the outline pointed at old page 3, it will not be rewritten to follow the page to its new slot. For a short report that is acceptable. For a long manual with a table of contents, fix the outline in a fuller editor after. A password stops the copy before any page is written.
widths-3.pdf starts as 200, then 300, then 400. Order 3,1,2 is therefore 400, 200, 300. Order 1,3,2 is 200, 400, 300. Both results still have three pages. A list that skips a number is rejected, so this is not a hidden delete. Bookmarks are not moved to the new positions. The file you picked is left on disk and the download is the reordered copy.
The text drawn on widths-3.pdf says width 200, width 300 or width 400, so a reader can confirm the shuffle without measuring. The automated check used the page widths instead, because those numbers cannot be faked by a label. Repeating a page number is rejected even if the count of numbers equals the page count. 1,1,2 has three tokens and is still wrong. The widths are the proof, and they have to list every page exactly once.
Measure 400 then 200 then 300 for the order 3,1,2. Measure 200 then 400 then 300 for the order 1,3,2. Those six numbers are the whole demonstration. A repeated index such as 1,1,2 is rejected even though it contains three tokens.
Dropping a page instead of moving it is PDF delete pages. Copying a subset in a chosen order is PDF extract pages.
Worked examples
Order 3, 1, 2
Inputs: pro-f: widths-3.pdf | pro-order: 3,1,2
On this page, take widths-3.pdf, then 3,1,2 and press Reorder. Check the page widths against the order you typed.
Result: Reordered 3 pages to 3, 1, 2. 1.2 KB
Order 1, 3, 2
Inputs: pro-f: widths-3.pdf | pro-order: 1,3,2
On this page, take widths-3.pdf, then 1,3,2 and press Reorder. Check the page widths against the order you typed.
Result: Reordered 3 pages to 1, 3, 2. 1.2 KB
Use cases
- Moving a 400-point back cover to the front.
- Swapping the 300-point page with the 400-point page while the 200-point page stays first.
- Seeing the move in the page widths rather than trusting a label.
- Keeping a three-page count after the shuffle.
Tips & limitations
- 3,1 is incomplete on a three-page file.
- 1,1,2 repeats a page and drops another.
- Bookmarks are not rewritten to the new slots.
- The original file is not overwritten.
FAQ
Why is 3,1,2 the widths 400, 200, 300?
widths-3.pdf is 200, then 300, then 400. Page 3, then page 1, then page 2, is 400, 200, 300.
Why is 1,3,2 the widths 200, 400, 300?
Page 1 stays first at 200. Page 3 at 400 moves ahead of page 2 at 300.
Can I omit a page to delete it?
No. Omitted pages are an error. Use the delete page for that.
Are the pages scaled?
No. A 400-point page is still 400 points after it moves.
Do outlines follow the pages?
No. Rebuild a table of contents in an editor if the outline mattered.
What about a password?
The copy stops. The file is not uploaded to be unlocked.
400, 200, 300 describes widths-3.pdf in the order 3,1,2. Your own page sizes will tell a different story.