Your printer only prints on one side, the thesis is 60 pages, and you do not want 60 sheets of paper. Or you scanned a stack of two-sided pages and every front and back is mixed together in one file. Either way, you need the odd and even pages as separate files.
Below: how to extract odd or even pages from a PDF with PDFfans Extract Odd/Even Pages, how to use the result to print double-sided by hand, and how to split a double-sided scan into fronts and backs.
In This Guide
- When you need odd or even pages
- Step-by-step: extract odd or even pages
- Print double-sided by hand
- Split a double-sided scan
- Check before you print a long file
- FAQ
When You Need Odd or Even Pages
Page 1 is odd, page 2 is even, and so on. Odd pages are the fronts of a double-sided printout and even pages are the backs. That covers three common jobs.
- Manual double-sided printing on a printer with no duplex unit.
- Splitting a duplex scan where fronts and backs landed in one file.
- Pulling alternate pages for a draft, a review copy, or a quick check of every second page.
Some print dialogs already offer "odd pages only" and "even pages only". If yours does, use it. A separate file is handy when your viewer does not have that option, when you want to send only the fronts to someone, or when you want to check the order before anything goes to paper.
Step-by-Step: Extract Odd or Even Pages
- Open Extract Odd/Even Pages in your browser.
- Add your PDF.
- Choose "Odd pages (1, 3, 5...)" or "Even pages (2, 4, 6...)". The tool shows a short sample of which pages you will get.
- Tick "Reverse the order (last page first)" if you need the pages back to front.
- Run it and download the new PDF. Repeat with the other choice to get the second set.
The tool runs in your browser tab, so the file never leaves your device. Files up to 50 MB work without an account; a free account raises the limit. If the document has an odd number of pages, the odd set has one more page than the even set. That is normal, not a missing page.
Print Double-Sided by Hand
The steps are similar on most printers, but tray orientation varies, so run a short test first.
- Extract the odd pages and print that file.
- Take the printed stack, turn it over, and put it back in the tray so the blank sides will be printed.
- Extract the even pages and print that file on the other side.
Trays are the usual problem. Printers stack finished pages face up or face down, and trays feed the sheet in different directions. Usually the backs come out upside down or in the wrong order. Printing a four-page test file shows you which one you have.
| What you see | What to change |
|---|---|
| Backs are in reverse order (page 4 behind page 1) | Extract the even pages again with the reverse option on |
| Backs are upside down | Flip the stack along the other edge (sideways instead of end over end), or run the even pages through Rotate PDF by 180 degrees |
| Fronts and backs line up, but pages are missing | Check the page count of both files against the original |
Watch the page count. If the document has an odd number of pages, the last front has no back, so the even set is one sheet short. Add a blank sheet at the end of the stack before printing the backs, especially if you print the even pages in reverse; otherwise every back lands on the wrong sheet.
Write the tray orientation that worked on a sticky note and stick it to the printer. You will need it again.
Split a Double-Sided Scan
A sheet-fed scanner that captures both sides gives you front, back, front, back in one PDF. Extract the odd pages to get a file of fronts and the even pages to get a file of backs. This is useful for receipts, ID-style cards, and forms where the back is mostly blank. Some scanners flip the backs, so they may come out rotated 180 degrees or in reverse order; fix those with Rotate PDF or the reverse option.
If the scan came out in reverse order, fix that first with Reverse PDF; our guide on reversing the page order of a PDF explains why scanners do it. Blank backs can be removed afterwards with Delete PDF Pages.
Check Before You Print a Long File
Open the extracted file and look at the first and last pages. For an odd set from a 7-page document you should get pages 1, 3, 5 and 7, and for the even set pages 2, 4 and 6. We ran exactly that on a 7-page test file, including one page stored rotated, and got those sets back, plus 7, 5, 3, 1 with reverse on.
The tool copies whole pages, so text and images on each page are unchanged. Internal links to pages you did not keep, and bookmarks, may not survive. If the finished file is large, shrink it with Compress PDF before sending it to a print shop or an email address.
FAQ
How do I extract only the odd pages from a PDF?
Add the PDF to an odd and even page extractor, choose odd pages, and download the new file. It contains pages 1, 3, 5 and so on, in their original order unless you ask for reverse.
How do I print a PDF double-sided if my printer only prints one side?
Print the odd pages first, turn the printed stack over and put it back in the tray, then print the even pages. Because trays and printers differ, test with a four-page file before you print a long one.
Do I need to reverse the even pages?
Sometimes. It depends on whether your printer stacks pages face up or face down. If the backs come out in the wrong order, extract the even pages again with the reverse option on.
Can I use this to split a double-sided scan into fronts and backs?
Yes. A scan that captured both sides of every sheet puts fronts on the odd pages and backs on the even pages. Extract each set to get one file of fronts and one of backs.
Is my file uploaded when I extract the pages?
No. The extraction runs in your browser tab, so the file stays on your device.
Related: Extract Odd/Even Pages, Reverse PDF, Rotate PDF. More reading: How to Reverse the Page Order of a PDF and How to Merge PDF Files. Background: Duplex printing on Wikipedia.
