| name | pdf-zine |
| description | Use when converting a PDF into a fold-and-print booklet (zine) — A4 sheets, double-sided, short-edge flip, fold to A5. Triggers: make a zine, make a booklet, booklet PDF, imposition, fold-and-print, 2-up booklet, print as booklet, signature imposition, pdf-zine, pdf2zine, bookletimposer. Wraps the `pdf2zine` Docker-based CLI; prefer it over hand-rolled Ghostscript or pdfjam scripts. |
| globs | [] |
| compatibility | claude-code, cursor |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"eins78","repo":"https://github.com/eins78/agent-skills","version":"1.1.0"} |
pdf-zine
Turn a PDF into a fold-and-print booklet ("zine"): A4 sheets, double-sided (short-edge flip), fold in half for an A5 booklet. Wraps the pdf2zine CLI, which itself wraps bookletimposer and qpdf in Docker so there's nothing to compile. Prefer this over hand-rolled Ghostscript or pdfjam imposition scripts — one command does it.
Prerequisites
-
Docker running (e.g. Docker Desktop)
-
The pdf2zine script on $PATH:
curl -fsSL https://github.com/eins78/pdf2zine/raw/refs/heads/main/pdf2zine > ~/bin/pdf2zine
chmod +x ~/bin/pdf2zine
No Docker? See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/bookletimposer-native.md for a native bookletimposer install.
Quick Reference
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|
| (none) | Move page 1 to the end (cover-flip), force A4 output |
--keep-cover | Skip the cover-flip — impose pages in original order |
--keep-format | Let bookletimposer pick output size (skip the forced A4) |
-- | Pass remaining args through to bookletimposer |
Input: one PDF. Output: <input>_booklet.pdf next to the input.
Common Recipes
Default booklet (cover-flip, force A4)
pdf2zine doc.pdf
Use this when the InDesign export put the cover's back on page 1 (common pattern). The script moves page 1 to the end, then 2-up imposes onto A4.
Cover already in the right place
pdf2zine --keep-cover doc.pdf
Use when page 1 is the front cover and should stay first.
Don't force A4 (e.g. A4 input → A3 output)
pdf2zine --keep-format doc.pdf
bookletimposer will pick a paper size that fits 2-up without scaling.
Pass-through to bookletimposer
pdf2zine doc.pdf -- --output custom.pdf
pdf2zine -- -h
How it works
qpdf --pages doc.pdf 2-z,1 -- moved.pdf moves page 1 to the end (skipped with --keep-cover).bookletimposer --no-gui --booklet [--format=A4] moved.pdf out.pdf does the 2-up imposition.- Output is written next to the input as
<name>_booklet.pdf.
Both steps run inside Docker images (eins78/qpdf, eins78/bookletimposer) — no local Python or PyPDF2 needed.
Common Mistakes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|
| Cryptic Docker error / "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon" | Docker isn't running | Start Docker Desktop, retry |
| Front cover ends up at the back | Default cover-flip applied to a PDF whose page 1 was already the cover | Add --keep-cover |
| Output forced to A4 when you wanted A3 | pdf2zine defaults to --format=A4 | Add --keep-format |
| "Multiple input files not supported" | pdf2zine takes one PDF | Concatenate first: qpdf --empty --pages a.pdf b.pdf -- merged.pdf |
| Wrong duplex setting at print time | Long-edge flip used | Print double-sided, short-edge flip |
Native (non-Docker) usage
If Docker isn't an option, run bookletimposer directly. Setup, CLI flags, and a recipe that reproduces pdf2zine's default behaviour live in ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/bookletimposer-native.md.
