How do I install the PDF Zine skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add eins78/pdf-zine in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is PDF Zine safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: makes network calls. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with PDF Zine?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is PDF Zine free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under MIT.

Who published PDF Zine?

eins78 (@eins78) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

PDF Zine by eins78 — Agent Skill

Name: PDF Zine
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: eins78

PDF Zine

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.

eins78 Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

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
# → doc_booklet.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                              # show bookletimposer help

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.

---name: pdf-zinedescription: 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.license: MIT---# pdf-zineTurn 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`](https://github.com/eins78/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 `$PATH`: ```bash curl -fsSL https://github.com/eins78/pdf2zine/raw/refs/heads/main/pdf2zine > ~/bin/pdf2zine chmod +x ~/bin/pdf2zine ```No Docker? See `${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)```bashpdf2zine doc.pdf# → doc_booklet.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```bashpdf2zine --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)```bashpdf2zine --keep-format doc.pdf````bookletimposer` will pick a paper size that fits 2-up without scaling.### Pass-through to bookletimposer```bashpdf2zine doc.pdf -- --output custom.pdfpdf2zine -- -h # show bookletimposer help```## How it works1. `qpdf --pages doc.pdf 2-z,1 -- moved.pdf` moves page 1 to the end (skipped with `--keep-cover`).2. `bookletimposer --no-gui --booklet [--format=A4] moved.pdf out.pdf` does the 2-up imposition.3. 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) usageIf 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`.

Frequently asked questions