Insert and Reverse actions

Two simple but often useful actions complete the page management modules: Insert a blank page and Reverse order. Unlike the other tools, they have no dedicated editing view — they are direct actions launched in one click from the Dashboard. They sit in the Organization category.

Inserting a blank page

The Insert a blank page action adds an empty page at the end of the current document. It is available:

from the Dashboard, in the Organization category;
from the Page management section of the Reorder module;
from the Insertion section of the Merge module.

Behaviour

The format of the new page is determined automatically:

from the Dashboard: the page reuses the dimensions of the first page of the document, or an A4 format by default if the document is empty;
from the Merge module: the page reuses the dimensions of the last existing page;
from the Reorder module: the page reuses the dimensions of the page located just before the insertion point. If one or more pages are selected, the blank page is inserted immediately after the last of the selected pages (and not at the end of the document).

The action creates a checkpoint in the History, marks the document as modified and updates the Dashboard preview thumbnail. It can be undone through the History module as long as the document has not been saved.

Usage tips

Separator: insert a blank page to mark the boundary between two merged documents;
Extra margin: add a blank page at the start of a document before double-sided printing to shift the first printed page;
Blank verso: useful for documents that must start on a right-hand (recto) page after printing.

To insert a blank page at a precise location, use the Reorder module: select the page that should precede the insertion, then click Insert a blank page. The new page is created just after it and automatically selected to make any further drag-and-drop move easier.

Reversing the page order

The Reverse order action turns the whole document around: the first page becomes the last, the second becomes the second to last, and so on. It is available:

from the Dashboard, in the Organization category;
from the Reorder module, at the bottom of the sidebar.

Behaviour

The operation always applies to the whole document, regardless of any selection. It is instantaneous: a new document is generated in memory and replaces the old one in the view. A checkpoint is added to the History; the operation is therefore reversible as long as you have not saved.

Typical use cases

Scan in reverse order: straighten a PDF produced by a scan where the feeder reversed the order of the file;
End-to-end: turn a document around to bind the pages in the opposite direction to their original order;
Diptychs: prepare a document for "right-to-left" reading (manga, Japanese calendars, and so on).

Note: reversing does not change the orientation of individual pages — use the Rotate module for that. The internal table of contents follows the new numbering: every outline entry still points to the same page, at its new position. The document metadata is preserved.

Confirming and history

Like every editing action, insertion and reversal:

create a checkpoint visible in the History module;
move the document into the pending changes state (the Save button on the Dashboard becomes active);
only become permanent once the document has been explicitly saved (⌘S).

Screenshots

1 screenshot — click to enlarge