flipdf
| Crates.io | flipdf |
| lib.rs | flipdf |
| version | 0.1.2 |
| created_at | 2026-01-15 15:01:27.948204+00 |
| updated_at | 2026-01-15 15:01:27.948204+00 |
| description | Merge duplex-scanned PDFs into proper page order - for home scanners without auto-duplex |
| homepage | |
| repository | https://github.com/M-Igashi/flipdf |
| max_upload_size | |
| id | 2045767 |
| size | 38,178 |
Jesse Pinkman (M-Igashi)
documentation
README
flipdf
Merge duplex-scanned PDFs into proper page order — for home scanners without auto-duplex.
Why?
Many home multifunction printers (like the Brother MFC-7460DN) have ADF (Auto Document Feeder) for continuous scanning, but lack automatic duplex scanning. This means scanning double-sided documents requires:
- Scan all front pages →
fronts.pdf - Flip the stack, scan all back pages →
backs.pdf(pages come out in reverse order) - Manually interleave them... 😩
flipdf automates step 3. Just run flipdf in your scan folder and you're done.
Installation
Homebrew (macOS)
brew tap M-Igashi/tap
brew install flipdf
From Source
git clone https://github.com/M-Igashi/flipdf.git
cd flipdf
cargo install --path .
Usage
Automatic Mode (Recommended)
Just navigate to your scan folder and run:
flipdf
flipdf will automatically detect the two newest PDFs and merge them. The older PDF is treated as fronts, the newer as backs (since you scan fronts first, then flip and scan backs).
Explicit Mode
Specify files directly:
flipdf fronts.pdf backs.pdf
flipdf fronts.pdf backs.pdf -o document.pdf
List PDFs
See what's in the current directory:
flipdf list
flipdf list --all
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-o, --output <FILE> |
Output filename (default: merged_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.pdf) |
--prepend <FILE> |
Add a PDF at the beginning (e.g., cover page) |
--append <FILE> |
Add a PDF at the end (e.g., appendix) |
--no-reverse |
Don't reverse back pages (if already in correct order) |
-q, --quiet |
Suppress progress messages |
--dry-run |
Show what would be done without executing |
Examples
# Basic: auto-detect and merge
flipdf
# With cover page
flipdf --prepend cover.pdf
# Explicit files with custom output
flipdf fronts.pdf backs.pdf -o contract.pdf
# Add both cover and appendix
flipdf fronts.pdf backs.pdf --prepend cover.pdf --append appendix.pdf
# Check what would be merged
flipdf --dry-run
How It Works
When you scan a duplex document without auto-duplex:
Original document: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
F1 B1 F2 B2 F3 B3 (F=front, B=back)
Scan fronts (ADF): F1, F2, F3 → fronts.pdf (pages 1,2,3)
Flip stack & scan: B3, B2, B1 → backs.pdf (pages 1,2,3 = original B3,B2,B1)
flipdf merges: F1, B1, F2, B2, F3, B3 → merged.pdf (correct order!)
License
MIT