Overview
Rotate provides two ways to rotate selected pages, accessible from a single dialog via a mode selector:
- Rotate Page — changes the page’s rotation attribute (in 90° increments). Both the page dimensions and content orientation change together. This is the standard way to correct pages that were scanned sideways.
- Rotate Content — applies a transformation matrix to the page content stream, allowing any arbitrary angle. The page size and orientation remain the same; only the content is rotated.
This dialog combines what were previously two separate functions: Rotate Pages and Rotate Page Content.
How to use
- Open a PDF document in Acrobat.
- Go to Plug-Ins > Pages > Rotate.
- Select the page range to rotate.
- Choose a mode: Rotate Page or Rotate Content.
- Configure the rotation settings for the chosen mode (see below).
- Click OK to apply the rotation.
Mode 1: Rotate Page
Sets the page’s Rotate attribute in the PDF. Annotations and form fields
rotate with the page automatically. This is fast, reversible, and the recommended approach
for standard 90° rotations.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| 90° Clockwise | Rotates pages 90 degrees clockwise. A portrait page becomes landscape with the top of the original content on the right. |
| 90° Counter-clockwise | Rotates pages 90 degrees counter-clockwise. A portrait page becomes landscape with the top of the original content on the left. |
| 180° | Rotates pages upside-down. |
Mode 2: Rotate Content
Wraps the page content stream with a rotation transformation matrix. The page dimensions do not change — only the drawn content rotates. This is useful for correcting slightly skewed scans or applying non-standard rotation angles.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Angle | The rotation angle in degrees. Positive values rotate counter-clockwise; negative values rotate clockwise. Any value between −360 and 360 is accepted. |
| Pivot point | The point around which the content is rotated:
|
Which mode should I use?
| Scenario | Recommended mode |
|---|---|
| Correcting a sideways-scanned page | Rotate Page (90° CW or CCW) |
| Switching between portrait and landscape | Rotate Page (90°) |
| Straightening a slightly skewed scan | Rotate Content (small angle, e.g. 1° or −1°) |
| Rotating content without changing page dimensions | Rotate Content |
| Turning a page upside-down | Rotate Page (180°) |
Tip
To correct a batch of landscape-scanned pages, select the affected page range, choose Rotate Page mode, and apply a 90° clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation as needed.
Tip
To straighten a slightly skewed scan, choose Rotate Content mode, try a small angle such as 1° or −1°, and use the centre pivot point.
Warning
In Rotate Content mode, rotating by angles other than multiples of 90° may cause parts of the content to extend beyond the page boundary and be clipped. This operation modifies the content stream and cannot be undone by rotating back by the same amount due to floating-point precision.
Note
Rotate Page modifies the page’s Rotate attribute.
Annotations and form fields rotate with the page automatically.
Rotate Content only transforms the drawn content — annotations
are not affected.