bash shortcut (alias/functions) to turn pdf to booklet or cardset.

bash_aliases_pdf.sh

# pdf shortcuts, using pdftk

pdfcount(){
	#return number of pages of a pdf file
	pdftk $1 dump_data output | grep -i NumberOfPages  | grep -oE  "[[:digit:]]{1,}"	
}

pdf2booklet16(){
	# reorder a copy of given pdf to be printed as 2 pages/side + dual, and binded in booklets of 4 sheets (16 pages).
	# input.pdf must contain a multiple of 16 pages.
	# staple each 4 pages together in the middle and you're done.
	count=`pdfcount $1`
	if [ $((count % 16)) -ne 0 ]
	then
		echo "Usage: pdf2bookletDual2BySide <input.pdf>    where input.pdf must contain a multiple of 16 pages"
		return
	fi
	i=1
	r=$(($count+1))
	seq=" "
	while [ $i -le $count ]
	do #each sheet is a sequence of 4 pages: last | first | second | before-last
		seq="$seq $((r-i)) $((i)) $((i+1)) $((r-i-1))     $((r-i-2)) $((i+2)) $((i+3)) $((r-i-3))    $((r-i-4)) $((i+4)) $((i+5)) $((r-i-5))    $((r-i-6)) $((i+6)) $((i+7)) $((r-i-7))  "
		
		#alternative sequence if your printer duplex unit puts the print first face up.
		#seq="$seq $((i+1)) $((r-i-1)) $((r-i)) $((i))    $((i+3)) $((r-i-3)) $((r-i-2)) $((i+2))   $((i+5)) $((r-i-5)) $((r-i-4)) $((i+4))   $((i+7)) $((r-i-7)) $((r-i-6)) $((i+6)) "
		i=$((i+16))  #each binding is 4 sheets (16 pages)
	done
	echo "creating booklet in $1_book.pdf"
	pdftk $1 cat $seq output $1_book.pdf	
}

alias 'rmlinks'='find . -maxdepth 1 -type l -exec rm -f {} \;'