Re: plain TeX double-page layout?

I don;t know about pdfjam but I've had a lot of problems with pdf maipulation
utilities from dropping form data to extended information. I try to use latex
to include things like bibtex info in the extended info and it looks like a lot of
people are now putting in DOI's when these are known. This helps others cite your
work if that is a concern. fwiw. 

 Mike Marchywka 
157 Zachary 
Talking Rock GA 30175
was 44 Crosscreek Trail Jasper GA 30143
was 306 Charles Cox Drive  Canton, GA 30115
470-758-0799
404-788-1216 





________________________________________
From: texhax <[email protected]> on behalf of Rodolfo Medina <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 6:57 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: plain TeX double-page layout?

Rodolfo Medina <[email protected]> writes:

> I suppose it's easy in LaTeX but wonder if it's possible in plain TeX to have
> a double-page layout, i.e. a big page with same height and double width of
> the original which contains two pages together, one aside the other, of the
> original file.  I'm sure it must be possible in plain TeX but can't have an
> idea of how.  Thanks for any suggestion.  Otherwise, I'll have to get what I
> want on the final PDF using some tools like qpdf or similar...  but
> preserving the internal links of the PDF.


Thanks to all that helped with this interesting problem: here's what I've
worked out of it: pdfjam performs perfectly the result simply with, e.g.:

 $ pdfjam o_sole_mio.pdf '{},1-' -o o_sole_mio2up.pdf --nup 2x1 --papersize '{34.8cm,19.5cm}'

where the paper's width is for me double the original wehereas the height
remains the same as the original filepage.  This solution unfortunately does
*not* preserve possible internal hyperlinks existing in the input PDF.

On the other hand, to do the job natively inside and within TeX fantastic
world, you have this (suggested by Daniel):

  https://ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/generic/2up

that I'm still testing and looks promising and seems to preserve the original
links.

Greetings,

Rodolfo