You rotated a PDF in Preview, sent it to a colleague, and they opened it sideways. The rotation didn't save — Preview only rotated your view, not the file.
This is a common gotcha. Flint writes the rotation into the file itself.
View-only vs file-level rotation
Many PDF readers (Preview, browser PDF viewers, some mobile apps) treat rotation as a viewing preference, not a file modification. The rotation looks right for you but doesn't travel. The fix is to use a tool that modifies the PDF itself — Flint does.
Using Flint's rotate tool
Open rotate PDF pages, drop the file, rotate pages as needed, click save. The downloaded PDF has rotation baked into its page descriptors. Anyone who opens it — on any reader, any device — sees the correct orientation.
Verify before sharing
Once you've saved, open the file in a different reader than the one you just used (browser if you used Preview, etc). The rotation should display correctly. If it does in both, your recipients will see it correctly too.
If your tool can't save rotation
Tools that struggle: Apple Preview (rotation saves on its terms — works for export to PDF but not always for the in-place file), some browser PDF viewers, mobile readers. If in doubt, run the file through Flint to ensure the rotation is in the file proper.
FAQ
How do I know if rotation saved?
Open the file on a different device or in a different reader. If it still shows correctly, rotation is in the file.
Does Flint always save rotation?
Yes. Every save writes rotation into the PDF page descriptor.
Can I reverse a saved rotation?
Yes. Open in rotate PDF pages, rotate back, save.
Why does my reader override saved rotation?
Rare, but some readers force their own preference. Modern Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Edge, Chrome, Firefox all respect saved rotation.
Rotate once, save once, displayed correctly forever. Rotate and save.