When opening a 2-page pdf in Preview, if it's set to "2 page view", only the first page shows, and the page needs to be turned to show the next page. Wouldn't it make more sense if I choose "2 pages" in the view menu, that it would show both pages? Is there a way to make this the default, and why would it be otherwise?
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.4
Ok, but I’d like for 2-page pdfs to show both pages when I open them. This seems like a pretty obvious setting that would be what you’d get when setting the view to “2 page”. Is there a way to make it work like this? I’m a musician, and almost all my scores are formatted to be 2 pages. I’d like to not have to turn pages when reading from the computer (this is exactly why all the scores are formatted to 2 pages).
Wishing Preview would display a 2-page view differently will not change the fact that Apple did not implement it to do that. Get the current release of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and you can have your real 2-page view using the following toolbar setting:
There was no snark or question categorization intended with my post. I don't have time for that extra mental baggage.
If you want the Preview product team to know that the existing two-page up view isn't helpful, send them feedback via the macOS feedback. They aren't reading these posts, so will never know real two-up pagination is needed unless they are informed.
So that’s why I asked the question; to find out if there’s a setting that can be changed to make it work the way I want. Thanks for answering the question I was asking, even if the snark was unnecessary and misplaced. Just saying "Preview can't do that" would have been a really good answer. There was no need to try to make me feel like it was a stupid question; it wasn't.
Based on your description, I would assume the 2-page view is simulating a book. The first page would be the cover and there would be nothing on the left.
view options in preview
