How do you rotate and resave a pdf memory in Family Search Gallery view.

shirleycws

We've tried rotating pdfs but they return to the upside down state once closed. We also tried re-uploading them after permanently deleting them from Family Search and the replacement file, even though shows right side up on our computer comes up upside down. How do you rotate and resave a pdf memory in Family Search Gallery view?

sc woz

@shirleycws

FamilySearch does not currently allow users to rotate and permanently save the orientation of a PDF within the Memories Gallery. Even if you rotate the file on your computer or inside a PDF viewer, FamilySearch often displays the original embedded orientation when the file is uploaded. This is why a PDF that looks correct on your device may still appear upside‑down in the Gallery.

• PDFs contain an internal rotation flag. Many programs show a “visual rotation” without actually rewriting the underlying page orientation. FamilySearch reads the original orientation, not the display rotation.
• FamilySearch Memories does not modify PDF metadata. The system presents the file exactly as stored in the PDF’s internal structure.
• Deleting and re‑uploading does not change the embedded orientation. If the original file still contains the old rotation metadata, FamilySearch will continue to display it upside‑down.

To correct the orientation, the PDF must be fully re‑saved with the pages physically rotated, not just visually rotated.

Any of the following methods will work:

• Use a PDF editor that performs true page rotation (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, PDF‑XChange Editor, Foxit).Look for tools labeled Rotate Pages or Organize Pages, not View → Rotate.
• Export the PDF pages as images (JPEG/PNG), rotate them, and create a new PDF. This forces the file to be rebuilt with the correct orientation.
• Print to PDF after rotating the pages.“Print to PDF” generates a completely new file with the rotation permanently embedded.

Once the PDF has been physically rotated and saved, uploading it to FamilySearch will preserve the correct orientation.

Hope this makes the process clearer and helps reduce the frustration of dealing with upside‑down files.