Printing Booklets On Linux?

I have been tied to Windows for quite some time simply to use a program called "Fineprint". It's a general print layout app, but the real reason I use it is because of it's "Booklet" option. Simply select "Booklet" and the printer prints doublesided, two-up, and laidout so that, if I lay the pages out with the cover face down, I can fold them in half short ways and I have a booklet (or I can cut them in half to bind into my own paperback. Very handy. As far as I can tell there is no corresponding app on linux, and Fineprint won't work with wine. I read somewhere that the linux command line printing stuff can handle everything that Fineprint does. Does anyone know how I can get this layout?

To clarify what I mean, say I have a eight page document. I'll print it two up, each page taking up half piece of "landscaped" paper (in my case, Letter) on each side (four pages to sheet of paper). The first sheet will have (left to right) page 8 and 1 (the back cover and front cover), and on the other side page 2 and 7. The second sheet will have on one side, pages 3 and 6, and on the other side, pages 4 and 5. Stacked and folded in half short ways, I get an eight-page booklet. Does that make sense?

Ideally I could just layout my documents this way, but I have to work with pdfs that I did not create.

Any ideas?

Have a look at pdftk for the rotations. Unfortunately it doesn't do scaling. Maybe you can find another util to do that.

Try Scribus. Its an open-source DTP app.

if you can cope with parting with a small amount of cash, Pagestream is a very capable DTP programme; we used it in Amiga days, and continue to use it today; you help the writer to feed his family if you purchase it; it would do all that you want; (and more)

http://www.pagestream.net/

@Dean. I do use scribus. I like it a lot, in fact. But I am looking for something that would allow me to print any doc in booklet format, not just my own.

@pdc I never heard of Pagestream. I will look into it, though I would like to see a linux native way to do this. But I will check that out. Thanks!

You may be able to use OpenOffice. Check out 'how to's' online. For example:

http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=6137

Hmm, yes, I may have heard of OpenOffice before...

Thanks for the link. Will take a look.