man > pr(1)

TLDR: pr (tldr-pages)

Paginate or columnate files for printing.

  • Print multiple files with a default header and footer
    pr {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
  • Print with a custom centered header
    pr {{-h|--header}} "{{header}}" {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
  • Print with numbered lines and a custom date format
    pr {{-n|--number-lines}} {{-D|--date-format}} "{{format}}" {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
  • Print all files together, one in each column, without a header or footer
    pr {{-m|--merge}} {{-T|--omit-pagination}} {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
  • Print, beginning at page 2 up to page 5, with a given page length (including header and footer)
    pr +2:5 {{-l|--length}} {{page_length}} {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
  • Print with an offset for each line and a truncating custom page width
    pr {{-o|--indent}} {{offset}} {{-W|--page_width}} {{width}} {{path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...}}
PR(1)                                       User Commands                                      PR(1)



NAME
       pr - convert text files for printing

SYNOPSIS
       pr [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
       Paginate or columnate FILE(s) for printing.

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

       Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

       +FIRST_PAGE[:LAST_PAGE], --pages=FIRST_PAGE[:LAST_PAGE]
              begin [stop] printing with page FIRST_[LAST_]PAGE

       -COLUMN, --columns=COLUMN
              output  COLUMN  columns  and  print columns down, unless -a is used. Balance number of
              lines in the columns on each page

       -a, --across
              print columns across rather than down, used together with -COLUMN

       -c, --show-control-chars
              use hat notation (^G) and octal backslash notation

       -d, --double-space
              double space the output

       -D, --date-format=FORMAT
              use FORMAT for the header date

       -e[CHAR[WIDTH]], --expand-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]]
              expand input CHARs (TABs) to tab WIDTH (8)

       -F, -f, --form-feed
              use form feeds instead of newlines to separate pages (by a 3-line page header with  -F
              or a 5-line header and trailer without -F)

       -h, --header=HEADER
              use  a  centered HEADER instead of filename in page header, -h "" prints a blank line,
              don't use -h""

       -i[CHAR[WIDTH]], --output-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]]
              replace spaces with CHARs (TABs) to tab WIDTH (8)

       -J, --join-lines
              merge  full  lines,   turns   off   -W   line   truncation,   no   column   alignment,
              --sep-string[=STRING] sets separators

       -l, --length=PAGE_LENGTH
              set the page length to PAGE_LENGTH (66) lines (default number of lines of text 56, and
              with -F 63).  implies -t if PAGE_LENGTH <= 10

       -m, --merge
              print all files in parallel, one in each column, truncate lines,  but  join  lines  of
              full length with -J

       -n[SEP[DIGITS]], --number-lines[=SEP[DIGITS]]
              number  lines, use DIGITS (5) digits, then SEP (TAB), default counting starts with 1st
              line of input file

       -N, --first-line-number=NUMBER
              start counting with NUMBER at 1st line of first page printed (see +FIRST_PAGE)

       -o, --indent=MARGIN
              offset each line with MARGIN (zero) spaces, do not affect -w or  -W,  MARGIN  will  be
              added to PAGE_WIDTH

       -r, --no-file-warnings
              omit warning when a file cannot be opened

       -s[CHAR], --separator[=CHAR]
              separate  columns by a single character, default for CHAR is the <TAB> character with‐
              out -w and 'no char' with -w.  -s[CHAR] turns off line truncation of all 3 column  op‐
              tions (-COLUMN|-a -COLUMN|-m) except -w is set

       -S[STRING], --sep-string[=STRING]
              separate  columns  by  STRING, without -S: Default separator <TAB> with -J and <space>
              otherwise (same as -S" "), no effect on column options

       -t, --omit-header
              omit page headers and trailers; implied if PAGE_LENGTH <= 10

       -T, --omit-pagination
              omit page headers and trailers, eliminate any pagination by form feeds  set  in  input
              files

       -v, --show-nonprinting
              use octal backslash notation

       -w, --width=PAGE_WIDTH
              set  page  width  to  PAGE_WIDTH (72) characters for multiple text-column output only,
              -s[char] turns off (72)

       -W, --page-width=PAGE_WIDTH
              set page width to PAGE_WIDTH (72) characters always, truncate lines, except -J  option
              is set, no interference with -S or -s

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

AUTHOR
       Written by Pete TerMaat and Roland Huebner.

REPORTING BUGS
       GNU coreutils online help: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
       Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright  ©  2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
       <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.  There is NO WARRANTY,  to
       the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/pr>
       or available locally via: info '(coreutils) pr invocation'



GNU coreutils 8.32                          January 2026                                       PR(1)
pr(1)
NAME SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION
-COLUMN, --columns=COLUMN -a, --across -c, --show-control-chars -d, --double-space -D, --date-format=FORMAT -e[CHAR[WIDTH]], --expand-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]] -F, -f, --form-feed -h, --header=HEADER -i[CHAR[WIDTH]], --output-tabs[=CHAR[WIDTH]] -J, --join-lines -l, --length=PAGE_LENGTH -m, --merge -n[SEP[DIGITS]], --number-lines[=SEP[DIGITS]] -N, --first-line-number=NUMBER -o, --indent=MARGIN -r, --no-file-warnings -s[CHAR], --separator[=CHAR] -S[STRING], --sep-string[=STRING] -t, --omit-header -T, --omit-pagination -v, --show-nonprinting -w, --width=PAGE_WIDTH -W, --page-width=PAGE_WIDTH --version
AUTHOR REPORTING BUGS COPYRIGHT SEE ALSO

Generated by phpman v4.9.26-1-g511901d · Markdown · JSON · MCP Author: Che Dong Under GNU General Public License
2026-07-31 00:04 @216.73.217.152
CrawledBy Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional!Valid CSS!

^_top_^