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April 15, 2010
Answered

Print multiple pages on sheet

  • April 15, 2010
  • 12 replies
  • 152711 views

I am using Adobe Reader and would like to print two copies of the same document on the same sheet. It doesn't seem to allow me to do that no matter what settings I put in the print dialog box or the printer driver. I have told it "2 up" and the paper size is 18 x 12, the document itself is 8.5 x 11 so there should be plenty of room. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

  Mark

    Correct answer

    As per my understanding of your problem, you have a one page PDF and you need to print 100 copies of the same page with page scaling of Multiple Pages per sheet.

    If this is the problem then this can't be achieved using combination of Copies and Multiple Pages per sheet feature.

    12 replies

    Inspiring
    January 4, 2025

    I had the same problem and created a simple work-a-round.  The first ahah is to understand that Adobe PDF does not have a "step and repeat" function to place and print multiples of a single file on a single page.  You have to have the "ahah" that Adobe PDF can take a document that has multiple pages and print those images/pages on a single page.  Of course a little math is needed to be sure that all will fit.
    For Example-
    I have one PDF file - a 3.5 inch x 3.5 inch sticker. 
    i open adobe PDF and select CREATE a PDF and choose the option SINGLE FILE

    While in that dialog I click SINGLE FILE and choose my PDF file of my sticker.  
    Then I hit CREATE and a screen appears with 1 page and my file.

    Then I hit ORGANIZE PAGES and a new screen appears with a thumbnail image of my original one page file
    Now for the trick!!!
    I click on the thumbnail (my outline turns blue) , I then click copy or use a keyboard shortcut for copy and then SIMPLY USE THE KEYBOARD SHORT CUT FOR PASTE.  A new page is added with a duplicate of my sticker.  I create 6 pages using this technique as I have calculated that I can print 6 images on a letter size paper.

    Then in the print dialog I select multiples and the correct layout.

     

    Participant
    March 9, 2023

    This thread helped me, 13 years later.  You'd think they would have upgraded the Printer Options by now, but NOPE.

    Based on other responses, I printed my document to a PDF and made 4 copies. This gave me a PDF with 4 pages with the same thing on each page.  Then I printed that PDF with "Multiple" selected and 2x2 for Pages per sheet, putting 4 to a single page.

    Participant
    July 19, 2022

    Was googling this and found this thread, it still didn't work for me, but then a lovely person gave me this link to try something different and I prefer this option. I feel gives me more flexibility, hope it helps you too.... 🙂
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfc7uWD0Z0

    Participant
    January 24, 2022

    Whoever answered this is a genius.  I just spent two hours trying to do the same thing, print multiple invitations for my kid's birthday party on one sheet, and this worked beautifully!  Thank you deleted user!!!

    tr0gl0
    Participant
    October 15, 2016

    In case your PDF has only 1 page. Print 2 copies of the page to a new PDF file.

    Then open the new file and use ElWarboGrande​​ solution (use pages numbers: 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1)

    Known Participant
    April 14, 2022

    Another brilliant work around for those without an expensive PDF editor, thank you for sharing!

    try67
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 14, 2022

    Note this will not work if the file only has one page, though, as Reader automatically disables the Pages options in the Print dialog then.

    Participating Frequently
    September 22, 2013

    I know this is over three years old, but in case anyone else needs this, I figured out how to do it.

    After setting the page scaling to "Multiple pages per sheet" all you have to do is repeat the page in the "pages" field. For instance, If I have a document that prints front and back and I want it to print 3 up, I would set the "pages per sheet" to 1 by 3 and then for the page range, I would enter 1,1,1,2,2,2. This tells Acrobat to print page 1 three times, then page 2 three times. Since it's set to 1 by 3, it will arrange 3 iterations to a sheet.

    Hope that can still help someone here.

    March 4, 2014

    This does the trick, thank you very much for the great idea - but only if the pdf has more than one page.

    When there is only one page (as in the original question and my case) the pdf the printing dialog "smartly" disables the radio buttons "current page" and especially "pages" with the field to enter page numbers (eg "1,1,1,1" when printing 4 similar pages on one sheet).

    Participant
    July 1, 2011

    Were you able to resolve this problem yet?

    I was having the same problem a little while ago today but I finally figured it out.

    In order to print two pages (or in my case, three) to a sheet, two (three) pages need to be available in the document file, even if the two (three) pages per sheet are the same exact page.

    So I went into Acrobat with my document file (Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, version 8.3.0, is what I'm using) and inserted extra pages using the same file (under the Document tab on the menu bar) and then proceeded to try printing again. VOILA! The print preview was finally showing me three pages to one sheet and when I printed it out, SUCCESS!

    I realize that you asked your question a little more than a year ago, but I figured I'd respond to it anyway (even though I now notice that Bernd Alheit pretty much responded with the same thing). Hope it helps!

    Participant
    August 17, 2018

    I know this is a very old posting, but you just solved my printing problem! Thank you.

    Participating Frequently
    April 21, 2011

    I understand the workaround, but hate having to do it. In case anyone from Adobe is reading, why oh why must I used a workaround for what should be a basic feature? Not asking for complicated plug-in level imposing software, just take the excellent work you've done with multiple-page printing on a single sheet, and make it work with a single page. Please!

    Bernd Alheit
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 22, 2011

    ... why oh why must I used a workaround for what should be a basic feature?

    That isn't a basic feature. It is a special requirement.

    April 19, 2010

    Thanks to everyone who helped. Ultimately, it turns out to be something I apparently can't do through my print driver (which doesn't make sense.) I unfortunately do not have Adobe Acrobat, though it may turn out to be necessary to get it in the near future.

    Thanks again,

      Mark

    Bernd Alheit
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 19, 2010

    - Make a copy of the file.

    - With Adobe Acrobat combine the two files to a new document.

    - Print this new document using "2 up".