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Inspiring
January 20, 2025
Question

Change PDF page size (and creating an action to automate it)

  • January 20, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 546 views

I'm trying to create an action to change page size of a whole folder of PDFs (and save a copy without altering the originals) from their original size (usually 9x12 in) to US Letter (8.5 x 11 in).

Using the Crop tool failed already outside of the action, saying that the page could not be resized. Besides, adding the Save action at the end since I want to save a copy of the original files, not change them asked me this for each file:

This didn't happen for other actions I created, it was just working as intended, opening > processing > closing the file and moving on iteratively. 

Now, I should use the Print Production > Preflight > Scale to specific size function but when I go to try to create an action for that, it doesn't work. How can I succeed here?

It seems to me that resizing PDFs should be a quite straightforward action in 2025 but, instead, I am not finding quick, reliable, repeatable ways.

 

Thank you for your help.

2 replies

try67
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 21, 2025

Regarding saving: You can add a Save command and under the Settings for it add a prefix or a suffix to the new file-name, so that it doesn't overwrite the original:

 

 

Inspiring
January 21, 2025

Yes, I've added a _resized after it. Could be more specific now that I've learned that every action will support only one page size. TY

JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 21, 2025

1. Create a new "Profile" with the Preflight.

2. Use this profile in an Action.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Inspiring
January 21, 2025

This seems to work.

I believe I would need to create a new, separate profile for each different page size, correct?

Is there a way to have it prompt the user once to choose a specific size? Not a big deal but could be useful.