A4 default is the wrong size

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

When I print from Word to PDF the page settings are lost, I've tried all the various suggestions on the FAQ's on both Adobe and Microsoft as well as on this forum but no joy, the pages are over running. However, I have discovered that the default page size for A4 in Acrobat is different from everything else. Acrobat has it sized at 21.59 x 27.94 whilst everywhere else it's sized at 21 x 29.7. I have created a custom size (both page size and distiller settings) for the correct dimensions but it's still printing short and narrow. Any suggestions most welcome.
We're using Adobe Acrobat Standard Version 7.0.9, MS Office 2003 & windows XP Pro if that helps.

[_Aandi_Inston_]

The size you quote, 21.59 x 27.94 cm, is not a4 at all, but exactly US
letter size (8.5 x 11 inches). Where in Acrobat does this seem to be
A4?

Aandi Inston

[_de_Siem_]

21.59 x 27.94

That's letter size. Change the default by going to start>printers right-click the pdf printer and select printing prefs.

under the pdf settings tab ensure A4 is selected instead of letter.

Or use the pdfmaker from Word instead of printing to the pdf printer.

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

Thanks.
We've already changed every possible setting from letter to A4 but Adobe still insists that the default page is letter sized. Even creating custom pages larger than A4 and then printing still gives us letter size. We've tried both printing to PDF from word and in acrobat converting to PDF - both give the same result.
Have we missed a setting somewhere?
I've put a couple of screenshots on our website: http://www.countryside-jobs.com/CJS_Stuff/Images/adobe1.jpg & http://www.countryside-jobs.com/CJS_Stuff/Images/adobe2.jpg
Adobe2 shows the preferences as A4 but adobe1 shows the default size - which is you've guessed it letter!

[_Aandi_Inston_]

Make sure that BOTH you create a Word document with page size A4 -and-
you select A4 in printer setup when printing to PDF.

Aandi Inston

[_de_Siem_]

screenshot Adobe 1 shows the distiller settings, which have nothing to do when creating pdf from most application. The page size setting there is only applicable when distilling eps files which contain no page size info.

Screenshot 2 show the option I referred to. If you create a pdf from Word either via the print option or the pdfmaker option, check the resulting page size in Acrobat. (hover the mouse near the bottom left corner of the document to see.)

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

It's showing 20.988 x 29.7 cm, however the copy is still identical to printing onto letter (which shows 21.588 x 27.939), just more white space. over a thirteen page A4 document we're running nearly half way down page fourteen.

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

To Aandi - Yep, done that too. Still end up with the same short pages and lots of white space. We've checked the scaling too!

[_Aandi_Inston_]

Are you printing to PDF or using the Acrobat button in Word? If one,
what happens when you do the other?

Aandi Inston

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

We're printing to PDF and have also tried convert to PDF in Acrobat. We don't have an acrobat button in Word.

[_de_Siem_]

i It's showing 20.988 x 29.7 cm

So the PDF is in A4.

Are you comparing the printout of the PDF to the printout of the Word file by any chance?

[Bill12]

One other place to try is the Adobe PDF document properties (should be the printer properties) and select Advanced on the Layout tab. That should bring up a selection in the Paper/Output that shows Paper Size. I am not sure about all the interactions, but I usually make the changes there. It seems like the settings tab and this one are related. I just made the change to A4 in that place and printed from Acrobat (a letter size file) and got one that is 8.27X11.69 in (I think that is A4).

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

Comparing the PDF on screen side by side with the word print preview or the main document. Actual paper print outs are different yet again but that's not a problem.

The line and page breaks are the same regardless of whether the PDF is A4 or letter (by checking bottom left for dimensions). They are in the same places as when Word is set to letter size. It's this that leads us to suppose that the A4 default is the wrong size.

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

Bill
Thanks for joining in.
Yes, we've done that too but it made no difference.

[_de_Siem_]

I think you're running into the issue described here:
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bbad444/0

I assume your default printer is not the Adobe PDF printer?

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

PDF is not our default printer.
Yes, I appreciate that different printers have different settings; we use several on our network, each with their own quirks and layout. What this doesnt explain is why when printing to A4 PDF the end result is identical to printing to a Letter size PDF, if you print the resulting A4 PDF to paper there are large margins and the two versions can be overlaid with no discernable difference. Additionally if we size the word doc to Letter the Letter sized PDF is only slightly different from the main document. Perhaps there's a way to change the A4 margins?
I should add that this doesn't happen with any other printer on the network just the PDF option. We're baffled.

[_Aandi_Inston_]

Not sure if you've covered this, but have you looked at your Word
Print options, especially the value of the "Allow A4/Letter paper
resizing" option?

Aandi Inston

[_Kerryn_Humphreys_]

Hi Aandi

Thanks for the latest suggestion, and yes, we've tried that too. Both allowing and not allowing - no difference!
Kerryn

[SimonATS]

try this, open the word document. Go to file>print and change the printer to the adobe pdf printer. Then close the print dialog box.
Check the Word document formatting, do you see the same 'letter' layout in the word document now?

[_jody_meadwell_]

Kerryn - I don't have a solution, but it may be nice to know someone has the same problem! I am using Adobe Acrobat Professional v 8.1.2, Windows Vista, Office 2003. I can print the "real" A4 size from all the applications I've tried, except from my scanner...a Canon MF5700. To create a PDF from the scanner, I am choosing File > Create PDF > From Scanner > Scanner Options > Paper Size = A4LETTER (there is not an A4 option).

In fact, I only have eight options for paper size, and the funny thing is that when I was using v 7.0.9 on the same PC I had 25+ paper size options when using this exact work flow (including the "real" A4 which worked perfectly fine before I "upgraded")!

I even tried adding a custom paper size, but it doesn't appear in the above-noted Paper Size drop-down.

[_Marc_Troy_]

Jody,

All missing papersizes can be activated/restored by tweaking the registry:

Goto: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\8.0\Scan\cScannerValues

Key: "s{SCANNER NAME}PaperSize"

{SCANNER NAME} is your Scanner name. In my case - "sCanoScan LiDE 90PaperSize".

Here you need to edit the REG_BINARY and change all "30"to "31" - this will unlock all papersizes. Note: You don't need to add a new key, only edit the existing one.

Once you're done, restart Acrobat and you can select your papersize of choice.

"A4" itself is bugged and will show up as an empty selection. But it will work fine!

Screenshot: http://i30.tinypic.com/2qt8veu.png

best,
Marc

[adwul]

Hello Marc,

t h a n k you sooo much!!

Really great.

brgds
==

[adwul]

Bad luck, this does not help with the 9950F. Have changed everything into 31 and it looks exactly like shown in the png-file, with '00' in the one but last in line 0030.

The 'blanc' paperformat still remains A4Letter (even after rebooting the pc)

:-((

any other suggestions ??

brgds
==

[_Marc_Troy_]

Hi mrwul,

Hm... I also defined A4 as the default papersize in Arcobat (at Preferences/New Document) and did load up the native scanner UI first, and selected A4 there.

I got no other suggestions, sorry. I think Adobe got a serious bug there which happens to be fixable at my machine/setup.

best,
Marc

[_Joost_Vandenberghe_]

Deselect in Word/Excel "Allow A4/letter paper resizing". In Office 2003 you will find this under Tools - Options - International.

Joost