What is wrong with Adobe Print Size

[scotts9901542]

I just want to know why you have created such an infernally stupid problem where you add length to a PDF page, so instead of the PDF page being 8.5 by 11, now its some cryptic random pointless number like 9.3 by 14 because Adobe thought it was SOMEHOW A GOOD IDEA TO JUST START ADDING SPACE TO PEOPLES PDF FILES.

I almost dont even want an answer I am so angry about it. Why would you do that. When someone presses Print to Adobe PDF from any program, and the original program has a normal page size (like Microsoft Word), why on Gods Green Earth would you change the page size to something else.

If I had any choice to use any other product that made the correct choices when it came to what people obviously want, then I would do it.

Pray tell, how do you fix this asinine problem so I dont ever have to see it again in my entire life. Thank you. And shame on you Adobe for having a problem that is this stupid.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

In terms of printing to Adobe PDF from an application, by the time any Adobe software is involved, the target page size is already selected by the application in question in conjunction with the printer driver, in this case (assuming Windows since there is no Adobe PDF in MacOS) the standard Windows PostScript driver.

I understand your extreme frustration, but what you describe is not standard procedure for how that driver operates. There is no good reason in this world why we (Adobe) would unilaterally change the page size. In fact, this is the first time I have ever heard of such a symptom (and I am directly involved with print at Adobe). I absolutely believe you are seeing this symptom, but the real question is how and why it is occurring on your system.

Perhaps you can provide some additional information including applications and the actual Printer Properties driver settings for Adobe PDF, we can try to assist you.

          - Dov

[scotts9901542]

Hi Dov, Thank you for your reply. I had to have a mini meltdown; now I’m better.

The problem occurs when I press Print and I select the Adobe driver from the available printers, in order to print a PDF. Then it creates the PDF, but the top and bottom margins are WAY bigger than normal. A bunch of space is added and the paper is no longer 8.5x11. So I’m trying to find a way to resize the page, and I vaguely reme being successful at cropping pages years ago, but Adobe versions have changed and I can’t find anything anymore. Somone elses solution was to find some thing under printing tools I can’t even remember what it was but it was like some crazy printing debugger and I just couldn’t with it and was like why does this problem even exist. Anyway, you may be right that it’s not an Adobe issue. I just wish there were an easy menu button to select resize to 8.5 x 11. It just seems like that should exist, given all the complicated things Adobe is able to do. I will try to take some screen shots and see if I can attach. Right now I’m replying by cell phone.

[Dov Isaacs]

I am suspecting that somehow in the Printer Properties for Adobe PDF, the paper size is set to something other than 8.5x11. Check that since that should be the only reason why the symptoms you describe occur. (Of course, that begs the issue of how that size got set!)

Looking forward to whatever further info you can provide.

          - Dov

[FuturelineMediaDenmark]

the only thing you should do is
1: to untick off the box with 'same size as pdf' and then
2:tick the box with 'print in original size'. See attached screendump from my computer. Regards, Mark

[Test Screen Name]

Futureline, this is not related to the original question.

[defaultn3jzyyrkvsjb]

Futureline, this WAS VERY helpful!  Thank you and I hope others will find your helpful solution!

[C_D_F]

I'm having the same issue. I'm in Australia so print to A4 size. I've run a few tests and I think the issue is when printing from Word. In my win10, I have the option to print my word doc to 'Adobe PDF' or to 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. It doesn't matter which I choose, when I open the pdf file, padding has been added to all sides of the document so I think windows is doing something here?? I just haven't worked out what yet.

Testing in Excel does the same thing.

But...testing in Adobe inDesign doesn't add padding. Therefore I think MS Office is doing something to the file when printing to pdf either using MS driver or Adobe driver.

Edit: Oh, and to be thorough, I just printed this page to adobe pdf and it didn't add padding, so I think it's definitely MS Office that's to blame somehow.

[Abambo]

C_D_F  wrote

(...) I have the option to print my word doc to 'Adobe PDF' or to 'Microsoft Print to PDF'. It doesn't matter which I choose, when I open the pdf file, padding has been added to all sides of the document so I think windows is doing something here?? (...)Therefore I think MS Office is doing something to the file when printing to pdf either using MS driver or Adobe driver.(...)

Microsoft Print to PDF is, as the name suggests, a Microsoft virtual printer creating PDF files. So there are 2 different (virtual) printers and as noted, this can't be Adobe's fault.

[C_D_F]

Abambo  wrote

Microsoft Print to PDF is, as the name suggests, a Microsoft virtual printer creating PDF files. So there are 2 different (virtual) printers and as noted, this can't be Adobe's fault.

HI Abambo. I'm probably reading your response wrong (correct me if I am), even though I think you're agreeing with me, by that logic though, if I use the Adobe driver, then would that make it Adobe's fault??

It's not working with any of the pdf print drivers in any office products, but If I use the MS pdf print driver in inDesign, it prints correctly. This is why I'm leaning towards MS but I can't be 100% sure.

[Abambo]

No, but having a printer independent from Adobe does make it ​not Adobe’s fault. The culprit is very probable the application or Windows...

[C_D_F]

Did some more testing and noticed that if you look in the description of the pdf file (Ctrl+D in windows), the page size of my A4 document (A4 = 20.1cm by 29.7cm) when created in word is 21.587 x 27.937, but when created in inDesign it's the proper size of 20.999 x 29.698. That's a difference of 0.6 x 1.75cm.

More proof that Office is doing something wrong when printing to pdf. I think it's time to complain to Microsoft!!

[C_D_F]

Wow! I just found a fix.

Instead of printing to 'Adobe PDF' or 'Microsoft Print to PDF', I saved my word doc as a pdf (instead of .docx) and it created a proper pdf WITHOUT the padding. When opening the pdf and pressing Ctrl+D, the document size shows properly as an A4 sheet of size 20.999 x 29.698cm!!

Just have to remember to save my work (as .docx) before saving as pdf until this is fixed.

[C_D_F]

Some more testing...

Just printed an email in Outlook and a slide in Powerpoint to both pdf print drivers and it prints correctly and shows the correct paper size.

Possible bug seems to be confined to just Word and Excel

[C_D_F]

I found the culprit!!

When printing from Word or Excel, if choosing the adobe or MS pdf print driver and clicking on properties, even though it might show as the paper size being A4, it isn't A4 in the 'default settings' for those printers.

If you go to Control Panel>Devices & Printers and click Printer Properties for each printer, the paper size was set to Letter on both. I changed it back to A4 and now everything prints as normal. Something had changed it back to Letter as I had changed them both to A4 in the beginning.

[Cropmy5]

Thanks @C_D_F. This worked for me. My Adobe PDF printer's default paper size was set to Letter.

[typesetter2007]

Just for the history, or anyone who googles here. If you set every possible page format to what you want but still don't get the correct size from Word, try their File-Export-Create PDF/XPS document. That was the only option that worked fine and maintained the exact page size, as it was in Word.

[S. S]

Thanks, @VLADIMIR32408538ntai, for briefing the solution here for everyone.

This will hopefully help future users looking for a solution.

-Souvik