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cindyjane
Participating Frequently
December 15, 2018
Answered

PDF image shrinks when printing

  • December 15, 2018
  • 8 replies
  • 8632 views

When I print a pdf, the document shrinks to 91% and if I click print entire image, some of the top of the original cuts off.  To get the whole image on, it has to be at 91%, which shrinks the image too much - it also cuts off the page numbers I put on with a paginate app.  How can I simply print the full image with the page number showing?  I'm on a mac os sierra. 

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    Correct answer Test Screen Name

    No, that's only in the paid-for Acrobat.

    8 replies

    Test Screen NameCorrect answer
    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    No, that's only in the paid-for Acrobat.

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    A, there's your problem. Your PDF is the world's popular size, A4, but your paper is the American favourite size letter. A4 is 11.69 inches high and letter is 11 inches high. So no matter how you play it the page size is either going to be scaled down OR it's going to be cut off. You have to choose which one. If you don't want to scale it, then allow for top and bottom being cut (about a third of an inch top and bottom) and add your page numbers further down.

    However, Acrobat was made in the knowledge that A4 and letter are used interchangeably around the world, and the default print option, to scale to fit, is designed to just make it work without any effort.

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    I tried opening the document in adobe rather than default Preview and got it to work.  The app I was using for paginating did not allow for the number to be moved up or down, just left or right with spaces.  I downloaded adobe dc to paginate better. 

    Does Adobe Reader, the unpaid version, have a paginate function - I can't find it?

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    It certainly should show the page size, but let's try something else. View the page and go to File > Properties. Click the General tab. It should show Page Size among all the info there, perhaps on the second line up from the bottom. What is it?

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    8.26x11.69

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    Ok, you cannot print closer than 0.5 cm from the edge of that printer (0.2 inches).

    If you aren't trying to do that:

    1. What size is your paper (e.g. 8.5x11 inches, A4)?

    2. What is the PDF page size (hover mouse over left corner of the page to find out)?

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    I hovered the mouse over the left corner and did not see a page size.

    My pdf when open covers the page properly as the original document.

    When I go to the print screen, it shows that it is now shrunk to 91% - it does this with or without pagination.  If I click "fill entire page", which puts it back to its original size, the page number cuts out.

    I need to somehow adjust all this so that when I click "fill entire page", the pagination remains.

    I'm using 81/2 x 11 paper.

    Mixlikes
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    You can set up a PDF to default to specific scaling or print options. Choose File > Properties, and click the Advanced tab. Select options for the Print Dialog Presets. The Default option in the Page Scaling pop-up menu is Shrink To Printable Area.

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    Sorry, the top, that's where the page number is. How close, and what printer?

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    The pdf without the page number is a photocopy of a document.  The top goes down to the right on an angle a bit, starting at half an inch on the left to close to an inch on the right.  In adobe, dc, which I just downloaded to see if it worked better than the app, and it doesn't, the page number sits 1/2 inch from the top.  The printer is a Canon mf244dw. 

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    I asked: how close to the edge (the bottom in this case) is it trying to print?

    I also ask: what exact printer is it?

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    The printing, at 91%, sits close to the top as opposed to centered on the page.

    Legend
    December 15, 2018

    How close to the edge is it trying to print? Most printers just can't do that, and "print entire" gets as close as it can.

    cindyjane
    cindyjaneAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 15, 2018

    When I click print entire image, it prints it well enough, except it cuts off the page number at the top I added with a paginate app.  To include the page number the page has to shrink to 91%.  I'm trying to figure out how I can get a full size print out with the page number on it.