How to make combined pdf pages the same size.

[nfotx6708]

I have combined several pages into one pdf Binder.  Although all the pages were built on 8.5 x 11 inch paper, inside the combined pdf they are different sizes on the scree.  How can I achieve continuity between all the page sizes?

[Adorobat]

Hi nfotx6708 ,

Could you please tell what application you are using to combine pdf?

[nfotx6708]

I am using Acrobat XI, 11.0.7.

I combined several pdf files into one binder.  In the thumbnails column, the first page highlights blue around the entire page and that page is seen in full size to the right of the thumbnails column.  The second thumbnail highlights in blue around the entire page but has the black "viewing window" representing what is showing full size on the screen.

I have attached an image showing the difference between page one and two.  I would prefer to have the entire binder display pages in the same size.  All of these pages are 8.5 x 11 inches in physical form.

[Bernd Alheit]

Combining PDF files with Adobe Acrobat will not change the pages sizes.

[Geоrge · Accepted solution]

Print to Adobe PDF with "fit" (uncheck from "actual size") in print settings.

[tonyf6039100]

This worked for me, thanks

[Jen0o0o0o0o]

Best workaround ever!

I had done the pre-flight nonsense a cuple years ago, and couldn't remember the 'combination.' This is sooooo much better.

Thanks!!!

[Luke_Jennings]

Do any of the pages have crop marks and/or bleed? The trim size for all of the pages might be 8.5x11, but the pages with crop marks will have a larger media box, and look larger on screen. In Acrobat, you can go to Tools> Print Production> Preflight> (select the wrench icon for changes)> Pages> Set Crop Box to Trim Box.

You can also place all of the pages into InDesign and export to a new PDF at the desired size.

You can go to File> Document Properties> Initial View> Magnification to select a desired magnification when the PDF is opened, however it won't force different sized pages to appear to be the same size.

If you are sending your PDF to a commercial printer, be sure to include bleed on your PDF, if needed.

[Team5CD7]

Hey Luke,

thwnk you so much for this detailed answer! I have it installed on an iPad. I cannot find "tools" nor is there an option if I select print to "print Adobe PDF". Are your instructions not valid for an iPad set up?   Thank you so much!

[Test Screen Name]

Preflight is in Acrobat Pro. Only on macOS and Windows.

Adobe PDF printer is Windows only.

The facilities on iPad are very limited by comparison.

[davidk9149604]

"Print to Adobe PDF is not supported use 'save as'"

[JR Boulay]

""Print to Adobe PDF is not supported use 'save as'""

This is true for Mac computers only, since Apple locked virtual print services.
No problem with Windows.

[michaelk31462665]

Thanks!  This was the simple solution.  I had scanned a signature page and added it to an existing document.  The Scanned page was much larger than the existing document pages and the only way to make all the pages the same size was to Print to Adobe PDF and check the fit box instead of actual size box, in the print to Adobe PDF screen.  

Now, how to figure out how to scan pages in as the same size as the document I'm adding the scanned page to, that would preclude this need to print to adobe pdf again.    

Thanks for the solution, @George Salnik!  

3. Re: Making combined pdf pages the same size.

George_Salnik

Mike Kaminsky

[johnk39482450]

I don't think the following question was answered in this thread: What if I am combining PDF files of different page sizes? For example:

Doc1 (created from a Word file) + Doc2 (image scanned at high resolution) = Doc3 (now contains vastly different page sizes)

I'm using Acrobat Pro DC's combine files feature. Printer settings in Word shouldn't make a difference in the final output. I would expect the solution to be in Acrobat, but I'm just a caveman.

Thanks!

[Thom Parker]

So you would like to scale the PDF pages to the same size? or do you mean you want to just expand the page boundaries?

You can use the crop tool, or write a script to set the page boundaries. But scaling is a different issue. One way to do it is to print to PDF. The printer settings will force the pages to all be scaled to fit on to the specified paper size.

I believe my answer here is the same as the response marked as the correct answer.

[johnk39482450]

Printing to PDF instead of using the Combine feature in Acrobat has fixed the issue, and reduced the overall file size as well. Thank you!

[l.rtm]

I have wasted so much time trying to figure this out. When I select Print (to my printer, I don't see an option to Print to Adobe Printer), I then go through the process of selecting my page size in properties and then chose Fit to Page and then there is no way to save this configuration and the page sizes in my document remain all slightly different. I am using Windows 10.

Please advise this is a huge problem and Acrobat should have a more straight forward way to address this problem.

BTW, I have no interest in printing or having anyone else print this document, I want it to be a PDF file with pages of all one size for consistency. Otherwise it looks unprofessional.

[l.rtm]

I want the page size to be A5 or somewhere in the neighborhood of 6" x 8.5"

[Luke_Jennings · Accepted solution]

You can do this with Acrobat Pro.

Go to Tools> Print Production> Prefilght> FixUps (blue wrench icon)> Pages.

Select Scale pages to specified size

Go to the little fly-out menu and duplicate the prefilght, give it a new name.

Click on Edit, to change the desired final trim size and the method used to get to this size (scale, white border, etc.)

Click on Fix to apply the change.

[l.rtm]

Hi I have tried that and see no option to scale page size

On Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 10:52 AM Luke Jennings <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[Luke_Jennings]

You can select one of the existing preflights, duplicate it, and edit it to make it do what you need.

[grecia5C88]

This was so helpful, Luke. Thank you so much!

[k.a.r.l.2000]

This is the actual solution. THANK YOU. 

Kinda crazy adobe makes this so hard to find.

[YQRBecky]

Thank you.  This is ridiculously complicated but glad it worked. 

[Suzanne5ECD]

This has been so helpful thank you 😊