Office for Mac Issues

How to Export Mixed A3 and A4 Word Pages to PDF on Mac

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 16, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to export a Word document containing both A3 and A4 pages to a PDF on a Mac without losing the different page sizes.

How to Export Mixed A3 and A4 Word Pages to PDF on Mac

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Saving or printing a multi-page document that includes mixed paper sizes to PDF format.
Observed behavior: Using the standard 'Print to PDF' function forces all pages into a single paper size, unlike the Windows version which natively preserves the mixed sizes.

Before you start

Ensure your document is correctly formatted with the desired A3 and A4 page setups through the Page Setup menu before attempting to export.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the 'Save As' Function to Create the PDF

The 'Save As' feature bypasses the Mac print driver's uniform sizing limitations, natively preserving your mixed A3 and A4 page layouts in the final PDF.

On macOS, the system's print dialog often attempts to standardize output to a single paper size based on the default printer. By using the 'Save As' export method directly within the application, you bypass the print spooler and instruct the software to generate the PDF based strictly on the document's internal page setup dimensions.

Open your document

Launch your word processor on Mac and open the document containing the mixed A3 and A4 pages.

Navigate to Save As

Click on 'File' in the top macOS menu bar, then select 'Save As' from the dropdown menu.

Select PDF format

In the 'File Format' dropdown menu at the bottom of the dialog box, select 'PDF'.

Export the document

Choose your desired save location and click 'Export' or 'Save'. Open the resulting PDF to verify that both A3 and A4 dimensions are preserved.

Use the 'Save As' Function to Create the PDF

Best Practice: This method is the most reliable way to maintain exact page dimensions and layout fidelity when moving from a word processor to a PDF on a Mac.

Solution 2

Combine Separate PDFs Using Mac Preview

If your PDF creator or word processor does not support mixing sizes during export, you can split the document by page size, save them individually, and merge them.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless PDF Exporting

Avoid formatting and printing issues on Mac by switching to WPS Office. It provides robust, native PDF exporting capabilities that easily handle mixed page sizes, offering a lightweight and fully compatible alternative to Microsoft Word.

1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office Free for Mac and follow the standard installation process.
2. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your .docx file containing the mixed A3 and A4 pages.
3. Export to PDF: Click 'Menu' > 'Export to PDF' to seamlessly convert your document while fully preserving the mixed paper sizes.

Flawless export of mixed A3 and A4 page sizes to PDF.High compatibility with Microsoft Office formats including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx.Lightweight design that runs smoothly on all macOS versions.Built-in free PDF toolkit for editing, annotating, and merging documents natively.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Mac's Print to PDF change my mixed page sizes?

The macOS built-in print driver often defaults to a uniform paper size based on the primary printer's settings. Using the native 'Save As' to PDF feature in your word processor bypasses the print driver and preserves the original formatting.

Can I combine A3 and A4 PDFs after exporting?

Yes, you can use the built-in Preview app on macOS. Open one PDF, enable the Thumbnails sidebar (View > Thumbnails), and drag the other PDF file into the sidebar to merge them without losing their respective page sizes.

Does this issue occur on Windows?

Generally, Word for Windows handles mixed page sizes better during the 'Print to PDF' process because of different handling by Windows print drivers and the Microsoft native PDF printer.

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