How to Print Mixed Legal and Letter PDF Pages on macOS
Question details
The user needs to print a PDF containing both legal and letter-size pages without the legal pages being scaled down to fit letter-size paper.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Printing a mixed-page-size PDF document to a standard printer with multiple trays.
- Observed behavior
- The printer selects the correct paper tray but incorrectly scales the legal-size pages down to fit letter-size paper.
Ensure your printer is loaded with both Legal and Letter size paper in their respective trays, and that your macOS printer drivers are fully up to date.
Adjust Scaling and Paper Source Settings
Adjust the print dialog settings to force the application to use the actual page size and draw from the correct tray.
By default, many PDF readers will try to shrink or fit pages to the default paper size. To print mixed sizes correctly, you must explicitly tell the software to match the paper source to the PDF page size and disable automatic scaling.
Open your mixed-size PDF document and go to File > Print to open the Print dialog box.
Under the 'Page Sizing & Handling' section, select 'Actual Size' or set 'Custom Scale' to 100% to prevent automatic shrinking.
Check the box labeled 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' so the software communicates the correct tray needs to the printer.
Click Print to send the document to your printer and verify that the legal pages print at full size.
Print Mixed-Size PDFs Perfectly with WPS Office
If you continue experiencing scaling issues with your current PDF reader, try WPS Office. Its built-in PDF tool seamlessly handles mixed-size documents, ensuring legal and letter pages print exactly as intended without unnecessary scaling.
- 1. Download and Install: Download and install WPS Office for Mac.
- 2. Open PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your mixed-size PDF document using the built-in WPS PDF tool.
- 3. Open Print Settings: Click the Print icon on the top toolbar or press Cmd + P.
- 4. Adjust Print Scale: In the print settings, select 'Actual Size' and ensure the auto-tray selection by page size option is enabled.
- 5. Print: Click Print to get your perfectly sized legal and letter pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my printer shrinking legal-size PDF pages to letter size?
This usually happens because the default print setting is set to 'Fit' or 'Shrink oversized pages'. Changing the scaling option to 'Actual Size' in the print dialog will resolve this.
Does macOS support automatic tray selection for different paper sizes?
Yes, macOS supports automatic tray selection, but it relies on the PDF reader passing the 'Choose paper source by PDF page size' command to the printer driver during the print job.
How do I add legal paper size to my Mac printer settings?
Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners. Select your printer, click 'Options & Supplies', and ensure the tray configurations under the 'Utility' or 'Device Settings' tab reflect that legal paper is physically loaded in the correct tray.
